A man was robbed at knifepoint of his £750 puffa jacket as he returned from buying groceries at Tesco for his girlfriend, a court heard.

Giving evidence at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, alleged victim Jordan Wyatt named Leon Dine as the long-haired leader of the group of up to 10 boys who set upon him in a Kidlington alleyway.

Mr Wyatt claimed that he’d walked down the alleyway between Oxford Road and Green Road, taking the short-cut as he returned from running an errand at Tesco on behalf of his partner on September 25, 2020.

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A group of around four or five boys were walking in front of him in the alleyway but turned round, with now 19-year-old Dine at the head of them, the man told jurors. He looked over his shoulder to see around three or four other youths behind him.

“There was no way out,” Mr Wyatt told the jury.

He claimed to have recognised Dine, who was had his ‘hair down - like Tarzan - to his shoulders’.

Mr Wyatt claimed that Dine told him to remove his jacket and, when he refused, pushed him back then shouted ‘get him’ to the group.

During the ordeal, the alleged victim claimed he was repeatedly punched and kicked by the group.

Dine was accused of telling Mr Wyatt at one stage: “Take your coat off or I’m going to shank you.”

The alleged victim told the court: “At that point he put his hand down his trousers and pulled out a knife.”

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Mr Wyatt said he had his head down and his hands outstretched in front of him, as Dine waved a black-handled kitchen knife around six inches long.

The group managed to get the Moncler jacket, bought for around £750 two or three years before the robbery, although Mr Wyatt kept hold of his phone.

His girlfriend’s bank card, which was in the pocket of the expensive coat, was used later that evening by co-defendant Sean Gallagher, who has already pleaded guilty to robbery and fraud.

A neighbour who heard the commotion came to check on Mr Wyatt and took a photograph of him, which was shown to jurors on Tuesday morning, showing the alleged victim with blood on his face, arm and phone.

Mr Wyatt gave the Good Samaritan the names of Dine and another teenager, who has since pleaded guilty to robbery, as faces he recognised in the group.

Opening the Crown’s case to the jury yesterday morning, prosecutor Edward Culver said: “The prosecution say Leon Dine was the key figure in the group, recognised and identified by Jordan Wyatt repeatedly and consistently and [his] identification, the Crown say, is accurate and reliable.”

Dine, of Yarnton Road, Kidlington, denies robbery and possession of a knife. 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