Youth claims he saw man being stabbed

THE man accused of knifing a Royal Marine reserve to death told him to "walk away or you will go home in a bag", a court heard.

A 17-year-old boy told the jury at cardiff-crown-court>Cardiff Crown Court that he saw Adrian Bermingham knifed to death in a Cardiff street.

Graduate Mr Bermingham, 26, who had just achieved his dream of getting into the forces, died last summer after a school reunion in the city.

Ryan Voisey, 24, of Dunraven Street, Leckwith, denies murdering him and stealing his wallet.

The teenage witness yesterday told the jury that Voisey, whom he knew, had called at his home in the early hours of June 20, asking to use the phone.

He walked with him to a phone box in Craddock Street, Riverside, because Voisey was drunk and waking up the family.

They saw Mr Bermingham and his two friends - sisters he had known in the South Glamorgan Youth Choir - coming along "being jolly, loud and laughing". He alleged Voisey said something to them, received a sarcastic reply from Mr Bermingham and the two started bickering.

"They were just arguing, then things changed," he said. "Ryan pulled a knife from his back pocket and was waving it about.

"The man was walking closer to Ryan and told him to put the knife down and they would fight. Reggie (Voisey's nickname) said to him 'Walk away with your bitches or you will go home in a bag'."

The witness added: "He swung the hand he was holding the knife in, aiming at the man's shoulder or neck. When he dropped the knife and went to pick it up, the man punched him and then Ryan went mad.

"I saw him stab him and the man collapsed. He (Voisey) said 'that will be the last punch you ever throw' and I could hear him kicking him and saying 'where's your wallet'."

He claimed he ran home but Voisey followed, asked for a change of clothing and washed blood from the knife and rings he was wearing. The teenager denied defence suggestions that he had kicked the victim as he lay dying and had taken the wallet, and that he was a cocaine dealer who had sold drugs to Voisey.

(proceeding)