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West Ham's Andy Carroll Tells Jury Gunpoint Robbery Left Him 'Panicked,' 'Scared'

Andy Carroll was robbed at gunpoint in November 2016.
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West Ham United striker Andy Carroll told a jury at Basildon Crown Court of the petrifying ordeal he faced when he was chased down by a gun-wielding motorcyclists on the 2nd of November, 2016 - according to a report published by Yahoo Sport.

The possession of Carroll's which the bikers were trying to rob was a wristwatch worth £22,000, however the accused Jack O’Brien, 22, has denied being a part of the dangerous pursuit of the England-capped Hammers man.

Prosecutor Simon Gladwell told the court that the bikers hounded Carroll down after one vehicle confronted the striker at a set of lights on Romford Road, Hainault, north-east London, and demanded his watch.

Carroll, 28, said to the jury: “I just pulled up at the traffic lights, my window was open, a bike pulled up next to me and said ‘Nice watch’.”

Carroll then proceeded to say that he replied “Thanks” - he also relayed to the court that he thought he recognised the biker.

“He had his crash helmet on with his visor up,” Carroll claimed. “I stared at him for about 10 seconds as I thought I recognised him and thought he was going to have a conversation.”

He added: “I went to drive away and he said ‘Give me your watch’.”

Carroll said at the beginning of the encounter that he “didn’t know if it was a joke”, although when the tall striker performed a U-turn to evade the aggressors, both bikes changed direction and tailed him.

Using his hands to show the jury how the bikers gestured for him to surrender his watch, Carroll brandished the gun gesture to exemplify the severity of the situation, without making contact with O'Brien's glares as he reenacts the specific moments.

Mr. Gladwell then continued to say that Carroll was “beeping at other cars and driving on the wrong side of the road to get away”.

With that, Carroll told the court: “I was scared, I didn’t know what to do.

“I called my partner’s dad, I just panicked.

“He told me to ring the police.”

The trial, which was only supposed to have lasted three days and to which the accused remains adamant of his innocence, is still ultimately ongoing.