Jury out on man accused of trying to take Andy Carroll's wristwatch

A jury has started deliberations in the trial of a man accused of attempting to rob West Ham striker Andy Carroll of his £22,000 wristwatch.

Jury out on man accused of trying to take Andy Carroll's wristwatch

A jury has started deliberations in the trial of a man accused of attempting to rob West Ham striker Andy Carroll of his £22,000 wristwatch.

Jack O'Brien, 22, denies trying to rob the England-capped 28-year-old as he drove home from the Hammers' training ground.

Carroll earlier told the trial at Basildon Crown Court that a male motorcyclist who, he believed, had a gun, demanded he hand over his watch as he was stopped at traffic lights in Hainault, north-east London.

Two motorbikes chased his camouflage green Jeep Wrangler as he drove on the wrong side of the road to get away, and he eventually got back to West Ham's training ground where there were security staff, the court heard.

O'Brien, of Navarre Gardens, Romford, east London, was arrested 10 days after the incident, which happened on November 2.

Police found him hiding under a mattress at a house in Dagenham, prosecutor Simon Gladwell said.

Mr Gladwell added that O'Brien had admitted a string of burglaries in which jewellery was taken, and that he had used a Suzuki motorbike, Ducati jacket and crash helmet in the burglaries.

Defence barrister Michael Edmonds told the jury that O'Brien had used the three items, which were used in the alleged attempted robbery, for crime before, but that it was not O'Brien using them on this occasion.

Carroll told the jury that he stared at the motorbike rider's face "for about 10 seconds".

He said the rider was wearing a crash helmet with the visor up, and he initially thought the rider was boxer Kevin Mitchell and that "he was going to have a conversation".

The jury started deliberations on Thursday morning.

AP

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