A BLAENAU Gwent man accused of murdering a convicted child killer will not be giving evidence at his trial.

Ieuan Harley, 23, of Punch House Flats, Morgan Street, Tredegar, will not appear in the witness box, his barrister Caroline Rees, QC, told Newport Crown Court.

He and David Osborne, 51, from Long Row, Elliots Town, New Tredegar, are on trial accused of murdering David Gaut last August.

A third man, Darran Evesham, 47, of Powell’s Terrace, New Tredegar, has been acquitted by the jury of murder after the judge, Mr Justice Clive Lewis, told them that there was a lack of evidence.

He and Harley are accused of perverting the course of justice, a charge which Osborne has admitted.

Evesham’s barrister, Ali Bajwa QC, told the jury that his client will also not be giving evidence.

Both the prosecution and defence teams are due to begin delivering their closing speeches to the jury this week.

Police this week released CCTV footage, shown to the jury, showing the final movements of Mr Gaut, 54, before he was allegedly murdered by his next-door neighbour Osborne and his friend Harley.

Prosecutor Ben Douglas-Jones, QC, has told the jury that he was stabbed more than 150 times.

On Monday, Gwent Police released the images of Mr Gaut buying tickets at Caerphilly railway station just hours before he died.

Mr Douglas-Jones claims Osborne and Harley killed him after learning he had served 32 years in prison for murdering 15-month-old baby boy Chi Ming Shek in 1985.

It is alleged Mr Gaut’s body was dragged back to his own flat and attempts were made to clean up the scene, dispose of bloodied clothing and set fire to a car to destroy evidence. Proceeding.