Plan to steal £10k in torture plot is denied
A former lover confronted a Nigerian man in his home after discovering he had taken out a loan and false driving licence in her husband's name, a court has heard.
Chito Adichie said she gone round to the flat in West Bromwich with two other men because she was scared Uche Ogweugbu would molest her.
Adichie, aged 37, of Churchill Walk, Tipton, has denied being behind a plot to steal £10,000 in cash from Mr Ogweugbu using torture.
Mr Ogweugbu had previously claimed he was beaten, had a knife held against his neck, was tied up and had boiling water poured over his feet and legs following an ambush in his flat on November 9 last year.
Michael Spence, aged 26, of Tame Street, West Bromwich, Isaiah Ambersley, aged 44, of Shrubbery Avenue, Tipton, and Adichie all deny charges of robbery, false imprisonment and assault causing grievous bodily harm.
Adichie claimed at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday, Mr Ogweugbu owed her £4,200 following their "fling" and had agreed to give some of the money back to pay for treatment for her sick mother in Africa.
She said she had also gone to the flat to pick up her belongings, which included African clothing and jewellery, as well as to confront him about the driving licence and loan.
Mr David Swinnerton, prosecuting, accused Adichie of setting up the ambush and claimed CCTV images showed all three defendants leaving the flat after nearly two hours with watches, jewellery, mobile phones, a laptop and £10,000 in cash.
He said: "You received a letter from the bank that said Mr Ogweugbu had taken out a loan for £10,000.
"You received the letter on October 28. That's why you were so keen to go round on November 9.
"You knew he had the money and you wanted to steal the money."
Adichie said the information was "incorrect" and she had only asked for help from Spence and Ambersley because she believed Mr Ogweugbu still wanted to sleep with her.
She said: "I was scared of him, not scared that he would kill me but scared that he would molest me."
Adichie said she had no idea how Mr Ogweugbu had ended up with his injuries and claimed he had hit Spence with the back of his hand in the flat, causing his nose to bleed.
The trial continues.
