An elderly stroke victim was robbed in her hospital bed by two male intruders on the cancer ward at Bradford Royal Infirmary , a jury heard.

Christine Brown had the engagement ring she had worn for 52 years pulled from her finger and her mobile phone snatched from her bedside table.

Mrs Brown, who is in her 70s, shouted for help when a hand was put over her mouth by one of two men who entered her dimly-lit private room on Ward 15 at 6.30pm on January 7, Bradford Crown Court heard. Stanislav Jano, 24, of Marlborough Road, Idle , Bradford, is on trial denying a charge of robbery.

The jury was yesterday told that his alleged accomplice, Robert Ziga, 28, of Oak Villas, Manningham , Bradford, had pleaded guilty to the offence.

Prosecutor Martin Sharpe alleged the men were earlier caught on CCTV at the hospital “casing the joint.”

Mrs Brown, who had suffered two strokes, was admitted to the hospital on December 11. She had lower back pain and was unable to walk very far.

Although she did not have cancer, she was in her own room on the hospital’s cancer ward on the third floor. Her husband had visited that afternoon and left her with the light dimmed and the door ajar.

Mr Sharpe said Mrs Brown had been sleeping when she became aware of a man in her room. She thought it was her son and held out her hand. The man took it and said hello.

He helped himself to a mint from her bedside cabinet.

The man, who Mr Sharpe said was probably Ziga, then put his hand over her mouth and pulled off her ring.

Her phone was taken and Ziga and the other man, who the Crown say was Jano, ran off.

Mr Sharpe said they probably got out of the ward through the fire escape.

Mrs Brown was extremely upset, the court heard.

Two days later, the police went to a flat in Manningham and caught Ziga with Mrs Brown’s phone in his hand. Her ring was also recovered.

Jano, who was with him at the flat, at first made no comment to the police.

He then told officers he was at the hospital that day visiting a friend’s pregnant wife.

Jano said Ziga left him alone for a while and then ran downstairs and out of the building and he followed.

The trial continues.