A CONVICTED paedophile and rapist who was allegedly murdered told police and a family member “Southwood hit me” as he lay dying, a jury heard.

Carl Ball was the victim of a “ferocious” murder carried out by Andrew Southwood, the boyfriend of his sister Katie Ball, a trial has been told.

The prosecution claims the defendant beat him to death with a plank of wood outside his flat on Heron Way in the Duffryn area of Newport.

Southwood, 39, denies the murder of the 51-year-old on Friday, August 19, 2022 and is on trial at the city’s crown court.

Jurors heard how police community support officers Clare Montgomery-Brown and Megan Pesci gave Mr Ball a lift home that afternoon shortly before he was allegedly fatally attacked.

The court heard they went back to his home address around 10 minutes later after dropping Mr Ball off because he’d called 999 at around 4.39pm to say he was being assaulted.

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Mark Cotter KC, prosecuting, asked PCSO Montgomery-Brown to describe what she saw.

She said PC Geraint Smith and a special constable colleague were there.

PCSO Montgomery-Brown told the court: “PC Smith tried to rouse him. Carl lifted his head and he started talking.”

She said she was less than a metre in front of Mr Ball at this point.

She added: “PC Smith asked him, ‘Carl, are you OK? What’s happened?’”

Mr Cotter inquired: “What did you hear Mr Ball say?”

PCSO Montgomery-Brown replied: "Mr Ball said he had been hit.

“I remember him say he had been hit and then he mentioned the name Southwood.

“He was groaning and holding his middle area. He said he was in pain.

“He was breathing OK but he said it was hurting when he was breathing.”

PCSO Montgomery-Brown confirmed Mr Ball was put in the recovery position.

The jury heard how another sister of Mr Ball called Michelle was telephoned and she came to the scene.

PCSO Montgomery-Brown said she heard him speak to her brother.

She told the jury: “I remember him saying, ‘Southwood has hit me’ or something along those lines.”

Mr Ball died near his doorstep at 8.29pm from internal bleeding.

On the opening day of the trial, Mr Cotter said: “Mr Ball died as the result of a ferocious attack upon him that involved the use of a weapon.

“The prosecution case is that the person who wielded that weapon intended to cause really serious physical harm to Mr Ball and inflicted the terrible injuries that caused him to die.

“Therefore, the prosecution assert that this is a case of murder.

“The prosecution cannot say whether the fatal attack was motivated by knowledge of Carl Ball's criminal past.”

Southwood, of Chaffinch Way, Duffryn, Newport has pleaded not guilty to murder.

The trial before Mr Justice Griffiths continues.