Image copyright DRAWN BY ELIZABETH COOK Image caption Mr Evesham, left, Mr Harley, middle, and Mr Osborne, right, at Newport Crown Court

Three men murdered their neighbour and tried to hide evidence after discovering he was a convicted child killer, a court has heard.

David Gaut, was stabbed 150 times and found at his home in Elliot's Town, New Tredegar, Caerphilly, in August 2018.

Newport Crown Court was told Gaut, 54, had recently been released after a 32-year prison sentence for murdering a young boy.

Darran Evesham, 47, Ieuan Harley, 23, and David Osborne, 51, deny murder.

Image copyright Wales News Service Image caption David Gaut was found at his home in Elliot's Town, New Tredegar

Osborne admitted perverting the course of justice, with relation to moving Gaut's body, attempting to clean up blood and attempting to dispose of other evidence, but denies murder.

Mr Evesham and Mr Harley denied both murder and perverting the course of justice.

Prosecutors allege Mr Gaut was stabbed more than 150 times while still alive, a further 26 times after he died and his fingernails were also cut off post-mortem.

Prosecuting, Ben Douglas-Jones QC told the jury the three defendants were "horrified" to learn of Gaut's past.

They discovered he had been convicted of killing 15-month-old Chi Minh Shek.

Image copyright Wales News Service

Gaut lived next door to Osborne, and the court heard Osborne "lured" him to his flat.

Mr Douglas-Jones told the jury: "The prosecution says that Osborne triggered the murder by luring the deceased over to his house in the context of knowing that he was someone who had killed a child and that Mr Harley was so incensed by that that he wanted to cut him up and put him down the plughole."

The men are accused of moving the body into Gaut's flat, cleaning Osborne's flat, trying to dispose of blood-stained clothing and setting fire to a car to destroy incriminating items.

The court heard Osborne told police Gaut had been killed at his flat, and that Mr Harley had stabbed him after an argument because they had found out about the child's murder.

Osborne claimed he was in the kitchen when it happened, and he helped move the body because he was "scared" of Mr Harley.

The court was also told a witness overheard all three men discussing the murder and moving the body later in a nearby pub.

The case continues.