Trial of three-year-old robbery allegation is delayed at Oxford Crown Court

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A pair accused of a three-and-a-half-year-old robbery allegation will have to wait another six months for their trial.

The man and woman, who we are not naming, were due to stand trial at Oxford Crown Court this week over allegations they robbed another in May 2019.

But the trial could not go ahead, with Recorder Anthony Carlin told that the barrister for one of the men was currently on holiday and the Criminal Bar Associations policy of refusing to take late-return cases meant no other barrister would take the brief.

The crown courts listing officer told the judge that he believed the Crown had lost its key witness. He was loathe to put five days of valuable short time aside without the prosecution witness.

Recorder Carlin re-fixed the trial for January 9 next year. The case is expected to last between four and five days.

Simon Foster appeared for the Crown Prosecution Service during the short court hearing on Monday morning, held over the crown court video link system.

Robbery or theft with violence is an indictable-only offence, meaning it can only be dealt with at the crown court. Sentences vary significantly depending on the violence used and the culpability of the offender, but the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

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: [email protected]

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward

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