A man who denies obtaining a passport by deception refused to swear that he would tell the truth while being sworn in at Oxford Crown Court.

Ustad Ahmed, 36, of Walton Street, Oxford, began taking the oath while holding the Muslim holy book, the Koran, while it was still in its velvet cover.

Judge Anthony King ordered that the oath be taken again with the defendant's hand touching the book, but when asked if he would swear to tell the whole truth, Ahmed said 'no, I can't'.

The judge told the court that he had also heard the defendant say that he "was covering up for someone," before asking the jury to leave the room.

After consulting his legal team, Ahmed maintained that he would not take the oath and when the jury returned, no evidence was offered on his behalf.

Judge King told the jury that they could draw any inference they wished from his refusal to swear the oath.

Defendants are not allowed to give evidence without having sworn to tell the truth. Earlier Peter Ross, prosecuting, had told the court Ahmed admitted obtaining a false birth certificate for Shah Ahmed in 1999 from the Oxford registrar.

During that process, he claimed to be the child's father, but the court heard that he was not. With the bogus birth certificate, Ahmed then successfully applied for a passport in the child's name.

Mr Ross said that the referee countersignature on the application read Raymond Bishop, of Clinton Close, Oxford, but Mr Bishop said that he had not signed the form.

The defendant claimed that the countersignature belonged to another Mr Bishop whom he said had moved into the address when the other Mr Bishop left.

Ahmed had also told police that the passport was with his second wife, but he would not say where the woman or Shah was as she was an illegal immigrant.

The jury was expected to retire to decide its verdict today.