Trio on trial for car park murder

Ryan Edwards had been drinking with friends before he was attacked

Three men have denied murdering a 20-year-old man who died after being punched at a railway station car park.

Ryan Edwards, from Croeserw near Maesteg, died from brain injuries two days after the attack in Bridgend.

A Cardiff Crown Court jury heard claims that an assault on Mr Edwards and his group of friends, provoked by a remark, was like "men against boys".

Mark David Cook, Lee James Ward and Rhys Thomas Lewis, all from the Bridgend area, all deny murder.

They also deny causing grievous bodily harm to two other men and Mr Cook with an assault on a third man.

The start of the trial heard that Mr Edwards had been drinking in Bridgend with five friends from his home village last July.

John Charles Rees QC said Mr Cook, an off-duty bouncer, had taken offence at something one of those friends had said or done, possibly a remark about his dancing.

There was an altercation outside the pub, and later Mr Cook had "ambushed" Ricky Williams, one of Mr Edwards' friends, punching him so hard that his nose was broken.

Mr Cook then joined up with fellow defendants Mr Lewis, a former Royal Marine, and Mr Ward.

Mr Rees said the three of them had embarked upon a mission to teach the others a lesson.

This ended with Mr Edwards and two of his other friends unconscious at the railway station car park, said Mr Rees.

The prosecuting barrister said the trio had acted like bullies and cowards, and it was men against boys.