A MAN charged with a teenager’s murder in Barry denies telling police ‘a deliberate untruth’.

Raymond Thompson, known as Paddy, is one of six charged with killing Harry Baker, 17, who was hunted down by a gang before being stripped, stabbed nine times, and left to die.

His body was found at Barry Docks, in August 2019.

The defendant, 48, denies murder along with five other men and a boy – Leon Clifford, 23; Lewis Evans, 62; Ryan Palmer, 34; Peter McCarthy, 37, all from Barry, Leon Symons, 22, from Ely in Cardiff, and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The court was shown CCTV at Monday’s trial of what the prosecution are calling an “ambush”, which Thompson denies being part of, before chasing Harry Baker through Barry to the docks.

During the trial on Wednesday at Newport Crown Court, Thompson said he denies telling police “a deliberate untruth”.

Prosecutor Paul Lewis QC, during his cross-examination, said: “You said you didn’t know [Harry Baker’s] face. That was a lie wasn’t it?”

Thompson replied: “Yes.”

When asked why, Thompson told the court: “The drink distorts my mind and I have blackouts. I only remember things from CCTV.”

Mr Lewis said: “Was that a deliberate untruth?”

Thompson replied: “No it was not a deliberate untruth.”

The defendant later opposed Paul Lewis QC’s statement that he was “deliberately telling a load of rubbish”.

Mr Thompson was also asked during his police interview if Clifford, Symons, and the youth were known to him, to which he said: “I don’t know them no,” then told officers he had met them once before.

Mr Lewis said: “That was a lie wasn’t it?” Thompson replied: “No, once or twice.”

Mr Lewis said: “You said you had seen them just around Barry. That wasn’t true was it?”

Thompson replied: “No, it’s to do with being an alcoholic.”

The prosecutor then went on to ask the defendant about the alleged ambush in Little Moors Hill, and how he had failed to mention that the youth and Leon Symons had knives after continuing to tell police how he was trying to “help their investigation.”

Mr Lewis: “Why didn’t you tell them that? Thompson replied: “I didn’t know”.

The prosecutor then went on to say how Thompson had told the jury “more than once”, as well as his barrister, that he saw the youth and Leon Symons pull out knives.

Mr Lewis: “What do you mean you didn’t know?”, Mr Thompson replied: “I don’t know.”

Mr Lewis: “It slipped your mind did it?” Thompson replied: “Yeah.”

Proceeding.