Colchester assault trial: Dispute started over PlayStation, court told

Bibi Stone, 38, and Alex Potter, 32, are accused of attending an address in St John’s Avenue, Colchester, on the morning of Saturday, April 13.

Potter is said to have shouted, “Open up – you’re going to get it” before smashing the window of an address belonging to Lee Jackson.

Investigation - police were on the scene on Saturday, April 13 (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

It is alleged Mr Jackson armed himself with a cosh and opened the front door before Potter stabbed him with a knife he had taken to the scene.

He and Stone are accused of forcing their way into the flat and stealing a wallet, tobacco, and a jar of loose change.

On the opening day of the trial at Ipswich Crown Court, prosecuting barrister Lucy Sweetland told the jury how the two defendants had been in a dispute with Mr Jackson about a PlayStation he had sold to them some weeks earlier.

She said: “This involved selling a PlayStation – Mr Jackson had left it logged on in his name and money had been run up on it by the defendants, and he wanted them to pay it back.”

Mrs Sweetland continued by saying that during the altercation, Potter snatched the cosh off Mr Jackson and restrained him whilst Stone used the weapon to hit him over the head several times.

She said: “He was hit over the head repeatedly with his own cosh and one of the assailants stabbed him.”

Potter and Stone then left the address and walked into Southway underpass, and were observed by a traffic warden as they did so.

Mrs Sweetland said: “The defendants exited the property and walked past the traffic warden back up St John’s Street.

“Both had blood on their clothing.

“Stone was carrying a container of loose change which she threw on the floor when she got to the corner of the main road.

“They disappeared into an underpass.

Response - police were on the scene for several hours earlier this year (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

“Police subsequently intercepted the defendant not much further along – they arrested Stone but lost sight of Potter.”

She added Mr Jackson’s wallet had been dropped on the ground after the two defendants left the address, and that the same knife used in the attack had been discarded in a roadside salt bin.

Stone, of Tony Webb Close, Colchester, and Potter, of Deck Place, Colchester, both deny charges of grievous bodily harm, criminal damage, and burglary.

Stone took jug of money from flat 'to give to homeless'

A WOMAN told police she took a jug of loose change from inside a flat so she could give the money to the homeless.

Bibi Stone, 38, is accused burgling a flat in St John’s Avenue with Alex Potter in April.

Ipswich Crown Court heard on Monday how Stone told an officer in an interview she stole a jug of money belonging to Lee Jackson because “he didn’t deserve it”.

Lucy Sweetland, prosecuting, said: “She refused to tell officers who she had been at St John’s Avenue with.

“She said she had not seen Mr Jackson get stabbed at all and knew nothing about this, and was not sure how he sustained any injuries apart from being in a general scuffle.

“She denied going there with the intention of attacking him.

“She said she did take the jug so she could give the money to the homeless because she didn’t think Jackson deserved to have it.”

It is said Stone later threw the jug of loose change on the pavement.

Evidence was also read to the court relating to a series of texts exchanged between Mr Jackson and Stone, with the defendant sending a message which read: “I can’t wait to watch you squirm, you rat – you won’t be threatening me or my family after today.”

The trial continues.

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