A SUSPECT accused of murdering a father in a random attack “went nuts and stabbed him to death”, a jury was told.

The claim was made against Joseph Jeremy who is on trial for killing Newport man Ryan O’Connor in the Alway area of the city last summer.

Jeremy and his co-defendants, Lewis Aquilina, Ethan Strickland, Elliott Fiteni and Kyle Raisis, are accused of the murder, manslaughter and robbery of the 26-year-old.

The five Cardiff men deny all the charges against them.

It is alleged by the prosecution the gang targeted Mr O’Connor and robbed him because he was carrying a Gucci bag which they wanted to steal.

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Paul Lewis QC, representing Fiteni, cross-examined Jeremy and claimed he was the man who had stabbed Mr O’Connor on the Aberthaw Road roundabout.

Jeremy denied this.

Mr Lewis then asked Jeremy: “You just went nuts. You went off on your own and you stabbed a man to death, didn’t you?”

The defendant replies: “No.”

South Wales Argus:

Joseph Jeremy has been accused of being “fascinated” with knives

The jury have been told that Mr O’Connor died of multiple stab wounds just after 9pm on Thursday, June 10, 2021.

Michael Brady QC, prosecuting, has said the gang travelled from Cardiff to Newport that evening determined to commit crime.

They were in a Ford Fiesta ST which had been stolen the night before in Risca and some defendants had knives and were wearing balaclavas, Newport Crown Court heard.

You were laughing and taking pride in that you'd yinged him

It has been alleged the defendants attacked Mr O’Connor after mistaking him for a dealer in the hope he was carrying drugs and cash in his Gucci bag.

Mr Lewis told Jeremy: “You stabbed Ryan O’Connor.”

The defendant again denied this.

Jurors have heard that Mr O’Connor was mocked as he lay dying after he was allegedly stabbed by the gang.

Mr Lewis said to Jeremy: “You were shouting out of the window (of the car), ‘I’m coming back for your boys.'

“You were laughing and taking pride in that you had yinged (stabbed) him.

“You thought it was great what you had done.”

Jeremy replied: “That never happened.”

Cross-examined by Mr Brady, Jeremy was asked: “You went to Newport to commit crime, didn’t you?”

The defendant replied: “No.”

Mr Brady claimed Jeremy went to an “unfamiliar city” and that he had gone there because “you didn’t give a toss who you hurt”.

He again denied this allegation.

Jeremy, 18, of no fixed abode, Strickland, 19, of Clos Briallen, Caerau, Fiteni, 19, of no fixed abode, Aquilina, 20, of Canton Court, and Raisis, 18, of Bartley Wilson Way, Canton, continue to stand trial.