An eye-witness to a burglary was threatened with having his legs broken if he gave evidence in court, a jury heard.

Ashley O'Mahoney told police he saw Simon Lander emerging from a communal door to flats in Windermere Court, Stourport-on-Severn, with an object hidden under his jacket.

He then discovered that the door of the flat immediately below his own in the block had been forced open.

A hi-fi system and speakers worth £50 were stolen from the home of David Lloyd while he was working out of the area, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Mr O'Mahoney failed to attend court as a witness to give evidence six months later and explained it was "due to threats". He changed his mind after police had talked to him.

He claimed Lander warned he would break his legs, ran at his car carrying a brick and blocked his car from leaving a cul-de-sac with another vehicle.

He also alleged that the defendant stood outside his mother's home up to ten times for up to two hours at a time.

Prosecutor Brett Stevenson said Lander admitted to police he had been in the area at the time of the raid but denied he was the burglar.

Lander, aged 24, of Burlish Crossing, Stourport, denies burglary and three counts of witness intimidation. Mr O'Mahoney said he had known Lander for 20 years.

He was parking his car when he saw the communal door of the flats unusually open.

Lander came out looking "a bit panicky" and eventually got into a car driven by a friend. But he allegedly approached Mr O'Mahoney at a football match two months later and made threats and turned up with a brick at a house Mr O'Mahoney was visiting.

On a third occasion, Lander was said to have "screeched to a halt" as Mr O'Mahoney tried to leave a cul-de-sac and he had to reverse to safety.

Michael Aspinall, defending, insisted Mr O'Mahoney complained to police because the former friends had fallen out.

He revealed that Mr O'Mahoney had been a heroin addict and had a record for drug possession, fraud and theft. He had also served a prison sentence.

The trial continues.