AN ALLEGED robbery victim claimed he had lied to police when he went into the witness box at York Crown Court.

Giving evidence, Mark James Maddison denied that Darren George Linsdell, 32, and Storm Amber Elliott, 20, had been violent towards him at his uncle’s home on April 28.

He claimed he had been “co-erced” into making the statement and disputed the date on the statement.

In the police statement, dated April 28, Maddison claimed Linsdell had had a knife with him and had threatened to bite off his nose.

He also claimed Linsdell had forced him to go with him and Elliott to take money via a cash machine. But in the witness box he said none of those claims were true and that he had gone willingly with the couple to the city centre.

Asked by prosecution barrister Caroline Wigin if he had made the claims because he was scared, he replied “no”.

“And now you are more scared of going ahead and saying it again?” she asked. “No, no,” he replied.

Earlier he had alleged he had had a lot of things going on in his life in April.

Linsdell and Elliott, both of no fixed address, deny robbing Mr Maddison and of robbing George Smith on May 24.

William Edward Howgego, 37, of Wycliffe Avenue, Tang Hall, also denies robbing Mr Smith.

Giving evidence, Mr Smith alleged all three had robbed him at his home after seeing him withdraw money from a nearby cash machine. He denied defence suggestions he was a drug dealer who had made up the allegation.

“They are evil people, evil people,” he claimed and alleged that since he had spoken to police, his home had been attacked.

The trial continues.