A MAN accused of robbing a 13-year-old schoolgirl of her mobile phone in broad daylight in the centre of Carlisle told police when interviewed: “No, 100 per cent I never.”
Aaron Raymond Duncan, 30, is on trial at the city’s crown court. Duncan denies one charge which alleges that he robbed the girl of an iPhone at around 3-20pm on July 4 last year while she was with two female friends close to the Iceland store on Lowther Street.
Jurors have heard the key issue in the case is whether it was Carlisle man Duncan who committed the robbery.
All three girls have described a crime taking place with the victim having her hand grabbed and twisted before the phone was removed and stolen. She and one other girl positively identified Duncan as the man responsible during a video procedure last September. The other girl did not.
Two girls described the robber wearing camouflaged lower clothing. His height was estimated to be 5ft 7in or 5ft 8in. Jurors have heard Duncan is 6ft 2in. No camouflaged shorts or trousers were found when his home was searched by police.
Duncan was drawn into the investigation after an officer became aware of some CCTV showing a male matching the general description being circulated by police.
However, he denied being at the robbery scene during police interviews, saying in the second he was “most likely” at work for a city car valet company at that time.
When asked whether he committed the robbery, he replied: “No, 100 per cent I never.”
This morning (THURS), barrister Andrew Ford, defending, confirmed Duncan would not be giving evidence to jurors. The trial continues.
