A MAN accused of murdering a Newport man told police they were friends and he did not know he was attacked, a court heard yesterday.

During police interviews following his arrest on March 20, 2011, Lukas Kalkowski told police he was friends with Ramunas Raulinautis and Mr Raulinautis asked him to attend court with him on March 9 to help him understand.

Kalkowski, 30, of Laundry Road, Pontypridd, is standing trial at Cardiff Crown Court accused of murdering Mr Raulinautis and causing grievous bodily harm with intent alongside Kamil Semrau, 28, of Chepstow Road, Newport, Pawel Lysonik, 22, of Capel Crescent, Newport, and Stanislaw Gliszczynski, 31, of no fixed address.

Mr Raulinautis, 34, was found outside the Gateway Express Hotel in Chepstow Road, Newport, on March 9 last year and 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 in an incident at Mr Galeza’s home in Livingstone Place, Newport, on March 7 last year.

They are also charged with 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. All the defendants deny the charges.

Kalkowski said he spent the rest of the day walking around Newport before going to Kamil Semrau's flat in Chepstow Road when he finished work.

Jurors heard Pawel Lysonik and Stanislaw Gliszczynski were also there and they were all drunk but the mood was good.

Kalkowski said he did not know anything about the assault on Mr Raulinautis and would not assault him as they were friends.

Jury members heard Kalkowski met Stanislaw Galeza on March 7 and helped a woman move her things into Mr Galeza's flat in Livingston Place.

He said afterwards he, Semrau and Stanislaw Gliszczynski all drank at the flat before he went to sleep on a mattress. He said he awoke in darkness smelling smoke and ran from the house.

Kalkowski told police he did not assault Mr Galeza and knew nothing about his injuries.

Proceeding