A man jumped off his second floor balcony to escape armed robbers looking for gold in his home, a court has heard.

Former Kingston man Raphael Audain-Reason, 18, now of Mitcham Lane, Streatham, is charged with aggravated burglary.

The teenager, a former pupil at Southborough High School, is jointly charged along with Vitor Almeida, 18, of Stockwell Road, Lambeth, with aggravated burglary with an imitation firearm in Lavender Hill in Battersea on June 19 last year.

They both denied the single count when they appeared in Kingston Crown Court for the start of their trial today.

Alleged victim Edward Graham suffered a broken ankle as he fell to the ground from his flat balcony, the court heard.

His cousin who was visiting at the time also allegedly escaped the flat by climbing down a drainpipe.

Prosecutor Simon Sandford said: “Fearing for his life Mr Graham was so frightened that he ran to the balcony of this flat and jumped off the balcony.

“He recalled the men shouting ‘Where is it? Where is the gold? Where is the money?’ before he hit the ground.”

The court heard the defendants had come into the flat socially.

Mr Edwards asked them to pop to the shop to get some water for him - but when they returned and left again, the front door had been left open allowing a balaclava-clad man with a pistol to enter.

Mr Sandford likened it to that of a bank robbery where each person has their own role, such as a look-out, a getaway driver and the person taking the goods.

He said: “They all have different roles but they are all involved and they are all equally guilty.”

Jurors heard the victim had known Mr Almeida because he had visited his aunt who lived in the same block and stayed with her after his mother had remarried for a few months.

Mr Sandford said the pair had become friendly in recent months although Mr Edwards did not know Mr Audain-Reason very well.

The court heard the defendants had visited the flat the day before.

Following the burglary two mobile phones, keys, two bags containing documents, cards, a wallet, bank cards, money and Mr Graham’s daughter’s birth certificate, as well as a ring, were stolen.

The trial continues.