A BARRY man has gone on trial for the attempted murder of a woman who was pulled out of a Cardiff river.

Gary Pincott, 55, of Holton Road, Barry is accused alongside Cardiff man Martin Edwards, of attempting to drown Leanne Ware, 31, in the River Taff last February.

Cardiff Crown Court has heard how Miss Ware was pulled from the freezing cold river in an unresponsive and lifeless state by a passing Army Captain who had to fight off Edwards - her partner at the time - while attempting to rescue her.

Captain Mark Gold, who was in the Royal Army Medical Corps for 20 years, had been walking with his family on Penarth Road, Cardiff , in February when his attention was drawn to two men pushing a woman into the river.

The jury were told by prosecutor John Philpotts that Capt Gold saw Pincott using his hands and Edwards using his feet to push Miss Ware, who appeared to be unconscious, into the river. He then saw Edwards wade towards her, believing he was going to help, before watching him push her below the surface before leaping into action.

He was punched by Edwards as he attempted to pull Miss Ware out of the river. Pulling her onto the bank, he was assisted by another passer-by Hannah Hetherington - a qualified GP.

Initially believing her to be dead, the pair worked to successfully resuscitate the woman, who was later taken to hospital with severe hyperthermia, and five times the drink drive limit of alcohol in her blood.

It is believed that all three had been drinking on the day in question. Both men have pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder.

Pincott claims he was present while Edwards and Miss Ware - a couple at the time - were arguing but had tried to prevent them fighting and had no involvement with pushing her into the river.

Edwards claims that they had been arguing but he was in fact trying to help her out of the river, not attempting to drown her.

On Wednesday, July 9 - day three of what is expected to be an eight day trial - the court heard from police officers who arrived at the scene following Miss Ware's rescue.

The jury were also told that one witness who refused to sign a statement or be a part of the prosecution case had claimed to have seen the trio earlier in the day. The woman had claimed that she saw Edwards trying to hit Miss Ware and Pincott attempting to stop him.

The court also heard from an officer who had twice been called to incidents involving a drunken Edwards and Miss Ware "bickering" and fighting on the Cardiff streets earlier that month.

The trial continues.