THE jury in the Ryan O’Connor murder trial continues to hear the prosecution’s case against five defendants accused of killing him for his Gucci bag.

It is alleged the Newport father-of-one was stabbed and robbed by a gang in the Alway area of the city and mocked and ridiculed by them as he lay dying.

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, stand trial at Newport Crown Court.

They deny committing murder, manslaughter and robbery on the evening of Thursday, June 10, 2021 in an area around the Aberthaw Road roundabout.

South Wales Argus:

Ryan O'Connor

Here's what we know so far:

‘He was fatally stabbed in the heart’

Dr Richard Martin Jones, a forensic pathologist, told jurors he carried out the post-mortem on Mr O’Connor after his body was brought to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.

He said the alleged victim had been stabbed in the chest which had penetrated his heart and lungs.

Mr O’Connor had sustained “stab, slash and chop wounds” to his chest, back, flank and hands and there were five different injuries in total.

South Wales Argus:

Tributes left at the scene where Ryan O’Connor was allegedly murdered. Picture: Athena Picture Agency

The sack around his heart, known as the ventricle, was pierced.

“This was the most significant of the wounds,” Dr Jones said. “On its own, it would have proved fatal.”

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Mr O’Connor ‘was a physically healthy man’

Dr Jones said Mr O’Connor was a “slim but muscular man”.

The 26-year-old was just over 5ft 7in tall and weighed around 8st.

South Wales Argus:

Ryan O'Connor had been playing golf before he was allegedly murdered

Dr Jones told the court: “He was a physically healthy man prior to receiving the stab wounds.”

Ethan Strickland was crying as he was being arrested

Police body worn footage of the arrest of Ethan Strickland at a block of flats in Glyn Collen in Pentwyn, Cardiff, was played to the jury.

The video captured him being arrested by PC Lowri Francis and PC Bradley Lewis on the night of the alleged murder.

It showed Strickland crying.

PC Francis told the defendant: “It’s got to be investigated because it’s so serious. Somebody’s been stabbed in Newport.”

He replied: “I only got picked up 10 minutes ago.”

PC Francis advised him: “Don’t get yourself wound up.”

PC Lewis added: “Listen, it’s not nice being arrested. Nice deep breaths now.”

Strickland was then taken out of the flats and into custody.

‘I saw four or five boys wearing balaclavas’

Eyewitness Chanel Hultberg saw “four or five boys” in Alway at the time of the alleged murder, jurors were told.

In a police interview she said to detectives: “I saw a blue car and I heard shouting and screaming.

“I saw four or five boys. They were wearing black.

“Their faces were covered with something like balaclavas.

“They ran back into this car.

"They were laughing and running.

“I heard them say something like, ‘Get him’ or it could have been ‘Get in.’

“They sped off to the bottom of Alway hill.”

The witness described the driver of the car as being “quite tall”.

The trial continues.