Accused 'gutted' over fight death

Mr Ward said Ryan Edwards' group of friends shouted something 'abusive'

A man jointly accused of murdering a 20-year-old man in a railway station car park "ambush" said he was "gutted" when he heard Ryan Edwards had died.

Lee Ward, 30, did not hit Mr Edwards, who later died of brain injuries, but is charged jointly with two other defendants at Cardiff Crown Court.

Mr Ward said he would have cut short his night out in Bridgend in July 2007 if he had known someone was badly hurt.

Mark Cook, 39, and former marine Rhys Lewis, 30, also deny murder.

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

Giving evidence on Thursday, Mr Ward said he and his friends, all from the Bridgend area, were planning to travel to Cardiff that night to celebrate Mr Cook's birthday when the younger men shouted something "abusive" and he heard smashing glass.

'Rumours'

He described how he and Mr Evans "caught hold of each other" in a scuffle and were "wrestling".

He said the two of them fell to the floor but he did not intend to cause Mr Evans serious harm, although he was so caught up in the altercation that he did not see what else was happening in the car park.

Addressing Gerard Elias QC, defending, he said he met his two friends the next day after learning the railway station was being treated as crime scene "to find out what was going on, to see if it was all rumours or if it was true".

Mr Elias asked if he wanted he and his friends to "make up a story to tell". Mr Ward replied: "No, definitely not."

Mr Ward also told the court he was "gutted" to learn Mr Edwards had later died of brain injuries.

The trial has already heard Mr Edwards and a group of five friends from his home village, Croeserw near Maesteg, 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 claims, he took offence at something said by one of the visitors and hit and butted one of them, Ricky Williams, breaking his nose.

Punch

The prosecution claims the three older men decided to "ambush" the younger men in the car park.

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

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.