A SWANSEA man who threw a punch that left a student unconscious in the city centre has told a jury he was acting in self-defence.

Shaun Loye, of Parc Road, Morriston, made the claim when he went on trial at Swansea Crown Court.

The 19-year-old was arrested last year after felling Kaloyan Popov in an incident in The Kingsway.

He denies a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Giving evidence, Loye admitted punching Mr Popov but claimed he was defending himself when he feared the student was about to strike him.

James Jenkins, opening the prosecution case, said violence erupted shortly after midnight on March 19 when two groups of young men passed each other by the bus shelters outside McDonald's.

Loye was with one group, going towards Wind Street, while Mr Popov's group was heading in the opposite direction.

"In all probability neither group wanted any trouble at all," said the barrister. "But trouble happened – and happened very quickly."

Mr Jenkins alleged that, as the two parties passed each other, Loye for some reason "tapped or slapped" Mr Popov, causing a friend of the complainant to remonstrate with the defendant.

At this point, the court was told, Loye threw a punch that caught Mr Popov "smack on the jaw".

"Mr Popov went straight to the ground, banging his head, and was out cold," said Mr Jenkins. "An ambulance was called and he was taken to hospital, where he was treated for a cut to the back of his head."

The court heard that Loye was arrested at the scene after being jumped on and detained by a friend of Mr Popov's, Henry Morgan.

The defendant immediately claimed to have been acting in self-defence.

"But the prosecution say Shaun Loye did not need to defend himself against Mr Popov," said Mr Jenkins.

"The prosecution say he was not acting in lawful self-defence. He had no reason to think he was going to be attacked by Mr Popov."

Called to the witness box, Loye said he had been out celebrating a friend's 18th birthday.

"I was drunk but I knew what was going on around me," he told his barrister, Ian Wright. "I was in a good mood and I had had no problems during the course of the evening."

Loye claimed that as the two groups passed each other he was "deliberately barged" and he then saw Mr Popov coming towards him with his hands raised to chest level.

"He had a cocky attitude," Loye said of the complainant. "He was aggressive and loud and I felt frightened. I felt I needed to hit him to keep him away from me."

Loye told Mr Wright that he took Mr Popov's hand movements to mean the student was "looking for trouble, wanting a fight".

So he punched Mr Popov to stop him punching or butting him, he told the jury.

Verdict deliberations are expected to begin tomorrow (Wednesday March 10) after Recorder Paul Hopkins sums up the case following closing speeches by the prosecution and the defence.