A MAN burst into a parked lorry before raining blows on the driver and stealing a silver chain worth hundreds of pounds, a court heard.

Adam Winch, of Oxford Hill, Witney, denies a single count of robbery.

The 49-year old, together with an unknown accomplice, is alleged to have carried out the attack inside a lorry parked at the Station Lane industrial estate in Witney on the night of February 24 last year.

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Outlining the case at the start of his trial at Oxford Crown Court today, prosecutor John Brotherton said that Winch burst into the lorry before the two men pummelled their victim Corey Buckingham, before taking the £225 necklace.

From the witness box the alleged victim Mr Buckingham said that he had been out watching rugby in the town with a friend before retiring to his lorry with food at about 6pm.

Oxford Mail:

Speaking of the alleged ordeal he told jurors: “The door opened and [Winch] and the other man I don’t know…climbed in the lorry and started shouting at me.

“[He was] about a foot away from my face swearing continually and he had his arm out and grabbed me by the chain and he pulled the chain off my neck.”

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Mr Buckingham said that he was then repeatedly punched during the attack which eventually came to an end after he started shouting back at his alleged robber, who then left the scene.

He claimed that the incident was first sparked because of a previous debt he had incurred with a landlady at a nearby pub, which he said Winch claimed to be trying to recover.

He added that despite his injuries – which included a number of lost teeth as well as fractured ribs – he continued his lorry delivery to Falmouth the following day and he did not go to hospital to receive treatment until three days after the incident.

Winch denies the charge and the trial continues.