Teen guilty of murdering father-of-seven with knife

A teenager has been found guilty of murdering a father-of-seven by stabbing him.

Colin Richards, 48, from Grangetown, Cardiff, was killed in Ely in April last year.

Corey Gauci, 19, denied murder, but was found guilty at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday after a six-week trial.

His co-defendants Soray Somersall, 44, and Noreen O'Driscoll, 29, were found guilty of assisting an offender, while James O'Driscoll, 27, was guilty of violent disorder and possessing a bladed article, and Rebecca Ross was guilty of assisting an offender and possessing a bladed article.

The jury also found Christian Morgan guilty of possessing a bladed article, but failed to reach a decision on a violent disorder charge.

During the trial, jurors heard the case centred around a feud between Christian Morgan, who was a friend of Colin Richards, and the other defendants.

The court previously heard Mr Richards sustained a 10cm (3.9in) deep wound to his leg which severed his femoral artery and vein and he bled to death within a minute, following a confrontation with a group wielding knives.

Gauci claimed he was protecting himself and thought Mr Richards was going to attack him, but the court was told he instead followed the victim to the Audi vehicle, which was parked close to alleyway near Heol y Berllan.

Morgan, 36, had received threatening messages from a former girlfriend, Noreen O'Driscoll, 29, and she was "getting her brothers or the boys to sort him out".

David Elias, prosecuting, told the court that O'Driscoll, along with the other defendants, gathered near where Morgan lived with "a plan to do him harm".

Gauci and James O'Driscoll were armed with blades.

Prosecuting barrister David Elias KC said a decision on whether to seek a retrial in relation Morgan and the remaining count would be made at a later date.

He has been released on bail with the five other defendants remanded in custody, to be sentenced on 23 May.

Speaking after his death, Mr Richard's family paid tribute to a "much-loved father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, cousin, and an all-round family man".