A MOTHER of one of the four people accused of murder said her son “went white” after seeing a news broadcast about the death of a man in Newport.

James Wilson, the junior member for the prosecuting counsel, read the statement from Catherine Coslett, which is not in dispute, at Newport Crown Court on Thursday, August 10.

Coslett, 64, of Valley View Road, Cwmtillery, is the fifth defendant in the trial and she is not accused of murder but perverting the course of public justice.

Her son, Richard Wallis, 43, of Keene Street, Callum Banton, 18, of Fleetwood Close, and a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jan Jedrzejewski.

Shaquille Crosdale, 18, of Fleetwood Close, has pleaded not guilty to the same offence and also to perverting the course of public justice.

Coslett – who was not present in court – gave her statement to the police on Sunday, January 15, and Mr Wilson read details aloud to the hearing.

In her statement, Coslett said that Wallis came up to see her on Friday, January 13 as she asked him to take a look at her mobility scooter although the pair saw each other infrequently.

“I would say that I do not see him on a regular basis,” said Coslett, adding she sees her son on average around three times a year.

“I asked him if he could fix my mobility scooter.”

The court heard that Wallis and Coslett were watching BBC Wales News when a story about the alleged incident was shown.

“A story come on about a man who was attacked in Newport and he had died. Richard went white,” said Coslett in her statement.

Wallis told his mother that he saw “white shadows and a piece of wood waving around”.

Coslett said: “I said you will have to go and see them and tell them what you saw.”

The court heard that Wallis asked his mother if he could have a bath and she washed his clothes while he was bathing.

In her statement, Mrs Coslett added that she asked one of her other sons to bring over some spare clothes for Wallis, namely a t-shirt and a pair of grey track suit bottoms.

In relation to January 14, Coslett added: “He said he would go down to the police station to tell them what had happened.

“The police came to my house to arrest him.”

Mr Jedrzejewski died at the Royal Gwent Hospital the day after the alleged incident, as he was found unresponsive at around 11pm close to Cromwell Road on Thursday, January 12.

Proceeding.