A BOXER on trial for murder has told a jury he accepts his actions may have been responsible for the death of soldier Matthew Boyd.

Jake Valley, who is 24 and lives in Brecon, is accused of killing Matthew Boyd who was on a night out in Brecon having arrived for a training course in the Brecon Beacons earlier that week. The private, of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, died in hospital after being found unconscious in a Brecon town centre street where Vallely had left him after a fight.

Vallely is accused of chasing the 20-year-old down Lion Street, putting him to the ground during a struggle and then landing punches on him. The prosecution also claim Pte Boyd was kicked by Vallely.

He denies murder and was today on the witness stand for five hours giving evidence in his own defence and answering questions under cross examination.

He was also asked why he’d boasted he was the "hardest man in Brecon" and made comments about rape to a woman earlier on Saturday, May 7 while at the Rorke’s Drift pub and at the Brecon Kebab House takeaway.

Vallely said a comment he made about rape had been misunderstood by Kelly Price, who’d given evidence earlier in the trial.

Prosecutor Chris Quinlan QC asked why he’d told Ms Price he was the hardest man in and threatened to kill her boyfriend.

The defendant claimed Ms Price had "threatened" him with her boyfriend. He told Mr Quinlan: "I said I’m the hardest man in Brecon, it was a joke. Saying I would kill him is just a common phrase."

The prosecutor replied: "It may be but later on in Brecon you did kill a man."

Vallely, who wore a dark blue suit and had earlier sobbed giving evidence, sighed loudly and Mr Quinlan asked: "Didn’t you? Are you prepared to accept you killed Matthew Boyd or not?"

Vallely said: "I accept my actions may have been responsible for it. It wasn’t my intention at all."

Mr Quinlan replied: "I didn’t ask you that" and Vallely said: "I accept my actions may have been responsible for his death."

Asked by Mr Quinlan if the earlier remark about killing was just an "idle threat" Vallely said "of course" and when asked if it was an indication of how he would behave that night he said of the incident with Ms Price: "It was just an argument that got blown out of proportion."

Mr Quinlan responded: "That’s how you described what happened with Mr Boyd, it was just an argument that got blown out of proportion."

Earlier, answering questions from his own barrister Peter Rouch QC, Vallely said he and his friend Aaeron Evans – who is on trail for manslaughter – become embroiled in an argument with Pte Boyd as he passed them while they were smoking in a doorway in Lion Street near the Cellar Bar at around 12.45am on Sunday, May 8.

The argument, Vallely claimed, was sparked by Pte Boyd, who was from Gibraltar, smashing a glass at their feet. Vallely said all three were arguing but he said he intervened between Pte Boyd and Evans, who eventually walked off, back to the Cellar Bar, saying he’d had enough.

"It was just a stupid argument that continued way longer than it should have really," said Vallely.

The defendant said after he came between Evans and Pte Boyd the soldier told him he would get a taxi with his friends.

But Vallely claimed when he turned around Pte Boyd punched him twice to the back of the head and ran away. Vallely said he then chased after him.

He said: "I chased after him." Asked why, by Mr Rouch, he replied: "To be honest I was going to grab hold of him and say what the hell are you doing, I stuck up for him. I stopped him having one fight and he punched me to the back of the head."

Mr Rouch asked: "Did you want to have a fight with him?" And Vallely answered: "No".

Vallely claimed he caught up with Pte Boyd when he fell, possibly on a speed bump, and they started fighting but he said his intention was to shout at him.

Vince Coughlin QC, representing Aaeron Evans, suggested to Vallely the CCTV footage from outside the Cellar Bar and the upper end of Lion Street showed Evans trying to separate him from Pte Boyd.

Vallely, of Pen y Bryn, denies murder and Evans, of Cradoc Close, denies manslaughter and the trial continues.