A man accused of robbing a Paget woman spoke of his relief yesterday after he walked free from court.

A jury returned a not-guilty verdict in the trial of Neville James Woods, who denied stealing money from Emenita Kiernan.

The jury took just over two hours to accepted the defence case that Mr. Woods, 38, was looking for some "hustles", like washing cars or cutting grass, when he went to Ms Kiernan's house, on Southcote Road.

She claimed he stole money from her purse that was inside her parked car.

But Mr. Woods said he was drawn to the vehicle because it had food inside and he was hungry.

He added that the complainant then wrongly accused him of stealing, and the court heard he could not tell her he was there for hustles because she was screaming and in "no listening mood".

When she gave evidence in court, Ms Kiernan, 40, claimed that Mr. Woods picked up a rock but dropped it when she kicked out. He said he never picked up a rock.

The court heard the complainant chased Mr. Woods from her house to South Road, where he was later restrained by passersby.

He had $28 dollars in his pocket, the jury was told, money he said he got after washing a car for someone at the former Paw Paws restaurant the night before. There was between $7 and $50 in the purse, the jury heard.

When arrested by Police and told he would be charged with robbery, Mr. Woods asked: "What robbery?"

Earlier the trial heard how the complainant helped restrain the man she claimed robbed her on December 12 last year and told him ? "I'm the type of person that brings justice and you will not get away with this".

After the verdict in the three-day trial, Mr. Woods, of Dunscombe Road, told ; "I'm more or less relieved and I just want to give thanks to my lawyer Shade Subair for the excellent job that she has done."