Uncle and nephew jailed for Joshua Norman Swansea killing

An uncle and his nephew have been jailed for killing a man with a broken bottle after taking “a cocktail of drink and drugs”.

Paul Rosser, 50, was found guilty of murdering Joshua Norman, 27, after attacking him with the glass bottle in Hafod, Swansea, on 11 September last year.

His nephew, Joshua Cullen, 32, was found guilty of manslaughter after Mr Norman was stabbed in the neck in the middle of the day on Cwm Road.

At Swansea Crown Court, Judge Geraint Walters KC sentenced Rosser to life in prison for a minimum of 18 years, while Cullen was jailed for eight years.

Their trial heard the pair were “in a joint enterprise to kill” after being involved in buying drugs with Mr Norman on the morning of his death.

Judge Walters said large cash withdrawals had been made by Mr Norman and, along with Rosser, they met Cullen, of Griffith John Street, Waun Wen in Swansea, before driving off in a car “to buy drugs”.

An altercation was captured on CCTV outside a shop in Port Tennant before Mr Norman was later stabbed on Cwm Road.

The judge said Rosser, of McRitchie Place, Gendros, Swansea, created the “lethal weapon” and deliberately used it on Mr Norman, who was “vulnerable”.

“I think you saw your opportunity, and you took it,” he added.

“This was a senseless killing whilst under the influence of a cocktail of drink and drugs. Largely, if not wholly funded, by your victim.”

Allan Compton KC , representing Rosser, argued that CCTV evidence showed his use of the broken bottle was “impulsive”.

Cullen’s barrister Andrew Jones KC said his client was not the one who used violence during the attack.

CCTV showed the pair walking off as Mr Norman lay in the road.

Emergency services were called, but Mr Norman could not be saved.

His mother Helga read a victim impact statement and said the months following her son’s death were “nothing short of a nightmare”.

“Our lives quickly fell apart, but I refuse to let the people responsible for Josh’s death to break up what’s left of our family as they’ve already taken so much from us,” she added.

She described him as a “generous person” who had a “heart of gold” and she was “so proud to be his mother”.

“We are so glad that we have justice for Josh, but nothing will ever take away the pain of losing him.”