MARKS consistent with burns were found on the hands of two men accused of murdering a Newport man, a court heard yesterday.

Kamil Semrau, 28, of Chepstow Road, Pawel Lysonik, 22, of Capel Crescent, both Newport, Lukas Kalkowski, 30, of Laundry Road, Pontypridd, and Stanislaw Gliszczynski, 31, of no fixed abode, are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court charged with murdering Ramunas Raulinautis and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Mr Raulinautis, 34, was found outside the Gateway Express Hotel on Chepstow Road in Newport on March 9 2011 after allegedly being beaten and set on fire. He died three days later at Swansea’s Morriston Hospital.

Lysonik, Kalkowski and Gliszczynski are also charged with attempting to murder Stanislaw Galeza and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, arson with intent to endanger life and arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Gliszczynski’s brother Andrzej Gliszczynski, 27, of Longtown Grove, Newport, is charged with assisting offenders. They all deny all the charges.

Kalkowski and Lysonik were arrested on the Northumberland Road Estate, Tottenham on March 20 last year, on suspicion of murder by Metropolitan Police officers. They were taken to Edmonton Police Station where their clothes were seized and both men were examined by a police surgeon. Kalkowski was found to have scabs and marks on the back of his hands, as well as a blood clot on his left index finger, which he attributed to his work as a builder. Lysonik was found to have recent grazes to his knee and other parts of his body.

The court heard Gwent’s Major Incident Team contacted consultant forensic burns specialist Colin Rayner to examine both defendants.

Giving evidence yesterday Mr Rayner said Kalkowski had a “blemish” on the back of his left hand running around 7cm towards his wrist, which Mr Rayner said was “consistent” with being a burn mark. Lysonik had marks on his right wrist and a red mark on his right palm, both of which Mr Rayner said were consistent with being burn marks.

Proceeding.