Defence lawyer in the trial of a 31-year-old Pembroke man, who allegedly attempted to snatch a visitor's handbag, said the victim and her husband had no other choice than to think George Brown was the snatcher.

In his summation this week, Mr. Larry Scott said that English couple James and Peggy Richardson had time to think about what happened and what the handbag snatcher looked like when they returned to England after the incident on May 30 last year.

"However, they only saw the person for a fleeting moment, and when they came to court they had no choice but to think that the person sitting in the dock was the same person who attempted to steal the handbag,'' Mr. Scott said.

He added: "Mr. and Mrs. Richardson should have been brought back earlier to look at an identification parade.'' Brown, of Stovell Bay Road Pembroke, denies attempting to steal a handbag containing a purse, credit cards, and a $100 in cash.

He also pleaded not guilty to wilfully and knowingly making a false report to Police.

Earlier the Richardsons told the court that they had been walking along Woodbourne Avenue at about 11 p.m. on May 30 when a man on a bike, who they identified as Brown, rode up to them and grabbed the purse.

But Brown told the court that on the night of the handbag snatching he was out drinking with friends.

He said that after parking his bike on Front Street and going into a club he misplaced his keys and took a taxi home as he had had a few too many to drink.

The next morning when he went to get his bike, it was gone.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Kenrick James said: "Mr. and Mrs. Richardson would have a more accurate account of the events that took place.

"Both of them identified Brown as the person who attempted to snatch the handbag, while he was sitting in the dock.'' Sgt. James also said that the couple should know who attacked them as "the event was more unforgettable for them.'' A judgment will be handed down by Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis on February 27.