A GANG from Cardiff armed with machetes laughed and mocked a Newport man as he lay dying after they stabbed him for his Gucci bag, a jury heard.

Four men and a boy have gone on trial accused of the murder of father-of-one Ryan O’Connor and the robbery of his Gucci bag in Alway.

Lewis Aquilina, 20, of Canton Court, Riverside, Cardiff, Ethan Strickland, 19, of Clos Briallen, Caerau, Cardiff, Elliot Fiteni, 19, of no fixed abode, Kyle Raisis, 18, of Bartley Wilson Way, Canton, Cardiff and Joseph Jeremy, 17, of no fixed abode, Caerphilly, deny the charge.

In his opening statement to the jury at Newport Crown Court, prosecutor Michael Brady QC told them: “At 9pm on Thursday, June 10, of last year, Ryan O’Connor, a 26-year-old from Newport was attacked, stabbed and robbed of a Gucci bag whilst on a grassy area of the Aberthaw Road roundabout in Newport.

“The stab wound proved fatal and he died at the scene within minutes of the attack.

READ MORE: Live: Gucci bag robbery murder trial latest

“All five defendants, say the Crown, are all responsible for the robbery and his murder.

Laughter was heard coming from the defendants' car

“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.

“Two defendants left the car, the two were armed with newly bought large knives used to attack and kill Mr O’Connor.

“They returned to the car with his Gucci bag having robbed him.”

MORE NEWS: Furious judge wants answers from chief constable in paedophile case

Mr Brady said the five defendants were unfamiliar with the area where the alleged attack took place and drove up Vaughan Williams Drive, a cul-de-sac.

He added: “They had to drive past the fatally wounded Mr O’Connor who was being tended to by members of the public.

South Wales Argus:

Ryan O'Connor

“The driver slowed the car down, not out of any concern for Mr O’Connor, but to mock and ridicule him. Laughter was heard coming from within.”

The jury was told how the Fiesta had been stolen from Risca.

They were in possession of gloves and balaclavas in the middle of June

Police spotted the car in Cardiff following the alleged murder and gave chase.

The five defendants were arrested in the Pentwyn area of the capital city after it crashed following a high-speed pursuit.

READ MORE: Company fined £66k after worker’s hand was pulled into machine

Mr Brady said: “There is no evidence the defendants knew Mr O’Connor, rather the Crown says the proper inference to draw is the defendants travelled out of their own area Cardiff to Newport to commit crime and when they saw Mr O’Connor, they decided to rob him.

“The Crown cannot say whether that was the plan or agreed on route but what is clear is the defendant’s left Cardiff armed with three knives and travelled in a stolen car on cloned number plates.

“They were in possession of gloves and balaclavas in the middle of June and all defendants were aware of the knives.

“They were very large and conspicuous in a car containing five young men.”

The court heard how the defendants were armed with machetes and two of these weapons were recovered from the Fiesta, one on the backseat and one on the nearside footwell.

Mr O’Connor suffered fatal stab wounds which penetrated his heart and lungs, the jury was told.

Aquilina, Strickland, Fiteni, Raisis and Jeremy all deny murder, manslaughter and robbery.

The trial, which is being heard before Mr Justice Saini, is expected to last between six and eight weeks.

The jury will not sit tomorrow and are due to go on a site visit to the scene of the alleged murder on Friday.

They are due to hear the first evidence in the case on Monday of next week.