Barton 'drug addict robbery': Trial begins in Oxford

Rebecca Tremlett, 26, and Colin Sumner, 41, were said to have robbed the man of £30, his wallet and a pouch of tobacco during the encounter in the early hours of May 23, 2019.

In a Facebook message sent a few hours after the alleged robbery, the complainant was said to have told Tremlett that she and her then partner – with whom he had previously taken drugs, it was said - were ‘well out of order’.

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He had realised his bank card was missing and warned her that, if she did not get back to him, he was ‘going to press charges’.

Underhill Circus

The man was said, later, to have told the woman that he was ‘more upset that our friendship has been tarnished’.

By way of reply on the Facebook messenger programme, Tremlett allegedly told the victim of the robbery: “When they get me I’ll be going to prison, so I’m not happy. I always knew you was a grass.”

Tremlett, of Donnington Bridge Road, Oxford, denies robbery – although was not present in the dock at Oxford Crown Court yesterday for the first day of her trial.

Her co-defendant, Sumner, of Stowford Road, Oxford, has already pleaded guilty to robbery.

Giving evidence on Tuesday afternoon, the alleged victim of the robbery told the court he had been waiting for benefits money to come into his bank account shortly after midnight on May 23.

He said in a police statement made two days after the incident that he had withdrawn £260 from a cash machine on St Aldates before taking a taxi to Barton, having paid the cabbie £30 upfront.

The man told jurors that he was dropped off at the back of the Underhill Circus shops. “The taxi was a wait and return. I went into the building to the back of the bus [stop] to see if a friend was there that I owed money to,” he said.

The friend was not in. He spotted Sumner and Tremlett after he came out of the building. The couple looked ‘almost like they were awaiting someone or something and that’s when the attack took place’.

The couple allegedly said words to the effect of ‘where were you earlier?’, while Sumner allegedly told him ‘look, I’ve got a knife’.

It was alleged that Sumner had ‘pinned’ him down, while Tremlett went through his pockets. A Good Samaritan chased the couple off, it was said.

The jury was read Facebook messages sent between the complainant and Tremlett before the alleged robbery in which it appeared arrangements were being made to see the couple later that night.

The alleged victim said he had spoken to his ‘man’ and arranged to see him after his ‘money goes in tonight’.

He told the woman he was in ‘two minds’ about whether to have a ‘mad one’ as he was ‘wanting to conserve a bit of what I get’.

The trial continues.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward