ONE of the defendants accused of murdering a Newport father had the victim’s blood on his clothes, a court has heard.

Newport Crown Court heard that Lewis Aquilina, one of five defendants accused of killing 26-year-old Ryan O'Connor in Alway on June 10 last year, had small amounts of blood on the right leg of his tracksuit bottoms and on his right trainer.

All five defendants – Aquilina 20, of Canton Court, Riverside, Cardiff, Ethan Strickland, 19 of Clos Briallen, Caerau, Cardiff, Elliot Fiteni, 19, no fixed abode, Kyle Raisis, 18 of Bartley Wilson Way, Canton, Cardiff and Joseph Jeremy, 17, no fixed abode, Caerphilly – deny murder, manslaughter and robbery. They were apprehended following a police car chase in Cardiff later that night.

The court was told by prosecutor James Wilson that the blood on Aquilina's clothing was later confirmed to have been Mr O'Connor's. Mr Wilson also said Aquilina was the only defendant found to have had any of the victim's blood on them, and forensic examiners believe that from the splatters of blood on his clothing, he would have had to have been close by when the blood was spilled.

The court also heard how when Raisis was arrested, he was in possession of a Gucci bag belonging to Mr O’Connor – known to most as ‘Apple’.

The bag had Raisis’ DNA on it and the left thumbprint of Jeremy was present on a packet of Lambert & Butler cigarettes inside the bag.

The court also heard police interviews read out from three of the defendants.

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In Fiteni's interview, he claimed Jeremy was the one who killed O'Connor.

He told police how, on the day of O'Connor's death, he and Aquilina had picked up a stolen car in Barry, and had picked up Raisi, Jeremy and Strickland, before driving to Newport to buy drugs.

Fiteni said, when arriving at the scene of Mr O'Connor's death, he had seen a police car, and asked Aquilina, who was driving, to drive a different route.

"We were in a stolen car and I was wanted for minor offences so said to go the other way," he said. "But Lewis (Aquilina) said 'nah' and went around the roundabout before taking the first exit.

“He was looking at two boys, one on a bike and the other walking.

"I think the one walking was the kid who died.

"He suddenly pulled up in the middle of the road and flew out of the car."

Fiteni continued that Jeremy had followed Aquilina, while he, Raisis and Strickland remained in the car until they came back.

He said: “When they got in the car, we went, and Jo said ‘I yinged him. I yinged him.’ I turned around and saw he had a knife, and it had a bit of blood on it."

He said Aquilina then drove back towards Ely before they were spotted by police, who eventually ran them off the road following a chase.

The court also heard how Aquilina said forensic evidence on the knife would not link him to the case.

Statements by Jeremy were also presented, in which he admitted he had bought two knives and a machete after being attacked by people with weapons.

Jeremy said he showed one of the knives to one of the other defendants in the car - but did not get it back.

He added he gave the other to Raisis.

The trial continues.