Father sentenced for manslaughter

Ryan Edwards was left unconscious by the attack and died two days later

A man has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison for his part in a car park attack that left one man dead.

Lee Ward was jailed for engaging in "mindless violence" in an incident which led to the death of Ryan Edwards.

Mr Edwards, 20, from Croeserw, near Maesteg was attacked at Bridgend railway station car park in July 2007.

Ward, 30, from Pontycymmer, was cleared of murder last month but found guilty of manslaughter and two counts of attempted grievous bodily harm.

His two co-defendants, 30-year-old ex-Royal Marine Rhys Lewis from Pontycymmer, and bouncer Mark Cook, 39, from Bridgend, were sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murder.

Two of Mr Edwards' friends, Ashley Evans and Mark Kilnan, were also left unconscious following the attack.

The trial heard Ward did not inflict any blows on Mr Edwards as he was fighting Mr Evans, but the prosecution argued he was part of a "joint enterprise" to attack the men following another altercation in the town centre earlier that night.

Mr Edwards, who had been on a night out with five friends, suffered a fatal brain injury. He died in hospital two days after losing consciousness during the attack.

Gerard Elias QC told Cardiff Crown Court that Ward was very penitent for his part in the attack.

'Significant beatings'

"The defendant has asked me to publicly express his sorrow for what happened," said Mr Elias.

"He is man now approaching 31-years-of-age. There are no convictions recorded against him and plainly in relation to all that went on that night, Ward was not a prime mover."

Mr Elias said Ward has lost his home since being charged and his relationship with his six-year-old child has suffered.

Mr Justice Wyn Williams said: "This was mindless violence. There was no justification for it."

He added: "The consequence of it was Ryan Edwards was killed and two other men were subjected to significant beatings.

"It is very fortunate for them the injuries they sustained were comparatively modest."

Justice Williams said he accepted Ward was not directly involved with the attack upon Mr Edwards or Mr Kilnan but the offence contained several aggravating features, such as being committed in a public place.

Ward was sentenced to six-and-a-half years imprisonment for manslaughter and five years for each count of attempted GBH, to run concurrently.