Gucci bag murder: Accused previously slashed pupil with bottle

A man accused of murdering a man for a Gucci bag told a court he had never used a knife on anyone but had slashed a fellow pupil in the face with a broken bottle during a school trip seven years ago.

Elliot Fiteni, 20, told Newport Crown Court using a bottle was "completely different to getting out of a car and stabbing an innocent person to death".

He and four others deny murdering Ryan O'Connor in Newport on 10 June 2021.

Mr O'Connor was stabbed multiple times.

Mr Fiteni and 18-year-old Joseph, each of no fixed abode, deny murder, manslaughter and robbery.

Lewis Aquilina, 20, of Riverside, Cardiff; Ethan Strickland, from Caerau, Cardiff; 19, and Kyle Raisis, 18, from Canton, Cardiff, also deny murder, manslaughter and robbery.

The court heard Mr Fiteni drove the group's stolen car following the attack on Balfe Road in the Alway area of Newport. He had earlier blamed Mr Joseph for carrying out the stabbing.

His history of robbery and violence was outlined to the court under cross-examination by Jonathan Rees QC for Mr Jeremy.

Jurors heard in he went to an ex-girlfriend's home armed with a kitchen knife in the mistaken belief that "boys" were in the house.

Over the next year he sent hundreds of threatening and abusive messages to her by text and messaging services.

In one he threatened to "smack her jaw" and "ruin her life." In another he wrote: "I'm seriously going to hurt you soon".

Mr Rees accused Mr Fiteni of "terrorising her" but he replied: "You're just doing this to make me look bad?

"I don't know what this has got to do with your client murdering an innocent person in the street."

The court heard in November 2016 Mr Fiteni was convicted of possessing a knife in a public place following a fight with a gang of youths at a McDonalds.

Aged 15, he was convicted of robbery and sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after acting as a driver for a 19-year-old man who held his victim at knifepoint before making him get into their car and taking his watch, mobile phone and bank card.

He told the court he was "coerced" into getting involved.

He added: "I went to prison at 15 so I try to avoid getting into that situation. I wouldn't get involved for a pathetic little bag."

Mr Fiteni admitted lying about the whereabouts of his phone during interviews with detectives. He denied he was concerned about detectives finding the abusive messages.

He said he was a car thief and he was worried that information about stolen cars and cloned number plates would be discovered.

"All I was trying to hide was about the cars," he said.

"I will happily lie to the police about stealing cars but this is murder, this is completely different.

Mr Rees QC asked him: "You were not trying to hide that you were intimidating or violent?

He replied: "No."

The trial continues.