Cathays stabbing victim 'was the aggressor'

Fahad Mohamed Nur was found near Cathays train station in Cardiff in June

A man stabbed to death was the aggressor in the fight, a barrister representing one of those accused of his murder told a court.

Fahad Mohamed Nur, 18, was found fatally injured near Cardiff's Cathays railway station on 2 June.

Brothers Mustafa Aldobhani and Abdulgalil Aldobhani along with friend Shafique Shaddad deny murder.

Narita Bahra, defending Abdulgalil Aldobhani, told Cardiff Crown Court Mr Nur had a history of violence.

She said Mr Nur had previously been stopped by police carrying two concealed knives.

On the night of attack, Ms Bahra said Mr Nur had £860 of Class A drugs - made up of 43 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin - hidden in his underwear and nearly £1,000 in cash hidden in his shoe.

The jury was told two weeks after his death, police found a meat cleaver and a kitchen knife hidden in the hollow of a tree near Cardiff University, not far from the scene.

Ms Bahra said of her client: "Did he inflict the fatal wound and at the time of doing so did he intend to kill - and if he didn't - are you sure he was participating in a joint attack - or might he have been acting in self-defence?"

Two weeks after the attack a meat cleaver and a kitchen knife were found hidden in the hollow of a tree

The court previously heard there was no forensic evidence linking Mustafa Aldobhani, of Cathays Terrace, to the location of the stabbing.

A pathologist found the cause of Mr Nur's death was a stab wound to the heart - in all he had 21 knife wounds with injuries to his face and arms, and later died at the University Hospital of Wales from "catastrophic injuries".

A fourth defendant, Aseel Arar, 35, of Middle Park Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, denies assisting an offender.

It is alleged she booked a flight to Morocco for herself and her boyfriend, Abdulgalil Aldaobhni, also of Cathays Terrace, after the killing.

The trial continues.