A ROBBERY suspect told police he had been ‘set up’ and was blamed for ‘everything’ in Warndon, Worcester.

Daniel Martin and Tommy Lee Jauncey gave evidence from the witness box at their trial at Worcester Crown Court yesterday, denying two knife point robberies, including the theft of £60 to £70 from a city taxi driver. A Papa John's pizza delivery man was robbed in an alleyway near Brookthorpe Close, Warndon by masked men on February 19. A taxi driver was robbed in Chedworth Close, Warndon on February 21. Both received calls from a phone kiosk on the corner of Brookthorpe Close and Cranham Drive, Warndon, Worcester before the robberies.

Jauncey alone denies threats to kill Kathleen Biddle and burn down her house in Rodborough Drive, Warndon, Worcester and criminal damage against her fence on March 10. Miss Biddle claims she heard the defendants planning robberies when they were in her home and saw Martin afterwards with the pizza delivery man's wallet, including donor and ID cards. A transcript of Martin’s police interview was read out. Martin said: “This is going overboard now. Everything that’s going on in Warndon - I’m getting arrested for it.”

He also requested the name of the police’s source and asked if they had been promised police protection. Martin repeated the denials on oath, looking at the jury as he said 'I wasn't there', it's 100 per cent not me', 'it 'never happened' and 'I'm innocent'.

Martin said he had a low IQ and could not read or write. He said he was still in a relationship with Rosie Biddle, a relative of Kathleen Biddle, and they had children together. But he said he did not know Kathleen Biddle and had never been to her house and 'bragged' about the robberies. The taxi driver who picked out Martin at an identification procedure described him as having stubble or a short beard but Martin said he could not grow a beard.

Jauncey, 21, told the jury he was staying with his cousin 'chilling' and watching television at her flat above the Black Cross pub in Worcester Road, Bromsgrove when the robberies happened. He said he had never been to Miss Biddle's house and knew of Martin but they were not friends. Jauncey answered 'no comment' to police questions on the instructions of his legal team. He said of the allegations: "I was never there."

He said he did not recognise a knife recovered from behind a dog bin in an alleyway in Sainsbury's in Warndon. Miss Biddle told police she heard them say the knife was 'stashed' there after the robberies. "I do not do robberies" he said. The trial continues.