AN OFF-duty nurse who attended to a Newport father as he lay fatally injured in the road said he was still alive when she found him.

Kyle Dolling, 20, of Welland Circle, and Christopher Wood, 18, of Trent Road, both Bettws, deny the murder of Wesley Strawbridge in the city in the early hours of Sunday August 5 last year.

Wood is alleged to have punched him to the ground, after which Dolling repeatedly beat him to the head with a tree branch.

Newport Crown Court heard from qualified nurse Alison Doyle, who was passing city's Sainsbury's store when she, her partner and a friend came across Mr Strawbridge in the road.

Ms Doyle told the jury there was blood all over the pavement and at first Mr Strawbridge had a pulse and was breathing, but by the time the ambulance arrived she could find neither.

The court also heard from interview tapes of the accused where Dolling said: "I picked up the stick because I was scared.

"I knew Wes and he was a hard boy."

He added that he and friends had been pursued by Mr Strawbridge and his friends.

Wood too claimed his punch was a pre-emptive strike and described Mr Strawbridge as having clenched fists and "an evil look" before he hit him.

Wood was head-butted by Mr Strawbridge earlier that night, and told police he did not want to be attacked again.

He also described Dolling's alleged assault with the stick three of four times.

Wood said: "He battered him...I could hear the stick whacking him on the head."

Dolling claimed repeatedly at interview he only hit Mr Strawbridge once.