A woman told a jury yesterday how she saw her boyfriend kicked to Death on the streets of Pembroke after "trivial banter" turned to violence.

The trigger for the attack was the arrival on the scene of Lee Carter,23, it was alleged.

His "fateful" appearance encouraged a juvenile who was exchanging insults with Dean Evans, 25, to escalate the confrontation and launch a vicious attack.

Carter - who at the time was living with his girlfriend in Devon Drive - and the juvenile, who cannot be named at this stage, deny murder.

The prosecution at Swansea crown court say Mr Evans, who lived with his parents in Buttermilk Close, just off Devon Drive, was kicked to death as he walked home with his girlfriend late on August 12.

Paul Thomas QC said Mr Evans was in "playful spirits after a good night out" with Carly Clark. Their relationship was "going well" and they planned to holiday together the following month.

But on the way home they came across the 17 year old, who was struggling to cycle up Golden Hill Road while talking on a mobile telephone and with a carrier bag containing cans of lager swinging from the handlebars.

Miss Clark told the jury between tears that Mr Evans offered to "give the boy a push."

The banter ended with the youth hurling abuse at Mr Evans and the confrontation appeared to end.

A few moments later the couple turned left into Devon Drive. Near the junction with Clare Walk the youth caught up with them and there was another exchange of words.

Carter appeared further down Devon Drive, approaching the group and shouting, "Don't start on him."

The warning was aimed at Mr Evans.

Miss Clark said the juvenile immediately hit Mr Evans over the head with the carrier bag, knocking him to the ground.

She then found herself pushing each of the men in turn as they attacked Mr Evans with their feet. But as she tackled one the other took over.

"He (Dean) could not fight back. He was lying on the ground curled up in the foetal position. He could not defend himself and did not even try to get up. He was not capable of getting up," she said.

"Blood was coming from his nose and mouth and he was having difficulty breathing. He was moaning but he couldn't say anything."

Miss Clark said she saw both men land kicks on or around Mr Evans' head.

The incident ended, she said, and a couple in a car stopped and a woman, a nurse, tried to help.

Miss Clark had undergone first aid training earlier in the year and she administered mouth-to-mouth while the nurse did chest compressions.

She said Carter returned to the scene, and a group of girls turned up, followed by paramedics and the police. Officers asked her who was responsible for the attack but she was too afraid to name Carter.

Mr Evans was taken to Withybush Hospital but he never regained consciousness and died two days later from brain injuries.

Mr Thomas said Carter behaved strangely after the assault. He was seen to perform a "victory dance, punching the air and laughing." At one point he tried to intimidate those present into not blaming him.

The juvenile, meanwhile, was heard to complain that attacking Mr Evans "had been a waste of two cans of lager."

Mr Thomas said after their arrests both men lied about their involvement but their eventual stance was to blame each other.

Under cross examination Huw Davies QC, for the juvenile, argued that his client hit Mr Evans with the bag of cans and then, as he tried to get up, kicked him once and stamped on him once.

"That was the extent of what he did. He got back on his bike and rode off," said Mr Davies.

Miss Clark said that was untrue. Both men had been attacking Mr Evans at the same time and the juvenile kicked more than once.

The prosecution maintain the attack was a "joint enterprise" in the eyes of the law and that both defendants are responsible for the consequences irrespective of which one landed the fatal blow.