A MAN accused of murdering a Newport dad has blamed another defendant for the alleged fatal attack.

Elliott Fiteni is one of five men on trial, and at Newport Crown Court on Monday he said it was co-defendant Joseph Jeremy "who stabbed Ryan O'Connor to death" on June 10 last year.

Fiteni and Jeremy, along with three others – Ethan Strickland, Kyle Raisis and Lewis Aquilina – all from Cardiff, face murder charges.

In his witness evidence, Fiteni admitted to being a car thief and said Aquilina was the only co-defendant he knew before the day of the alleged attack on Mr O'Connor.

The pair had been "driving around, trying to burn time" that day, and later met up with Strickland, Jeremy and Raisis to drive to Newport and buy cannabis, Fiteni told the court.

He alleged it was Aquilina and Jeremy who "jumped out" of the car during the alleged attack.

Around "10-15 seconds" later, Jeremy allegedly got back into the car and said "I yinged him, I yinged him", Fiteni told the court.

The jury has been told the term "yinged" refers to stabbing.

Fiteni said he turned around in the car and "saw the blood on the knife".

South Wales Argus: Tributes left at the scene where Ryan O’Connor died (Picture: Athena Picture Agency) and the alleged victim (inset).Tributes left at the scene where Ryan O’Connor died (Picture: Athena Picture Agency) and the alleged victim (inset).

Fiteni told the court this was the first time he had seen a knife that day, adding he was "fuming" after the alleged attack.

He described Aquilina as "all worked up" and Jeremy as "shouting very loudly" after they allegedly got back into the car.

"I was angry with both of them," Fiteni says.

The court heard Fiteni described to police the knife as having "a big blade and teeth on the end of it".

He then told police Jeremy was "acting like it was nothing, like it was all a joke".

He added: "I don't know how someone can go from that to killing someone.

"It was disgusting. I don't know how he could laugh about it."

Fiteni was told Jeremy had "implied you were the one who'd done it".

The court heard Fiteni had told police he was the "outsider of the group".

"They're all friends, I'm not their friend," he told a police interview after his arrest. "It's going to come out, the truth anyway."

"Who was it who stabbed Ryan O'Connor?" Fiteni was asked.

"It was Joseph Jeremy who stabbed Ryan O'Connor to death," he replied.

Fiteni was asked whether Jeremy gave any indication he would carry out the alleged offence.

"No, it was completely out of the blue," Fiteni said.

The trial before Mr Justice Saini continues.