Football star: I thought I’d die in car robbery
West Ham striker was chased through London in his car by bikers he believed were armed
A PREMIER League footballer has described how he feared for his life after a suspected armed robber riding a motorbike attempted to steal his £22,000 watch. Andy Carroll, 28, the West Ham United centre forward, was driving back from training with his team-mates when his car was chased by two motorcycles.
The 6ft 4in star said he initially thought it was a prank until he saw one man pull out what he thought was a gun.
Carroll then sped off, driving on the wrong side of the road and hitting several parked vehicles as he tried to escape.
In a frantic 999 call, the footballer, who has won nine England caps, could be heard reliving the terrifying ordeal. He told the police call handler: “There are two motorbikes, one’s behind me, pulling out a gun, I don’t know what to do.”
As car horns could be heard in the background, Carroll was heard to say: “I’ve hit loads of cars, I don’t know what to do, he’s just hit my car.”
Carroll told the handler: “I’m a Premier League footballer”, and was reassured that police officers were on their way.
The player eventually arrived back at West Ham United’s training ground where there were security staff on duty. Jack O’brien, 22, is accused of attempting to rob the footballer on November 2 last year. Opening the case at Basildon Crown Court, Simon Gladwell, prosecuting, told the court how two bikers had chased Carroll after one approached him at a set of traffic lights in Romford Road, in Hainault, east London.
Giving evidence to the court, Carroll said: “I went to drive away and he said, ‘Give me your watch’.”
He said he was unsure if it was a joke at first, but when he did a U-turn, both bikes turned and followed him.
He told the court: “When I was driving back towards the training ground the bike was in front of me and gave signals for the watch and pulled out something from his waistband and started pointing it towards me.
“He was wearing a glove and from the way he was doing it I thought he was holding a gun.”
Michael Edmonds, defending, said O’brien, from Romford, east London, was not the motorbike rider.
He said while O’brien had used the bike, jacket and helmet for crime before, he had not been on the motorbike on this occasion.
The trial, estimated to last three days, continues.