TWO men are on trial accused of viciously beating a neighbour who had asked them to turn their music down in the middle of the night.

Kieron Parker, 20, of Dudley Place in Barry and Joshua Wheatley, 18, of St Luke’s Avenue in Penarth are charged with using or threatening unlawful violence following the incident on Saturday, July 9 last year in Kathleen Street in Barry which left neighbour Ian Harvey, 58, unconscious and with a fractured eye socket.

Alexander Greenwood, prosecuting, told Newport Crown Court that at around 12.30am Mr Harvey and his friend Richard Webb, 55, had been walking back to Mr Harvey’s house from the Park Hotel pub.

“They heard loud music coming from next door. Mr Webb decided to ask the occupants if they could turn it down,” said Mr Greenwood.

“A female answered the door and after she was asked to turn the music down she threw a drink at Mr Webb.”

Mr Greenwood also said an item was thrown, possibly a bottle, and the occupants came out of the house to confront the two men.

Some ran towards Mr Harvey, shouting and screaming and he was repeatedly hit before he lost conciousness.

“Mr Webb was also attacked by some males who threw punches at him,” said Mr Greenwood.

“He saw Mr Harvey lying unconscious in the gutter and being stamped on.”

Joshua Wheatley and Kieron Parker in interview both said they had been with their girlfriends elsewhere on the night in question.

Mr Harvey told the court he was just behind Mr Webb and said he saw around seven or eight people dashing out of the house “like a pack of animals”.

“They attacked me and threw punches to my head and face,” said Mr Harvey.

“I was getting hit from every angle, probably 12 to 15 times."

John Lewis, defending Kieron Parker, asked Mr Harvey whether he may have mistaken Kieron Parker for someone else.

David Pinnell, defending Joshua Wheatley, claimed Mr Harvey only caught a glimpse of the people involved.

He said that Mr Harvey may have been mistaken in identifying Joshua Wheatley.

Neighbour Sarah Price was at home at the time and she told the court that she had “heard a commotion” outside.

She said: “I saw a man had been beaten quite violently and he wasn’t moving at all. There were two males on top of him punching, kicking and stamping."

Claire Niblett, who lives further down the street, described seeing a “rugby scrum” of legs and fists and seeing Mr Harvey being kicked and stamped on on the floor during the incident.

Kieron Parker giving evidence denied attending a house party at the Kathleen Street address or being part of the attack.

He said: “I was at my cousin’s house on Woodlands Road with my mum, brother, and girlfriend.

"I went nowhere near Kathleen Street. It is a 30 minute walk.”

Wheatley also denies being involved in the attack or being at the party.

Both defendants deny the charge of using or threatening unlawful violence.

Earlier in the trial Judge Peter Heywood ordered the jury to give not guilty verdicts for two other defendants whom he said had no case to answer.

Proceeding.