A father of three was stabbed to death in a fight over cannabis in Pendine, a jury has been told.

Simon Peter Clark, aged 54, was found dead on September 28 last year on the Grove caravan park.

His neighbours, Jeffrey Stephen Ward, aged 41, and Steven Baxter, 52, are said by the prosecution to have "gone on the run" and ended up at the home of Mansel Edwards and his partner Jeanine Davies in Tonypandy.

Mr Edwards said Baxter had a cut on his head and he asked him what had happened.

Baxter, he said, told him that three men had arrived at the caravan park and told Mr Clark they were there "to tax his cannabis."

By that he understood they were going to steal it and Baxter said he and Ward had gone to Mr Clark's assistance.

A fight had developed and they had managed to beat away the three men. It ended with Mr Clark running into his caravan and shouting that he was going to call the police.

The three men left but said they would be back.

Mr Edwards said Baxter had a black bin liner with him and said it contained "weed and cash."

Mr Edwards said Baxter told him they had not seen Mr Clark after the fight.

"I understood they both (Baxter and Ward) grew cannabis, smoking and selling it," added Mr Edwards.

"Simon told them he was going to call the police which is why they had to flee."

Mr Edwards said he became worried about what had really happened. Baxter and Ward wanted to stay the night but he didn't want them in his house and let them sleep inside a boxing club he had the keys to.

"The next morning I told them there was more to this. I was in far more than I wanted to be. I told them 'Porth is that way, goodbye.'

"I didn't want anything to do with it. I didn't know at that stage that someone had been killed."

Mr Edwards said he knew Ward well and he appeared to be subdued.

"He spent a lot of the time with his head in his hands. I thought he was frightened of the situation.

"I felt he was a lost soul, that's how he sounded.

Jeanine Davies said she had a touring caravan on the site and was good friends with Julie Harris, Ward's partner.

"Mansel asked what was going on. I think it was Steve who said it had come on top. I thought it was about cannabis. Three men had arrived and said they had come to tax (steal) the weed. There was an altercation.

"Steve did all the talking," said Miss Davies.

Paul Lewis QC, the barrister leading the prosecution, told the jury it was the prosecution's case that Baxter had invented a story about three men causing a fight to cover the fact that it was he and Ward who had attacked Mr Clark.

"Both attacked Mr Clark and Baxter stabbed him," He said.

Baxter and Ward deny murder and the trial continues.