A Shropshire coal merchant told a court of his terror as two masked men allegedly burst into his bedroom in the middle of the night and jumped on him while he was in bed.

Robin Wilkinson took to the witness stand to give evidence at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday. The court heard more than £1,000 in cash, and jewellery belonging to his 80-year-old mother Irene Wilkinson and an ornamental elephant were taken in the raid at his home in Wellington Road, Muxton, Telford, in the early hours of November 5 last year.

Anthony Wiggan, 23, of Spring Hill Crescent, Madeley; Jolan Hall, 20, of Mannerley Lane, Overdale; Delroy Wiggan, 20, of Glendale, Lawley; and Nythan Hadley, 24, of Parkdale, Hadley, all deny robbery.

Mr Wilkinson, 59, told the court he had been in a relationship with Hall’s mother Anna that ended seven years ago.

But he told the court he was still in contact with the family and was “100 per cent sure” one of the attackers was Hall.

Mr Wilkinson said he heard one of the men say “come on, let’s go boss” as they left the house.

“I know Jolan used to say that, he used to call me boss,” he told the jury.

He alleged he had earlier suffered an ordeal at the hands of Hall and Anthony Wiggan.

“I heard a thump but thought it was just my mother going to the toilet,” he said.

“But then the door opened and I saw two shadowy figures. They came into my bedroom and jumped straight on top of me.”

He claimed the two men forced a pillow over his face before throwing him on the floor and hitting him with a broken table leg.

Mr Wilkinson claimed the pair trashed his room and eventually found more than £1,000 in cash stashed in a suitcase on top of his wardrobe.

Footprints found in the dining room of the house matched those of trainers later found in Anthony Wiggan’s bedroom, the court was told.

The pair are alleged to have escaped in a car driven by Delroy Wiggan.

The jury was told that the three men had been seen drinking in a pub in Oakengates earlier that night and picked up a fourth man, Hadley, before allegedly committing the offence.

The trial continues.