TWO brothers accused of attempted murder following a Boxing Day party in Hafodyrynys barricaded themselves in a bedroom to take heroin, a court has heard.

Christopher Trigg, 36, formerly of Risca, and Simon Trigg, 33, of Caerphilly have pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder Kevin Skye in a street stabbing.

The witness testimonies of both brothers concluded at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday, in relation to the event in early hours of December 27, 2016.

Responding to prosecuting counsel Matthew Jones, the brothers denied colluding together or discussing the incident in a bedroom and moved a wardrobe in order to take heroin before their arrest.

“Nothing else comes before using heroin – when you are a heroin user nothing else comes before using heroin,” said Christopher Trigg.

Simon Trigg added: “I was saying “Hurry up, cook up”.

“I was more concerned about having a hit.”

Mr Jones described the claim as “nonsense” and asked Simon Trigg about his initial police statement, which followed his arrest, and its similarity to his brother’s.

“So it is an unfortunate coincidence that you both ran the same defence,” said Mr Jones, who described the pair as “brothers in arms with murderous intent” - a term rejected by the two defence barristers for the brothers.

He also told the court that the siblings had lied to the police in their interviews, suggesting Simon Trigg has created three accounts of the incident.

“This is now the third account,” said Mr Jones, addressing the younger brother.

“The first in interview that you were not there.

“The second that you were simply pulling your brother back and now it is making a connection with Mr Skye when they were fighting and you tried to separate them.

“You took part in the attack. You’ve lied throughout. You thought that having got your stories straight with your brother that you were going to away with it.

“You’ve lied to the police and you’ve lied to the jury.

“You were brothers in arms that night. You had a knife in your left hand and you both launched this near fatal attack on Mr Skye.

“Both of you left him for dead.”

Addressing Christopher Trigg earlier, Mr Jones said: “You lied to your mother. You lied to the police and I think that you have lied to the jury,” said Mr Jones, addressing Christopher Trigg.

Michael Mather-Lees, defending Christopher Trigg, asked Simon Trigg about the 19 stab wounds on Mr Skye’s back, as his client accepted creating four or five.

“I did not have a knife 150 per cent,” said Simon Trigg.

“Have you applied your mind to how long it would take to stab someone 17, 18 or 19 times in succession,” said Mr Mather-Lees.

“You were both tragically involved in the stabbing.”

Defending Simon Trigg, William Hughes asked his defendant about how his blood, confirmed by forensic examination, managed to end up on Mr Skye.

“I was concerned about splitting it up – I was not concerned about touching him or my brother,” said Simon Trigg.

“On my hands there was blood, some on my clothes and I noticed some on my boots.”

Christopher Trigg has pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent and accepts stabbing Mr Skye while Simon Trigg denies counts of grievous bodily harm and attempted murder.

Proceeding.