**Uncle and Nephew Stand Trial for Alleged Murder of Swansea Man in Bottle Attack**
Swansea Crown Court has opened what is expected to be a high-profile two-week trial involving Paul Rosser, 49, and Joshua Cullen, 32, who are accused of the murder of 27-year-old Joshua Norman in September last year. The defendants, who are related as uncle and nephew, both deny the charge of murder as well as the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Joshua Norman’s life came to a violent end in the early hours of 11 September 2024. He was found with catastrophic injuries to his neck on a street in Swansea, following an incident that allegedly involved a broken bottle. Despite valiant efforts by members of the public and paramedics to save him, Mr Norman was pronounced dead at the scene. The shockwaves from the event have left a mark on the local community, with many awaiting justice through the proceedings now underway.
Opening the prosecution case at Swansea Crown Court, barrister Christopher Rees KC recounted the events leading up to the incident. The court heard that the night prior, Mr Norman had been in his Matthew Street flat with Mr Rosser and others, where they consumed crack cocaine and alcohol. As dawn broke, the group ventured out in search of further drugs, first stopping to purchase alcohol at a shop near High Street station before heading to Griffith John Street—a location where Cullen lived with his mother, who is Rosser’s sister.
According to evidence presented to the court, at 10:15am, Rosser, Cullen, and Norman were picked up in a black Audi and driven through a series of stops, including a cash machine where Norman withdrew £150. The prosecution alleges one of the stops was specifically made to purchase drugs, a claim that adds complexity to the case’s backdrop of substance misuse. The Audi then paused by One Stop shop on Port Tennant Road, where an altercation reportedly erupted between Norman and the car’s driver, before all four men returned to the Audi.
The prosecution described how, shortly afterwards, witnesses observed the black Audi on New Cut Road. The vehicle came to a halt, and Rosser, Cullen, and Norman exited. Notably, Norman was seen with blood apparent on his head as he left the car. The three men are then said to have walked through a wooded area leading towards Upper Strand, where a further altercation apparently broke out between Cullen and Norman, escalating to the pair wrestling on the ground.
As the group made their way to a tunnel that divides Upper Strand from Cwm Road, witnesses reported hearing raised voices and arguments between Norman and Cullen. The prosecutor contends that this confrontation spurred Rosser into action; it is alleged he smashed a cider bottle he had been carrying, then wielded it as a weapon to stab Norman in the throat. The violent incident itself was not directly witnessed, but post-incident accounts paint a distressing picture.
A delivery driver testified to seeing a bleeding Norman brandishing a tree branch, seemingly attempting to defend himself from Rosser and Cullen, who stood together across from him. The driver, along with another passer-by, rendered emergency first aid and called 999 while awaiting the arrival of police and paramedics; however, Norman’s injuries proved fatal.
After the stabbing, the prosecution claims, Rosser and Cullen walked off, leaving Norman behind in critical condition. They returned to Cullen’s nearby flat, where police later arrested Cullen; Rosser was apprehended after returning to the scene some twenty minutes later. Medical evidence presented in the trial revealed that Norman suffered several sharp force wounds to the neck, with a major vein being severed and resulting in severe blood loss.
Defence arguments were also outlined before the jury. Rosser insists he only smashed the bottle in an attempt to frighten Norman and that the fatal wound to Norman’s neck was a tragic accident when Norman lunged towards him. Cullen, meanwhile, contends that Norman had been behaving aggressively towards him but denies causing him any injury. Both defendants assert that Norman had been violent during the earlier car ride, allegedly headbutting and breaking a window.
The crown, however, maintains that both Rosser and Cullen are culpable under the “joint enterprise” principle—essentially arguing that Rosser acted with Cullen’s support or encouragement, and that both men demonstrated intent to cause, at minimum, grievous bodily harm, if not death.
Both men have pleaded not guilty on all counts, setting the stage for intense legal arguments and testimony in the days to come. The trial continues, with the Swansea community closely following the case’s developments amid calls for clarity and justice surrounding Joshua Norman’s death.