THREE heroin addicts allegedly murdered a Newport father in a robbery planned after a drug dealer ripped them off, a court heard yesterday.

Karl Drummond, 36, of Attlee Court, George Glover, 39, of Graham Court, and Shahid Rafiq, 36, of Bryn-yr-Ysgol, all of Caerphilly, all deny murdering and conspiring to rob Tony Singh.

Mr Singh was attacked on November 11 after the trio earlier handed over £100 to another man for what they believed was heroin, but was actually beef powder, a jury was told.

Prosecutor Paul Lewis told Newport Crown Court Mr Singh, 24, who he described as a drug dealer was hit "at least twice" over the head with a hollow metal bar, causing multiple complex skull fractures and bleeding on the brain.

The court heard while on the floor, Mr Singh, who had a four-year-old daughter Shanyra, was robbed of his cash and mobile phone.

He was able to make it to his Bryngwyn Road home but collapsed. His body was found four days later.

Mr Lewis said earlier that day, Rafiq, Glover and Glover's business partner Timothy Burrows drove to Newport from Caerphilly in a Vauxhall Vivaro van the latter two used in their business, to buy heroin.

They called Mr Singh as Rafiq was an existing customer, but he didn't have any heroin so they tried another dealer who put them in touch with a third dealer and they arranged to meet outside shops in Maesglas.

The jury heard the men paid between £100 and £110 for a package and returned to Caerphilly.

Mr Lewis said it was here they realised they had been "ripped off" and the so-called heroin was actually beef powder or "some kind Paxo-like mix or stuffing."

Leaving Mr Burrows behind, who, Mr Lewis said, was deemed a "soft touch," the men, accompanied by Drummond, returned to Newport to get their money back. Mr Lewis said they took with them two metal bars from Drummond's flat.

After fruitless attempts to track down the drug dealer who fooled them, and with no cash, the men hatched the plan to rob another drug dealer of his narcotics and possessions under the premise of wanting to buy from them and picked Mr Singh, Mr Lewis said.

The court heard several attempts were made to contact Mr Singh before he rang them back to arrange a meeting place.

Mr Lewis said: "It was the last phone call Tony Singh was ever to make because he was attacked and fatally injured within minutes of that phone call being made."

Proceeding.