Michael O'Leary murder accused 'took gun to scare love rival'

A man accused of shooting dead a love rival over an affair with his wife told a court "I had to tell him enough is enough".

Andrew Jones, 53, denies killing father-of-three Michael O'Leary, 55, from Nantgaredig, on 27 January.

Mr Jones, of Bronwydd Road, Carmarthen, said he wanted to confront him at Cincoed Farm over the affair and took a gun "to scare" Mr O'Leary.

The defendant told Swansea Crown Court his wife said she would end the affair.

Businessman Mr Jones said his wife changed her mind over the affair after their teenage daughter pleaded with her to end it.

'Boxing record'

Of wanting to confront Mr O'Leary, he said: "The situation had changed. Rhiannon wanted to be with me and Mike had to stop."

He said he took a gun because he "wanted to scare" Mr O'Leary.

"Mike held a boxing record for knocking someone out within 12 seconds - including the count," he told the court.

"As he passed me I shot two or three times into the floor.

"I said to him 'time for that chat now.'"

Jones told the jury he held the rifle on his hip and Mr O'Leary tripped and fell.

"I took the opportunity to kick him in the face. He went down for the count."

Rhiannon Jones had been having an affair behind her husband Andrew's back since 2019, the court was told

Mr Jones told Swansea Crown Court when Mr O'Leary came round he apologised to him but then "lunged" at him.

"The gun went off. Mike went 'argh' and he slumped back," he said.

The defendant said he "panicked" after seeing Mr O'Leary dead and set about getting rid of his body.

"It was total panic, I didn't know what to do. I walked about, paced about for a while," he told the court.

"There was no movement, he was gone there were no two ways about it."

• Defendant got daughter to 'watch' love rival

• Bloodstains found at farm, court hears

• Murder accused 'had dried blood in nostril'

• Murder accused 'moved body with forklift'

• Wife's lover 'lured' to farm

Mr Jones said he then staged Mr O'Leary's death as a suicide because "I really didn't know what to do".

Mr Jones - who ran building and farming companies - is accused of posing as his wife in texts he sent, to "lure" Mr O'Leary to a secret meeting at a secluded farm where he shot him dead.

The court previously heard he then dumped Mr O'Leary's car by a river to stage his disappearance as suicide - before making his getaway on bicycle.

The jury was told Mr Jones shot Mr O'Leary at his secluded farm before using a fork lift truck to lift his body into the boot of his Audi A6 and driving it to his home where he burned it.

William Hughes QC, prosecuting, said: "This was a carefully planned and well thought-out murder, far from an accident.

"He had murder very much in mind."

The court heard a search of Mr Jones's home found he had a collection of eight guns - including a.22 Colt rifle allegedly used to shoot Mr O'Leary.

Police also found jeans and trainers at Mr Jones's house which had traces of Mr O'Leary's blood.

The trial continues.