Bury St Edmunds 'robbery': Jury set to decide fate of defendants

A jury will decide tomorrow if either or both men charged with robbing an 83-year-old woman in Bury St Edmunds are guilty.

Robert Duke, 35, of Broad Road, Bacton, and Kyle Haggerty, 26, of no fixed abode, have both pleaded not guilty to robbery after an incident on June 27.

The elderly woman fell to the floor during the ordeal in Tennyson Road, Bury, and was dispossessed of her bag which contained £200 cash and bank cards.

She was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises.

Judge Emma Peters told the jury that there is no dispute the robbery happened, but the guilt of the defendants must be decided upon.

Today (Monday, November 11) counsel for Duke and Haggerty both built a case to suggest their respective clients are not guilty. They addressed a jury, as the second week of a trial begins inside Ipswich Crown Court.

The claim prosecutor Gavin Pottinger made last week that both defendants were ‘blaming each other’ was evident in how defence counsel built their cases.

Proving key to the case was the presence of a watch at the scene, which was later found to have the DNA of Haggerty on it.

Oliver Haswell, representing Haggerty, said: “There is an alternative explanation (to a suggestion that the watch proved his client’s guilt).

“Haggerty was looking to sell the watch (to Duke). He gives a full explanation for his movements and motivations. He said he was trying to sell the watch for some time and had been to Cash Convertors.”

Haggerty has already admitted using a bank card belonging to the victim. Both defendants also have previous convictions.

Mr Haswell said his client was ‘duped by Mr Duke’ when asked to withdraw money using the card on his behalf.

Steven Dyble, representing Duke, referenced how his client had returned to the scene of the robbery on June 29. The court previously heard how Duke had asked questions to the friend of the victim, whose house she had been walking to.

According to Mr Dyble, Duke heard some shouting from where he was standing around the corner - an account disputed by Mr Haswell.

The barrister asked the jury: “Would somebody (who is guilty) seriously go back to the scene of the crime?”

Neither Duke nor Haggerty have given evidence or been questioned as a witness.

The jury is set to return a verdict tomorrow (Tuesday, November 12).