A WITNESS told the jury in a manslaughter trial how she saw a cyclist John Reeder knocked from his bike and left in the road.

Kieran Allcock, 18, of no fixed address, Andrew Vass, 26, of Upland Drive, Trevethin, and Deon Morgan, 20, of no fixed address, are accused of “hunting down” Mr Reeder on August 7 last year.

They each deny a charge of manslaughter.

Sharon Williams, giving evidence at Newport Crown Court yesterday, said she was on her way to work at around 5.45am when 63-year-old Mr Reeder sped on to the A4043 from a side road.

“I saw a group of people coming after him and a female was in the road coming towards us,” she said. Ms Williams described the woman as having her arms stretched out wide by her sides, and as “zigzagging” from side to side across the road.

“A male reached out an arm and the cyclist came off his bike,” she added.

“He was left lying in the road and the group ran off.”

Lorry driver Robert Clarke said he saw a cyclist on the chevrons in the middle of the road, and a group of kids screaming and shouting to his right. “Then I saw a pedestrian run across the road and collide with the cyclist, either hitting him or his bike from underneath him,” he said.

The jury had previously been told that another defendant, Casey Coslett, has admitted manslaughter of the popular horse trainer.

The three on trial are accused of a “joint enterprise” meaning they allegedly acted together in the crime.

Mr Reeder, from Pontnewynydd, died of severe head injuries.

The night before there had been a similar incident, the court heard. The jury was told he was chased by a group who saw him outside the Hales House hostel on Osbourne Road, Pontypool.

Danielle Jenkins said he showed up “scared” at her house around 8pm and said Morgan, and “three big boys” were after him.

She said they had bumped into Morgan earlier that day in Pontypool town centre, where Morgan began throwing bits of pasty at Mr Reeder over an attack he allegedly made on her at a house party.

On the day of his death, Mr Reeder had spoken to a friend on the phone telling him he was “stressed”.

Gavin Gulliford said: “I spoke to him about 1.40am but he said he wasn’t feeling well.

“He said he was stressed and nervous.”

Proceeding.