Harry Baker murder: Accused 'had PTSD from navy duty'

Harry Baker's body was found in a container yard in Barry docks in August 2019

A man accused of murdering a 17-year-old is a former Royal Navy weapons engineer who drove his co-defendants around "for drugs", a court has heard.

Harry Baker's body was found on 28 August 2019 at a container port in Barry with nine stab wounds.

Mr Baker, 17, from Cardiff, was involved in a drug feud with the seven defendants, Newport Crown Court heard.

In total, six men and a teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, are on trial and deny murder.

The prosecution has suggested he was killed over a suspected drugs feud.

Giving evidence in his defence, Lewis Evans, 62, said he would have stopped any plan to attack the teenager if he had known about it.

'Terrifying nightmares'

Mr Evans, who has been described by the prosecution as the "getaway driver", told his barrister he was brought up in North Cornelly in Bridgend county, had joined the Royal Navy in 1975 and served for almost 20 years, including in the Falklands War.

Mr Evans said he suffered with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and experienced "terrifying" nightmares because "certain events replay themselves".

He said: "I haven't had a full night's sleep in 32 years."

The trial is taking place at Newport Crown Court

He said he part-funded his drug addiction with his £1,000 a month military pension.

"I'd earned that watching friends die," he said.

Mr Evans said he would drive around drug dealers in exchange for free crack cocaine.

He said: "If I have heroin the pain went away, if I had crack the visions went away."

He said he was on "friendly terms" with his co-defendant Leon Clifford, who he said was introduced to him as a "reliable small-time dealer".

Mr Evans said Leon Symons and the 17-year-old defendant were "surprisingly polite" when they came to his home to prepare drugs.

Mr Evans said he knew those he drove around were dealing drugs and said he would "regularly" drive under the influence of drugs.

All the defendants deny murder and the trial continues.