THE jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a Barry man accused of attempted murder.

Gary Pincott, 56, of Holton Road, Barry is on trial alongside Cardiff man Martin Edwards for attempting to drown a woman who was rescued from the River Taff in February.

Pincott claims he played no part in Leanne Ware ending up in the freezing cold water and did not attack her beforehand.

He told the jury at Cardiff Crown Court that he had tried to prevent Miss Ware and her boyfriend Edwards from fighting after an argument began when the three were drinking on the Cardiff streets on February 16.

He then described how Edwards had "launched" the woman into the water and refused to help her saying to "let her drown".

Pincott himself was unable to get into the water to help because he has limited mobility due to an accident that left him with metal plates in his ankles.

Miss Ware, 31, spent three minutes under water before her lifeless body was pulled out and she was resuscitated by a passing army captain and a qualified doctor.

The army captain, Mark Gold, had given an account whereby he saw both men rolling an unconscious woman into the water. He told the court that he had then waded into the water to rescue Miss Ware, having to fend off punches from Edward in the process.

Edwards has claimed that he is unsure how his girlfriend ended up in the water, but denies trying to drown her and claims that he was in the water attempting to help her - not pushing her under as Mark Gold had claimed.

At the start of the trial's second week eyewitness Shirley Pilgrim, told the court she had been walking along Penarth Road, when she saw an argument between three people. She said she saw "a tall man" (Edwards) hitting and grabbing a woman and a "short man" (Pincott) trying to stop him.

She then said that she saw Edwards and Edwards alone throw her into the water.

The jury are expected to return a verdict today (Thursday, July 17).

See www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk for the verdict as it happens.