A BOURNEMOUTH dad accused of violently robbing a 78-year-old man in his own home has told a court he did not enter the property.

Michael Seddon, 22, told Bournemouth Crown Court he waited in a lane near Leonard Langdown’s remote Bloxworth farmhouse while he believed others were carrying out a burglary at an unoccupied property.

But he denied any knowledge of the alleged ordeal suffered by Mr Langdown and said he was shocked to read about it in a newspaper afterwards.

Seddon, originally of Bootle, Merseyside, told the court that in the year leading up to the incident on March 24 this year, he had been the subject of threats and had been told he would be kidnapped by members of the travelling community.

He said he had been told “there was £30,000 on my head” after he was arrested in April 2010 on suspicion of assaulting a traveller – he was released without charge.

Father-of-one Seddon said he was told by a man on March 24 the threats would be lifted if he “did him a favour” and acted as a lookout and collected items from a burglary.

He said he agreed and spent two-and-a-half hours in the lane before items were placed in the boot of his car. He told the court he then drove to West Howe, where the items were transferred into another vehicle.

Seddon, Samir Lammali, 21, of Alton Road, Bournemouth, Jake Borland, 21, of Beswick Avenue, Bournemouth and Caleb Holland, 43, of Bedford Road South, Poole, all deny robbery.

Seddon, Borland and Lammali are said to have subjected Mr Langdown to a horrific ordeal during which they beat him and threatened to cut off his fingers and stab his dog to death. Holland is not said to have been present at Mr Langdown’s home, Snailsbreach Farm.

A fifth man, Ryan Dear, 21, of Frensham Close, Bournemouth is accused of handling stolen goods. He denies the charge.

The jury has heard a total of 17 shotguns, two rifles, £4,000 in cash and a Toyota pick-up truck were stolen. Guns were later found at Kinson Common and at a house in Moore Avenue, Bournemouth.

The trial continues.