An amateur boxer accused of the murder of a soldier is alleged to have described himself as "the hardest man in Brecon", a court has heard.

The trial of Jake Vallely and Aaeron Evans, who are charged in connection with the death of serving soldier Matthew Boyd, opened at Cardiff Crown Court today.

Vallely, who is 24 and of Pen y Bryn, Brecon, is charged with murder while Evans, who is 23 and of Cradoc Close, is accused of manslaughter.

Private Boyd was serving with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and had only arrived at the Sennybridge Army camp for a training course on Tuesday, May 3 this year, but died in the early hours of Sunday, May 8 after spending that Saturday night in Brecon drinking at the Sarah Siddons pub before moving on to the former Cellar Bar.

Prosecutor Chris Quinlan told the jury of nine men and threee women the prosecution alleged Vallely had intended to cause Mr Boyd serious harm when they became involved in an altercation in Lion Street, outside the Cellar Bar, shortly after midnight.

The prosecutor also said Vallely was a well trained amateur boxer who had never been stopped in 29 amateur fights.

He told the jury: "Jake Vallely is the self-described hardest man in Brecon. This is how he described himself an hour or so before he attacked and killed Matthew Boyd together with his friend Aaeron Evans.

"He chased and assaulted Matthew Boyd who was punched and went to the ground.

"Vallely then dragged and dumped his body and ran off back to the bar, where he continued his night with his friend Evans.

"Evans, we say, assisted his friend in the killing. Vallely, the prosecution say, is responsible for Mr Boyd’s death and Evans is responsible in law for Mr Boyd’s death. His culpability, we say, is reflected by the charge of manslaughter, he played his part in the assault that led to Mr Boyd’s death.

"Both men deny the allegation. Vallely, when interviewed by the police, accepted he chased and punched Mr Boyd. Evans says he played no part at all."

The jury was shown CCTV pictures of all three men at the Cellar Bar and outside in Lion Street. After moving further down the narrow street, Valley and Private Boyd, were seen tussling on the CCTV when the soldier went to the ground.

He was found at around 1am by a passer-by at the junction of Lion Street and Tredgar Street, near the Guildhall. He was pronounced dead at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny shortly before 3am.

Describing the CCTV that showed Vallely and Pte Boyd, Mr Quinlan told the jury: "You will ultimately analyse that footage and it will be for you to decide what it shows.

"The prosecution say it demonstrates quite clearly two men, as they come into view, engaged in an on-going struggle. One of them, Vallely, has got the better of the other, Mr Boyd, and has driven him to the ground, was it a right hand punch? It is for you to consider.

"Once on the ground Mr Boyd is no longer, if he ever had been, a threat to this man. Once down he was punched repeatedly. You can see Vallely’s right arm is something like a piston, up and down, as he punched him."

Mr Quinlan said Vallely left Mr Boyd "unconscious at the very least" when he "jogged back" to the Cellar Bar.

Messages, sent by Vallely in the hours after the attack, were also shown to the jury.

Mr Quinlan said Vallely was arrested after he’d contacted his boxing coach, Dave Gilbert, who is also a police officer and Evans was arrested later on Sunday, May 8.

Vallely told police Mr Boyd had punched Evans, and he had intervened, and Mr Boyd then punched him to the back of his head. Vallely said he had chased Mr Boyd down Lion Street. He claimed Mr Boyd had grabbed at his legs.

The trial continues.