A jury has retired to consider whether two men are guilty of Worcester robberies.

Daniel Martin and Tommy Lee Jauncey deny both knife-point robberies committed days apart in Warndon, Worcester, the first against a pizza delivery driver and the second against a taxi driver.

There is no dispute the robberies took place but both defendants deny involvement.

Jauncey alone denies making a threat to kill Kathleen Biddle, threatening to burn her house down and damaging her garden fence.

The prosecution case is that Martin, 29, and Jauncey, 21, robbed Papa John’s pizza delivery driver Daniel McLaren in an alley near Brookthorpe Close, Warndon, on February 19. John Brotherton, prosecuting, said both men were wearing ski masks and held a knife to Mr McLaren’s throat.

He said Mr McLaren told Martin he did not have any cash to which the defendant responded: “You don’t want to get stabbed do you?”

The second robbery was said to have been carried out by Martin on taxi driver Mohammed Jehengir in Chedworth Close, Warndon, on February 21 while Jauncey hid in a bush because he saw two people coming. The taxi driver, who picked Martin out in a police identity procedure, said a screwdriver was held to his neck while he was robbed of £60 to £70 in cash and his mobile phone.

Calls to the pizza delivery driver and taxi driver were made from the same phone box at the corner of Brookthorpe Close and Cranham Drive.

Kathleen Biddle said Martin and Jauncey confessed to the robberies at her home in Rodborough Drive, Warndon and she had seen the contents of Mr McLaren’s wallet, including a donor card and an ID card.

Police recovered a knife from behind a dog bin in an alleyway near Sainsbury’s, Warndon, based on information she supplied.

Both Martin and Jauncey say they do not know Miss Biddle and have never been to her house.

Jauncey said he was not a friend of Martin and was in a flat above the Black Cross pub in Bromsgrove at the time of the robberies.

Martin said he had been ‘set up’ and was arrested for ‘everything’ that happened in Warndon.

The jury, of six men and six women, retired at around 3.10pm yesterday after hearing evidence throughout the week. Deliberations will resume today at 10am.

The trial continues.