Bouncer 'attacked with bottles'

Mark Cook said Ryan Edwards and his friends were armed with bottles

A bar bouncer jointly accused of murdering a 20-year-old man says he thought he was going to be attacked with a bottle "end of story".

Mark Cook, 39, told Cardiff Crown Court he and his two friends were targeted by Ryan Edwards and two of his friends at a railway train car park in Bridgend.

Mr Edwards, from Croeserw near Maesteg, died from brain injuries two days after the fight in Bridgend last July.

Lee Ward, and former Marine Rhys Lewis, both 30, also deny murder.

Mr Edwards and a group of five friends from his home village had been drinking in the town, at Bar Inc, where Mr Cook worked as a bouncer at weekends.

Mr Cook was in the bar but off duty when, the prosecution's claims, he took offence at something said by one of the visitors and hit and butted one of them, Ricky Williams, breaking his nose.

'Bottles'

Mr Cook is accused of teaming up with the other two defendants, all three are from the Bridgend area, to "ambush" the younger men as they walked through the car park on 6 July last year.

The trial has heard two of Mr Edwards' friends, Ashley Evans and Mark Kilnan, were left unconscious after the fight at the railway station.

Mr Lewis has already admitted punching Mr Edwards but has said he was defending Mr Cook.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Mr Cook denied hitting Mr Edwards. He said he and his friends had no intention of fighting that night and had been "having a laugh" as they walked towards the train station.

He said: "Them boys at the car park seen us walking up. They decided, at least three of them, to arm themselves with bottles.

"Those bottles were meant for us. End of story."

The exchange with John Charles Rees QC, prosecuting, became so heated, with the defendant at one point telling the prosecutor, "you're trying to make a case out of nothing," that he was told by judge Mr Justice Wyn Williams to stop arguing.

Text messages

Mr Cook said later that night he threw the SIM card from his mobile in the river and hid the phone because he did not want his partner to find text messages from other women.

When Mr Rees described the explanation as "rubbish", Mr Cook replied: "Only one of us is speaking rubbish, I can tell you."

It is alleged Mr Edwards was knocked to the ground from behind by Mr Lewis, before being kicked and punched.

The three defendants all deny murdering Mr Edwards in what the prosecution claims was a joint enterprise, although Mr Ward did not strike him.

They also deny attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Mr Evans and Mr Kilnan. Mr Cook is also charged with causing GBH with intent on Ricky Williams, which he denies.

The trial continues.