Pensioner John Keyes told a jury he could not remember trying to rob three banks in Oxford after downing eight pints of beer.

The frail 68-year-old, of Hockmore Tower, Cowley, Oxford, is alleged to have demanded money from cashiers at Lloyds at Carfax, Barclays in Cornmarket and NatWest in George Street within half an hour. Witnesses have said that he also pretended to have a gun.

Keyes, who denies three attempted robberies, told Oxford Crown Court yesterday that he could not remember anything after going into the first bank.

But the jury heard him say during his police interview at St Aldate's police station that he did it for a laugh after leaving The Mitre in High Street.

He said: "Like an ass, like Jack the lad, I went into the bank."

Keyes, who said he had only seen guns and robberies in Western films on television, consistently denied intending to carry out robberies when pressed by the prosecuting barrister Adrian Higgins.

He said: "I can't remember any more, it's just getting me down. I just can't carry on. I'm just confused."

"You're just picking on me because I'm an old man.

"That's one thing I would never do is take money from a bank. I don't care how many times you ask me."

WPc Angela Murray, who was called to the NatWest where Keyes had been grabbed by a customer, told the jury that when she arrived he was sitting in a chair laughing hysterically.

She said: "I heard him say that he had only done it for a laugh and he hadn't got a gun. His speech was slurred.

"He said 'I want to be arrested. Look at all this excitement. I love it.' My thoughts at the time were he obviously couldn't comprehend the seriousness of what was going on."

The case continues.

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