Five appear in court after Newport death murder charge

Five teenagers have appeared in court today (14 June) charged with the robbery and murder of a man in Newport.

Ryan O’Connor, 26, was found unresponsive and unconscious in Balfe Road shortly after 9pm last Thursday (10 June).

The five alleged attackers appeared at Newport Magistrates' Court and spoke only to confirm their names, ages and addresses.

They include Lewis Aquilina, 19, of Riverside, Cardiff, Elliot Fiteni, 19, of no fixed address, and Ethan Strickland, 18, of Caerau, Cardiff.

Two 17-year-olds cannot be named due to their age.

Each defendant was told they are charged "jointly with others" with the murder of Ryan O'Connor and robbery "of a Gucci bag of a value unknown".

All five have been remanded in custody and will appear at Newport Crown Court on Tuesday (15 June).

Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them and reminded people to not post anything on social media that could jeopardise the investigation.

Chief Superintendent Tom Harding said: "Our officers and staff have worked tirelessly since this investigation started on Thursday.

"On behalf of Gwent Police, I want to thank them for their dedication and professionalism shown so far.

"We will continue to be visible over the coming days and our local police patrols will remain in place. If you have any concerns, please take the time to stop and talk to us.

"The support shown to us by the communities of Newport and our partners is greatly appreciated, and our enquiries will be continuing into this investigation as we seek to bring those responsible to justice."

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation, or dashcam footage, is asked to call 101, quoting log reference 2100203630.