Key Points
- Jerry Assongu, 42, of White House Road, Oxford, is on trial at Oxford Crown Court charged with affray over a disturbance at a bank in the city center.
- Prosecutors say Assongu stormed into the HSBC branch on Cornmarket Street and demanded “a trillion pounds” after an ATM swallowed his debit card.
- The court heard he drew a toy gun, pointed it at bank employees, and said “bang” at them.
- Witnesses said Assongu insisted staff address him as “a Lord” and asked for the employees’ personal details.
- Prosecutor Liam Gregory told the jury Assongu was having a mental health episode at the time, leaving jurors to decide if his conduct amounted to affray.
Oxford (Oxford Daily) September 23, 2026 — An “aggressive” customer allegedly brandished a toy gun, made threats to shoot bank staff, and demanded “a trillion pounds” during an outburst at an HSBC branch in Oxford city centre, a jury at Oxford Crown Court has been told. Jerry Assongu, 42, of White House Road, Oxford, entered the Cornmarket Street branch on November 28, 2023, where he launched into a tirade against staff after an automated teller machine swallowed his debit card. Assongu has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of affray, with the trial formally under way.
- Key Points
- What Evidentiary Statements Were Heard in Oxford Crown Court?
- How Did Bank Staff React During the Alleged Affray?
- What Key Issues Must the Jury Consider Regarding Mental Health?
- Background of the Particular Development
- Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Bank Workers and Frontline Retail Staff
What Evidentiary Statements Were Heard in Oxford Crown Court?
As reported by Liam Davies and regional court reporters of the Oxford Mail, prosecutor Liam Gregory read out a written witness statement provided by HSBC bank manager Sarah-Anne Turner during proceedings on September 22. In her statement, Ms Turner described the moment the disturbance began inside the busy city centre financial institution.
According to reports by the Oxford Mail, Ms Turner stated: “The incident involved a customer of ours who was being verbally abusive and very aggressive and brought out a gun, saying he was going to shoot us all. I was aware of other incidents which happened with him at the branch”.
The bank manager detailed how the confrontation escalated rapidly from a routine customer enquiry regarding a lost card into a frightening confrontation. As quoted in court documents cited by the Oxford Mail, Ms Turner recorded: “I could hear someone screaming. He (Assongu) was shouting that he wanted his business debit card. His behaviour was very concerning. He refused to answer any of my questions. He kept asking for my personal details. He said he wanted a trillion pounds”.
How Did Bank Staff React During the Alleged Affray?
As further reported by the Oxford Mail, Ms Turner’s statement highlighted the distress caused to employees working inside the Cornmarket Street branch when the fake firearm was produced.
In the statement presented to the jury, Ms Turner recounted: “I was trying to remain as calm as I could. He was shouting nasty comments at me. He was acting very erratically, not making much sense. He said he was a Lord and we should refer to him as such. He pulled out a gun, my heart dropped”.
Ms Turner further described the moment the weapon was displayed to employees: “I had no idea what he was going to do. I didn’t think it was a real gun. He pointed it at my staff and said ‘bang’, as if he was shooting. I seemed to be the focal point of his anger. He seemed happy the police were on their way. Armed police officers arrived and we let them deal with the situation”.
As documented in coverage by the Oxford Mail, Ms Turner concluded her statement by emphasizing the severity of the disturbance compared to standard daily workplace challenges: “We’re used to dealing with difficult and rude customers. However the levels he went to were way beyond what we have experienced before. I have never been in a situation like that before. It was a horrifying moment. Thankfully the situation ended peacefully”.
What Key Issues Must the Jury Consider Regarding Mental Health?
As reported by the Oxford Mail, prosecutor Liam Gregory addressed the jury directly concerning the defendant’s mental state at the time of the incident. Mr Gregory confirmed to the court that Assongu was suffering from a mental health episode when he entered the HSBC branch.
Addressing the panel, Mr Gregory stated: “He was clearly unwell at the time. You have to decide whether his conduct amounted to affray or not”. The court heard that the core legal issue for the jury is whether Assongu’s actions met the statutory definition of affray—defined under UK law as using or threatening unlawful violence towards another in a manner that would cause a person of reasonable firmness to fear for their personal safety.
Background of the Particular Development
This criminal trial stems from an incident on November 28, 2023, in Oxford’s retail center. Bank branches across the United Kingdom maintain strict protocol frameworks for handling instances of customer distress, aggressive outbursts, and suspected firearm incursions.
When an automated teller machine retains a customer’s debit card, internal bank procedures require verification steps before replacement or retrieval to prevent financial fraud. In this case, the automated retention of Mr Assongu’s business debit card served as the immediate trigger for the confrontation.
When threats involving suspected weapons are reported to emergency services in commercial areas, police protocols require the immediate deployment of specialist armed response units. Armed officers arrived on the scene at Cornmarket Street and arrested Mr Assongu without any physical injuries or shots fired. Following police inquiries and psychiatric evaluations, the Crown Prosecution Service elected to bring a formal charge of affray.
Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Bank Workers and Frontline Retail Staff
The legal outcome of this trial carries implications for public sector customer service personnel, bank employees, and retail workers across the United Kingdom.
Workplace Safety and De-escalation Protocols
Frontline banking staff regularly encounter stressed customers, but incidents involving physical imitation weapons highlight vulnerabilities in high-street commercial premises. A conviction or specific ruling regarding mental health defenses in public order offenses may prompt financial institutions like HSBC to review safety training. Expect banks to increase investment in conflict de-escalation courses, panic-button responses, and floor-management safety measures to safeguard branch workers.
Duty of Care and Employer Mental Health Support
The traumatic impact described by bank staff underlines the need for ongoing psychological support after acute workplace emergencies. Employers in retail banking will likely reinforce post-incident trauma counseling and workplace mental health provisions to manage staff retention and protect duty-of-care obligations following sudden threats of violence.
Legal Clarification on Public Order and Mental Health
For legal practitioners and court observers, the jury’s verdict will provide insight into how courts weigh acute mental health crises against public order offenses like affray. The outcome may influence how the Crown Prosecution Service assesses public interest considerations when deciding whether to prosecute individuals experiencing clear psychiatric episodes during public disturbance incidents.
