22-year-old Devonshire man plotted to rob a taxi driver.

The revelations followed testimony by Leon Trott regarding how he had his neck slashed -- landing him in King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for five days.

Vincent Burch has denied being involved in the September 1, 1996 incident which resulted in Mr. Trott sustaining two cuts to his throat.

The four-man, eight-woman jury was told by Crown Counsel Philip Storr that they were to only consider one of four charges against Burch.

Burch was charged with attempted murder, two counts of wounding and robbery.

But Mr. Storr said that the other person involved in the case, Steadman Clark, had taken responsibility for wounding Mr. Trott, only leaving the robbery charge.

Clarke, currently serving a two-year prison sentence for his part in the matter, told the Court that Burch came up with the idea to rob a taxi driver about two weeks before the incident.

"One day Mr. Burch implied that we needed to get some money and he said that we could get some by robbing a taxi,'' he said. "He talked about it again a few days before.'' Clarke said the pair went out the night before the attack and he said that Burch said to him: "We need to rob a taxi tonight.'' Around 5 a.m. the men started to make their way home and decided to catch a taxi.

Clarke said he was in the process of calling a cab from a pay phone on Victoria Street, near the junction of Court Street, when a grey six-seater passed.

The men stopped the taxi and Burch climbed into the front seat while Clarke got into the back seat.

"Burch was suppose to sit in the front and I was suppose to sit in the back,'' Clarke said.

He told the jury that Burch gave Mr. Trott directions and once the taxi got to Palmetto Road, near Fat Man's Cafe, Burch directed Mr. Trott through a series of turns until they got to a narrow road.

Clarke, who was sitting behind Mr. Trott, said he then reached forward with a knife.

Mr. Trott told the Court that he heard a noise which sounded like a switch blade just prior to being wounded.

"The person behind me grabbed me by my chin and pulled my head back from the left,'' Mr. Trott recalled. "He cut my throat with his right hand.

"I said `hold up, the money's right here' and I patted my left pants pocket.

He said he immediately assumed that the pair were trying to rob him: "Why else would they cut my throat? "I was cut again and at that time I grabbed his right hand,'' Mr. Trott added. "I didn't know if he was going to cut me again.

"While I was trying to control the man's hand, the person in front went into my pants pocket.'' Mr. Trott estimated that he had about $270 in his pocket.

He said that both men fled the taxi on foot immediately afterwards.

Clarke told the Court that the pair ran back to his Devonshire home and claimed that he did not know how seriously he had cut Mr. Trott.

Under cross examination by Mark Pettingill, representing Burch, Clarke said he did not know if Burch had taken any money from Mr. Trott since he did not have a clear view of Burch.

He also said he lied to Police during his first statement in a bid to protect Burch.

"The only reason I gave this first statement was because Burch asked if I could say he wasn't involved,'' he claimed. "I said I would if he agreed to help my baby's mother. He agreed and that's why I made the statement.'' During the statement, Clarke did not implicate Burch of any wrong-doing.

He said he decided to tell "the truth'' because "no help had come to my baby's mother''.

Throughout cross examination, Clarke maintained that it was Burch's idea to rob a taxi driver.

While under cross examination by Mr. Pettingill, Mr. Trott said neither men had asked him for money but denied suggestions that Burch jumped out of the taxi when Clarke produced the knife.

And he admitted that clothing produced by Mr. Pettingill, allegedly worn by Burch at the time of the incident, had no blood on them.

During a Police statement, read in Court by Det. Con. Cheryl Watts, Burch said that it was Clarke who spoke of robbing a taxi driver.

"I joked around and said yeah, I need the money, but then I said it was wrong,'' Burch said.

The trial continues today before Puisne Judge Norma Wade.