A TEENAGER who suffers from Asperger's syndrome was robbbed of £350 by three ‘bullies’ after one of them threatened him with a powerful BB gun, a jury was told today.

Two girls and a man preyed on Wesley Parsons, 18, of Cirencester, because of his condition, which makes him a vulnerable target, Julian Kesner, prosecuting, told Gloucester Crown Court.

Amelia Newton, 19, of Reidspeace, Purton, near Swindon and 18-year-old Kerry Craig of Poplar Avenue, Pinehurst, Swindon have both denied robbing Mr Parsons of the money on January 2, 2014, saying they played no part in the incident, despite being present.

It is alleged Wesley was pressurised by the trio into going into a Cirencester bank with them to withdraw the money and then hand it over.

Mr Kesner alleged they committed the robbery jointly with Ryan Murray, 19, of Springfield Road, Cirencester, who is awaiting sentence for his part in the robbery.

He told the jury: “It is the prosecution’s case that Wesley, who was diagnosed with Asperger's at the age of 13, was robbed by three bullies.”

He said that at the time of the robbery Wesley’s motorbike was damaged and he believed Murray was responsible.

He said on January 2 Wesley was exchanging Facebook messages with Newton, whom he knew, and she told him she knew a girl who might be interested in him.

She offered to meet him at Peter Hammond’s garage when he went there later that day to have his motorbike repaired, and she said she would introduce him then to the girl.

But, said Mr Kesner, when Wesley got there he saw that Newton had arrived with Murray and Craig.

“Ryan Palmer is trouble for Wesley and he was the last person he wanted to see,” Mr Kesner said.

“He tried to ignore them and after having his bike repaired he rode into Cirencester and went to Sports Direct to buy himself a new bag. When he came out the three defendants approached him not as friends but as bullies and so the robbery began.

“Murray accused Wesley of stealing his iPad. Wesley said no he hadn’t. Ryan then said ‘Let’s go for a walk.’

“Wesley is socially awkward because of his condition. He didn’t want to go for a walk but he just didn’t have the gumption to walk away from them and instead he walked with the three defendants.

“They escorted him into the Abbey Grounds. The first person to mention money was Kerry Craig who said ‘When are you going to give Ryan the tenner you owe him?’ Ryan then said ‘It’s not £10, it’s £350 he owes me because he stole my iPad.

“Wesley didn’t like what was being said. He was scared and confused – which is what the three of them wanted. Amelia Newton then grabbed him by the coat while Ryan Murray got a gun out and stuck it into Wesley's lower back.

“It was a BB gun and he then pointed it away from Wesley and fired it.

“It was powerful and he fired it to show Wesley how powerful it was. It was done to scare him and it did.”

Mr Kesner said the trio took him into the Lloyds bank branch in Cirencester with Murray and Newton escorting him to a cashier where they said he needed the £350 to pay for a puppy.

Wesley did not have the confidence to contradict them and he drew out the money and handed it over, said Mr Kesner.

The trio then let him go, telling him not to grass on them. But they had miscalculated because he immediately rode his motorcycle to a police station and reported the robbery. The three defendants were later arrested.

Mr Kesner said both Newton and Craig admitted being present but said they played no part in the robbery.

  • The trial continues.