A TV actor who was allegedly murdered in his own home by a man in love with the same prostitute as him was described as “an angel and a gentleman,”

a court heard yesterday.

A jury in Cardiff Crown Court was told Gary Suller, 45, was petrified of Barry Bowyer, 38, who denies his murder.

Father of two Mr Suller was found dead in his home in Harold Street, Pontnewydd, on September 6 last year after being tied up and beaten.

Yesterday, Danielle Timmins, a friend of Mr Suller, who runsa brothel in Newport, gave evidence.

Ms Timmins got to know Mr Suller almost five years ago after he designed a website for her brothel.

She described him as “a gentleman, such an angel” but said she’d heard bad things about the woman he had fallen for, Katie Gilmore, 27, of Newport,whomshe described as “a prostitute,” so warned Mr Suller away from her.

She added: “I think Gary wanted to look after her [Ms Gilmore] and protect her.”

Ms Gilmore, also known by the surname Whitbread, also started seeing Bowyer, of Llanon Houses, Croesyceiliog, after the heroin addicts met at a drug rehabilitation course.

Bowyer has already admitted burglary and Mr Suller’s manslaughter, the jury has been told.

Ms Timmins told the court Mr Suller was “petrified” of Bowyer after he began threatening him via text message and had been to his house.

The court heard previously that Bowyer was possessive of Ms Gilmore and hated Mr Suller.

She said once, the pair were in her car on Lower Dock Street, Newport, when Mr Suller sank into his chair upon seeing Bowyer and Ms Gilmore walking down the street.

The court heard that on the day he was killed, Mr Suller was in a good mood because he found out he had landed a speaking role in the production of The Indian Doctor. He previously appeared as an extra in Casualty and Mr Nice.

The jury heard that when Mr Suller returned home, he was attacked by Bowyer as he walked into his dining room.

Mr Suller suffered fractures to his skull, four fractured ribs and internal injuries.

The court was told that after tying up and beating Mr Suller, Bowyer checked into Cwmbran police station, as per his bail conditions, before pawning Mr Suller’s DVDs and 42in flatscreen TV at Cash Generator in Newport.

Roy Green, a forensic biologist, told the court that the blood spatter in Mr Suller’s dining room and dried blood on his face and head showed “a series of attacks took place in various locations of the dining room with sufficient time for blood to dry and begin to coagulate before the attacks recommenced”.

Proceeding.