ROOFTOP protestor Ricky Canty saw "blue and silver stars" and believed he was going to be electrocuted, he told a Cardiff Crown court last week.

The 59-year-old claimed 56-year-old dairy farmer George Beatty and businessman Ernest Wray, 57, both of County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, arranged for him to be removed from the roof of the Barry property before he was trussed up with plastic cable ties and a rope.

Mr Canty was treated in the University Hospital of Wales for cuts, bruising and facial injuries following the incident on the evening of October 13 last year.

The property developers who bought the Raldan Close house at auction deny arranging Mr Canty’s removal claiming he fell through a hole he had made.

They admit to pulling his legs, which were dangling from the ceiling, into the bedroom before sitting on and restraining him with the ties – claiming Mr Canty was acting like a "banshee’ and needed to be secured for their safety before calling police.

The prosecution alleges Beatty and Wray took the law into their own hands after Barry police, earlier in the day, told them there had been a change of plan and they would not be assisting them in safely removing the protester.

Beatty and Wray, directors of Camber Developments Ltd, had originally been hoping to sell or rent the house after paying £92,000 for it at a Cardiff auction in Spring 2007 and spending a further £30,000 on improvements.

Swalec District Sales manager, Anthony Nicholas told the court he and colleague Kurt Russell had been driving in the area when they heard "the voice of a man who seemed to be in distress."

He said: "I saw the outline of two figures – two human beings up on the roof.

"They appeared to be engaged in some form of a struggle."

Mr Wray, giving evidence, told the court he and Mr Beatty had been in the kitchen trying to get a picture on the television that evening and it was a coincidence Mr Canty fell through the hole at the same time.

He said: "I didn’t get any guys in to get Mr Canty off the roof."

Prosecutor, David Elias alleged: "You and Mr Wray had had enough of Mr Canty’s protest.

"That’s why you organised for a group of men to take him off the roof that night."

Both men deny visiting Barry Island during the afternoon to recruit men to deal with Mr Canty.

Mr Beatty told the court: "I went upstairs to find a pair of legs stuck through the ceiling.

"I just grabbed him and pulled him down.

"He landed on his feet and he had a piece of timber in his hand.

"We dived on him and wrestled him to the ground."

He added that he left Mr Wray, who the court heard suffers with a heart condition, sitting on top of Mr Canty in the bedroom while he went to look for something to use to restrain him.

"Me and George put the cable ties through his hands.

"He was struggling all the time.

"As soon as we had him secure I rang the police." (Proceeding)