Drunken pensioner John Keyes tried to hold up three banks in Oxford city centre within half an hour, a court heard, writes Jo Hillier.

Adrian Higgins, prosecuting, told Oxford Crown Court yesterday that the 68-year-old, of Hockmore Tower, Oxford, left The Mitre in High Street after drinking eight pints of beer before demanding money from female cashiers at three banks and telling them he had a gun.

Cashier Julie Ward told the jury she smelled alcohol on his breath when he walked into Lloyds at Carfax at about 1.45pm on April 20 and asked for cash.

Miss Ward, who did not think he looked like the stereotypical bank robber, said: "He was very quiet and slurring a little bit. He then said that he had a gun in his pocket. "I just thought he was a drunk and didn't take it seriously at all. I thought it was a humorous situation."

Keyes, who asked another member of staff to tell the police he had done a robbery, was escorted out of the bank but the police were not called.

Mr Higgins told the court that Keyes then immediately went to Barclays in Cornmarket Street where he jumped the queue and told a cashier: "I have got a gun, give me the money."

Cashier Teresa Maddison thought he had a gun in a money bag he was holding and, when he kept demanding money and thrusting the object towards her, she pressed the alarm although he told her not to. She told the jury: "I think he said it was a stick up. I was a bit panicky but I thought it was a joke at first because it was an elderly man who hadn't disguised himself in any way." Another customer, Frederick Cooper, grabbed hold of Keyes and took him outside.

Mr Higgins said: "While he was doing so the defendant apparently asked Mr Cooper whether he was with the CID and he thanked Mr Cooper."

Keyes then went to the NatWest in George Street and demanded money from a cashier on the foreign exchange till.

The woman thought he had something under his jacket so lay on the floor with a colleague and activated the alarm.

Mr Higgins said: "They both felt this was a raid situation. While on the floor they could hear the defendant saying words to the effect that he had done it."

Keyes, who was grabbed by a customer before police arrived and arrested him, claimed it was all a prank. He denies three charges of attempted robbery. Mr Higgins said: "This is an unusual case. Nobody is going to say otherwise but in the end the issue you have to look at is this - was it the defendant's intention to carry out a prank or was it to get money?"

The trial continues.

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