Defendants accused of murdering a man who was arguing with his girlfriend warned him to “leave the female alone mate” before allegedly attacking him, a court has heard.

Russell Peachey was found unconscious in North Street, Grangetown, at about 4.15am on Saturday, August 1, 2015, and later died as a result of his injuries.

Defendant James Williams, 31, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murder while three other defendants, Dean Beasley, 37, Shaminder Singh, 40, and Chirstopher James Smith, 34, also deny murder.

'Three blows'

During the prosecution’s opening Vincent Coughlin QC told the court that Mr Peachey’s cause of death was blunt force head injury.

The jury previously heard evidence from Dr Andrew Davidson, a registered pathologist, who conducted a post-mortem on the victim.

He discussed internal and external injuries sustained by Mr Peachey and confirmed there were “at least three blows” to the head.

On day nine of the defendants’ trial at Cardiff Crown Court, the jury heard police interviews conducted with Smith and Beasley.

Transcripts of the interviews were read out by James Wilson QC, a member of the prosecution team and Detective Constable Andy Price, of South Wales Police.

'Bewildered'

During his interview with police, at Cardiff Bay police station on August 2, Smith claimed he was “totally and utterly bewildered” by his arrest.

He was asked about the events on the night of August 1 by the officer.

Smith said he was at the flat of his “old friend” Singh in Grangetown and with Williams and Beasley, who he had only met that night.

He said they could see a man and woman through a window who appeared to be arguing. They were Mr Peachey and his girlfriend Tracey Gill.

Smith said: “It seemed as though it was a domestic and had got a bit physical.

“At one point, someone shouted to the man ‘leave her alone mate, you’re a bigger male.”

He claimed the man shouted back abuse such as “f** off” and “mind your own business”.

'Being nosey'

Smith then said he went to the bathroom and when he returned saw the other three defendants running out of the door, so followed them.

He said he encountered a man with dreadlocks who said “don’t let them hit him” and as a result Smith claimed he tried to calm the man down.

After losing the three defendants for five minutes, Smith claims he found them outside Singh’s flat along with Ms Gill, who he claims was continuing to argue with her boyfriend on the phone.

Smith then claimed he, Williams and Singh went for a scout around in his van before heading to a Texaco garage to buy cigarettes.

On returning to Singh’s flat he claimed Beasley and Williams went home.

When asked by the officer why he had left the house with other three defendants, Smith said: “I was just being nosey and wanted to get a view about what was going on.”

'Nothing to do with it'

In his police interview, held on August 4, Beasley, claimed he had no knowledge of an alleged assault or that police were looking for him until his girlfriend rang him in tears.

In his interview, Beasley said: “I phoned up the house to speak to Emma who was in tears.

“She told me to come back to the flat because there was police there and to hand myself in.

“There was no incident as far as I’m concerned because I had nothing to do with it. For me there was no incident.”

The interviewing officer asked Beasley if he was covering for Williams, who the prosecution claims struck some “if not all of the fatal blows” that killed Mr Peachey.

Beasley said: “I’m not covering for no one.”

Williams, of no fixed abode, Beasley, of Treharne Road, Barry, Singh, of Cornwell Street, Cardiff, and Smith, of Caerau Court, Cardiff, all deny murder.

The trial continues.

As it happened