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Andy Carroll robbery: Man guilty of targeting West Ham striker | Andy Carroll robbery: Man guilty of targeting West Ham striker |
(35 minutes later) | |
A man has been found guilty of trying to rob footballer Andy Carroll of his £22,000 wristwatch as the striker drove home from West Ham's training ground. | A man has been found guilty of trying to rob footballer Andy Carroll of his £22,000 wristwatch as the striker drove home from West Ham's training ground. |
Jack O'Brien, 22, had denied attempting to rob the 28-year-old as he waited at traffic lights in Hainault, north-east London, on 2 November 2016. | Jack O'Brien, 22, had denied attempting to rob the 28-year-old as he waited at traffic lights in Hainault, north-east London, on 2 November 2016. |
Mr Carroll told Basildon Crown Court he believed O'Brien had a gun when he stopped beside him on a motorbike. | Mr Carroll told Basildon Crown Court he believed O'Brien had a gun when he stopped beside him on a motorbike. |
O'Brien, of Navarre Gardens, Romford, claimed he was not the rider. | |
O'Brien was found by police hiding beneath a mattress in a property in Dagenham 10 days after the attempt. | |
The footballer told jurors he was "scared" when the motorcycle rider pulled up beside him, said "nice watch" then demanded he give it to him. | |
Mr Carroll did a U-turn, but was forced to drive on the wrong side of the road as he was pursued back to West Ham's training ground where there were security staff. | |
In a 999 call played in court he was heard telling responders: "There's two motorbikes, one's behind me pulling out a gun, I don't know what to do." | |
He also said he had "probably just hit about 10 cars" during his getaway. | |
Police seized a motorcycle helmet, Ducati jacket and a Suzuki motorbike which they believed were used by O'Brien during the attempted robbery. | |
DNA matching the 22-year-old's was found on the helmet and jacket, but O'Brien said that while he had used the equipment for other robberies, somebody else was wearing them when Mr Carroll was targeted. | |
No firearm was found by police. The second motorbike rider has not been located. |