TWO men have denied carrying out a daylight knifepoint robbery outside a church.

Barry Bloom, of Rotary Way, Banbury, and Patrick Broderick, of Paradise Street, Oxford, are both accused of robbery and Broderick is accused of possession of a knife.

As their trial began at Oxford Crown Court, Bloom, 38, admitted another charge of possessing a knife after police found a seven-inch kitchen knife in his trouser pocket immediately after the incident on May 17 last year.

A jury of four men and eight women were told yesterday how the pair had been at The Beacon drop-in centre for the homeless at Horse Fair, Banbury that morning.

Prosecuting, Timothy Boswell said that staff at the drop-in centre reported Broderick, 46, as being drunk and showing such bad behaviour that he was asked to leave the centre.

Soon after, the victim, Gary Bouchard, arrived at about 11am before walking outside of the centre and along the side of the neighbouring St Mary’s Church yard.

Mr Boswell told jurors: “When he got near to the church he was cornered by Broderick. He accused him of being a paedophile and punched him to the face.

“He was then joined by a second man, Mr Bloom. He was back up against a wall when Broderick got out a knife and ran it across Bouchard’s eyebrows and told him to empty his pockets."

The pair maintain while there may have been an altercation there was no robbery and deny the charges. The trial continues.