A MAN accused of murdering Newport dad Ryan O'Connor said he was "helping out" a co-defendant by telling him to "say nothing" to police.

Elliott Fiteni was caught on police bodycam footage telling co-accused Ethan Strickland "don't say nothing bro" after they had been cautioned.

The pair, along with Lewis Aquilina, Joseph Jeremy and Kyle Raisis – all from Cardiff – are currently on trial at Newport Crown Court, charged with the murder of Mr O’Connor, who died on June 10 last year.

The five men, also accused of manslaughter and robbery, deny the charges against them.

Jeremy's lawyer, Jonathan Elystan Rees QC, asked Fiteni about the moments he and Strickland were together between fleeing the group's car and being found by police.

"During that 11 minutes, did you discuss what to say to the police?" Mr Rees asked.

"No, I asked him if he was OK," Fiteni replied. "We were trying to stay quiet because the police were in the block."

Fiteni, who said he was not one of the two people to get out of the group's car at the time of the alleged attack, told the court he "knew somebody had been stabbed and robbed".

"You weren't discussing what to say when the police arrested you for a serious matter of stabbing?" Mr Rees asked.

"No, of course not," Fiteni replied.

"You told [Strickland] after you'd been cautioned 'don't say nothing bro,'" Mr Rees said.

"Yes, because he was lying to the police about just being picked up," Fiteni told the court. "I knew he was digging a hole and it would go against him."

He added: "He was shocked. I could tell he was very upset. I tried helping him out."

"He was afraid of you, wasn't he?" Mr Rees asked Fiteni. "He was afraid of you because you spent 11 minutes with him."

"Definitely not," Fiteni replied. "I don't think Ethan would lie for a stranger."

"You got out of the car with Lewis Aquilina and you attacked Ryan O'Connor," Mr Rees alleged.

"No I did not," Fiteni said. "Joseph Jeremy got out of the car and Joseph Jeremy attacked Ryan O'Connor."

Read all our live coverage of today's proceedings in the Ryan O'Connor murder trial in Newport.

David Elias QC, who is representing Strickland, asked Fiteni whether he knew his client before the day Mr O'Connor died.

"I didn't even know he existed," Fiteni said, adding that he was expecting Jeremy to join the group alone last June 10.

Mr Elias asked about Strickland's demeanour in the car that day, and Fiteni agreed with the barrister's suggestion that Strickland was "very quiet" and seemed "very young".

Nic Lobbenberg QC, who is representing co-accused Raisis in the trial, asked Fiteni about his client's actions at the time of the alleged attack.

"Kyle didn't get out of the car, did he?" Mr Lobbenberg asks. "Kyle didn't try to get out of the car, did he?

"Kyle didn't encourage anybody to get out of the car, did he?"

Fiteni answered "no" to each question.

The trial before Mr Justice Saini continues.