THE jury in the murder trial of five men accused of slaying a father for his Gucci bag are set to retire to consider their verdicts.

The defendants are accused of “hunting down and killing” 26-year-old Newport dad Ryan O’Connor when armed with knives while on a “road trip to commit crime”.

Michael Brady, QC, prosecuting, told a jury he was an innocent victim who was stabbed in the Alway area last summer.

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Newport Crown Court has heard how the five young men from Cardiff are alleged to be jointly responsible for his death after driving to Newport in a stolen Ford Fiesta.

South Wales Argus:

Ryan O’Connor

Joseph Jeremy, 18, of no fixed abode; Lewis Aquilina, 20, of Canton Court, Riverside; Elliott Fiteni, 19, of no fixed abode; Ethan Strickland, 19, of Clos Briallen, Caerau, and Kyle Raisis, 18, of Bartley Wilson Way, Canton, deny murder.

They have also pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and robbery.

The jury are due to retire on Monday morning after the judge finished his summing up to them today.

Here’s what we know so far:

Alleged motive

The defendants did not know Mr O’Connor.

It is the prosecution’s case that they attacked him because they saw him walking with a designer bag near the Aberthaw Road roundabout at around 9am on Thursday, June 10, 2021.

The jury has heard how the defendants had balaclavas and knives or machetes in the car and it is claimed they drove to a neighbouring city with the express purpose of committing crime.

Mr Brady said: “All five travelled from Cardiff to Newport in a Ford Fiesta stolen in the early hours of the same day, and on seeing Mr O’Connor wearing a Gucci man bag decided to rob him.”

Defendants

South Wales Argus:

Joseph Jeremy

Jeremy’s defence is that he did not get out of the car on the roundabout.

He has told the jury Aquilina and Fiteni got out of the Fiesta but he did not see what happened thereafter because he was preoccupied with his mobile phone.

Jeremy has previous convictions for wounding, possession of an imitation firearm, racially aggravated common assault and possession of a knife.

He was aged 17 at the time of Mr O’Connor’s death.

South Wales Argus:

Lewis Aquilina

Aquilina claims it was Jeremy and Jeremy alone who stabbed the father-of-one.

He told the jury he tried to stop Jeremy from allegedly attacking Mr O’Connor when his co-defendant was armed with a “large silver knife”.

Aquilina said he kicked out at Jeremy.

He added: “I shouted at him to stop but he was so focussed on the boy.

“Jeremy was wild and out of control.”

Aquilina, who is Raisis' cousin, has no previous convictions.

South Wales Argus:

Elliot Fiteni

Fiteni’s defence is that it was Aquilina and Jeremy who got out of the Fiesta at the roundabout.

He claimed he didn’t see what the two had done once they left the car.

Fiteni told jurors when they came back to the vehicle Jeremy had said, “We’ve got his bag”.

The defendant has previous convictions for robbery, wounding, assault and possession of a knife in public.

South Wales Argus:

Ethan Strickland

Strickland did not give evidence in his defence nor was he subject to cross-examination.

He took a knife with him into the car, the jury heard, and the prosecution claims he “encouraged and assisted in the robbery and attack on Mr O’Connor”.

David Elias QC, representing him, asked the jury: “Did Ethan Strickland intend that Ryan O’Connor suffer really serious harm?

“We are miles away from that.”

Strickland has no previous convictions.

South Wales Argus:

Kyle Raisis

Raisis was picked up in Ely, Cardiff, that day.

Nic Lobbenberg QC, representing him, said his client was wearing a T-shirt and shorts that evening.

His barrister said: “These are not the clothes to go robbing in.

“He’s dressed for summer.

“He’s not dressed for mayhem.”

Raisis has previous convictions for carrying knives.

Proceeding.