Drug user who posed as an undercover police officer during a robbery says ‘friends’ were not involved

Jonathan Shire admits robbing the couple in Kenwood Close, Worcester, taking £10 and a set of car keys. However, he denied he had ‘rehearsed’ his evidence to get his ‘friends’ off the same charge or he held the stolen car keys to his victim’s throat.

Co-defendants Darren Smith, aged 31, of Selsey Close, Worcester and Paul Gill, 29, of Coronation Road, Littleworth, near Worcester deny the robbery at around midnight on July 24 last year. Both claimed to have driven off in Smith’s BMW, leaving Shire behind when they heard a ‘commotion’ and to have no knowledge of the robbery at the time.

Yesterday, the jury retired to consider their verdict after hearing evidence from the witness box at Worcester Crown Court.

Shire, aged 28, of Mulberry Terrace, Worcester, told the jury together with Gill and Smith he had smoked crack cocaine and cannabis and taken ecstasy and consumed alcohol on the day of the robbery. After the three men left the Texaco garage in Tolladine Road in Smith’s car, Shire said they turned into Kenwood Avenue after overhearing that Gill had found £20 of crack cocaine on the ground. Shire said he got out of the car to go to the toilet when he smelled cannabis.

“I ran over the car, said I was the police and demanded the cannabis” said Shire. He claimed Smith and Gill drove off and left him. Shire said: “There was no planning involved. I didn’t even know I was going to do it until I smelled the cannabis.”

He claims he then walked back to Mulberry Terrace where he saw Gill and Smith around 45 minutes after the robbery, stealing some parts from a BMW on the way back. He claimed he never discussed the robbery with Smith and Gill. Shire gave a detailed description of his route back through Tunnel Hill and Rainbow Hill and up Rose Avenue, telling the jury Smith had been ‘mad at me’ for taking the car parts.

Michael Aspinall, prosecuting, said: “What I’m going to suggest is that you’re here to help your friends and you have rehearsed your evidence. Is that right?” “That’s not right” said Shire.

Shire admitted he took the keys from the ignition of the Renault Clio and the £10 during the robbery. Buy denied he had put the key to the man’s throat and used it as a weapon. When Mr Aspinall described the female victim as ‘frightened of him’ Shire replied ‘apparently so’. When Mr Aspinall said he had used the key to threaten the man in the car Shire replied ‘if you say so’.

Shire was picked out by the robbery victims during an ID parade. He could not remember what he had done with the £10 he had stolen or the car key.

Gill said he had shouted at Shire after he got out of the car, saying: “What are you doing? Hurry up.”

He denied running at the Renault Clio to assist Shire in the robbery. Gill admitted he said ‘I only rob drug dealers’ when he was arrested but told the jury: “I was a bit in shock for being arrested for a robbery.”

Under cross-examination from Mr Aspinall the defendant was asked if, like Smith, he considered himself a victim. Gill said: “Well I’m being tried for something I haven’t done so yeah. I’m suffering from depression with it all.” He admitted seeing the female victim of the robbery at the Texaco garage beforehand.

Mr Aspinall said he had been on the forecourt, as shown in the CCTV, looking in her direction for a considerable amount of time. Mr Aspinall asked him if he was thinking the two people in the car would be ‘easy to rob’ and Gill said ‘no, they were long gone.’ He was asked if he told the others ‘follow that Clio’ to which Gill replied ‘not at all’. Gill told the jury he had ‘robbed a few drug dealers in the past’ though his advocate Belinda Ariss pointed out her client had no convictions for robbery. He denied he was ‘adding to the threat’ made by Shire or the three men left together in Smith’s car.