THREE teenagers from Newport have been cleared of causing the death of Jan Jedrzejewski in Keene Street.

Callum Banton and Brandon Crosdale, both 18 and Shaquille Crosdale, 19, all of Fleetwood Close, had the charges dropped against them at Newport Crown Court on Monday, November 20.

The trio were sentenced on counts of perverting the course of public justice, with Banton and Brandon Crosdale pleading guilty at a previous hearing.

Shaquille Crosdale was convicted of the charge on September 1 by a jury.

Mr Jedrzejewski was found unresponsive close to Cromwell Road at around 11pm on Thursday, January 12 and died the following day at the Royal Gwent Hospital.

In September, Richard Wallis, 43, of Keene Street, was convicted of life imprisonment for the murder of the 41-year-old Polish national, fatally kicking him in the head as he lay on the ground after trial.

Prosecuting, William Hughes QC told the court that the defendants washed and changed their clothes as well as concealing mobile telephones in a bid to avoid anything which could have placed them in Keene Street at the time of the incident.

Defending Banton, Ali Bajwa QC said his defendant was "panicking".

"He would have been concerned about repercussions to him as to what he had seen," said Mr Bajwa.

Defending Brandon Crosdale, Kate Brunner QC said her defendant, who was the youngest at the time of the incident, went with the crowd.

“When the others hid and fled, he also hid and fled,” said Ms Brunner QC, adding that during interview he told officers “the others ran, so I ran”.

Ms Brunner QC added that his “true conscience” and “good character” were shown when he went to the police station.

Defending Shaquille Crosdale, Mark Wyeth QC said that his defendant was experiencing the same level of panic as his brother and Banton.

“He was 18 at the time of this incident,” said Mr Wyeth QC, “There was a collective panic.”

He added that although he had his clothes washed and handed his phone over to another, this was not going to impact the evidence related to Mr Jedrzejewski’s murder.

“The actions on the part of this defendant were not going to have a real effect on the investigation,” said Mr Wyeth QC.

Concluding, recorder Eleri Rees paid tribute to the Crosdale brothers' mother Alison Poole for her role in encouraging her sons to go to the police in a "life-changing experience".

Ms Rees added that the defendants should look to the future, and not back at the past year.

"They have had a life changing experience of the past year," she said, adding she was hopeful for "a more positive future" for them.

Two of the defendants - Banton and Brandon Crosdale - were sentenced to 16 months' and 14 months' detention in a young offenders institute respectively.

Shaquille Crosdale received a sentence of 20 months consecutive for the offence in a young offenders institute after he previously received 28 months for supplying class A drugs linked to Gwent Police's Operational Jewels.

A fourth defendant, Ellis Seivwright, 18, of Glebe Street, Newport, appeared via video link at Newport Crown Court and will be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice.

His charge was not linked to the death of Mr Jedrzejewski.