A man accused of assaulting three people – including two pensioners – moved home to help take care of his sick gran, a court heard today.

Kyrone Joseph, 23, of East Ham faces four counts of GBH, one count of wounding with intent and one count of unlawful wounding, at Snaresbrook Crown Court after three people were attacked in separate incidents in East Ham between May and June last year.

Joseph is alleged to have assaulted 75-year-old Patricia Beckford in Grangewood Street on May 16, a 71-year-old man in the same road on June 20 and a woman in Balaam Street on May 21.

The jury heard how the accused told officers during an interview shortly after his arrest that he had moved to Victoria Avenue, East Ham, from Harrow, “to stay with family” after his gran had fallen sick. He also said he knew nothing about the attacks.

The court heard that Joseph had moved to the area only a month before the three attacks took place.

Officers arrested unemployed Joseph in June last year after they noticed him walking along Green Street and matched him to the description of the wanted suspect, jurors were told.

CCTV footage also showed that Joseph had been wearing the same dark tracksuit bottoms with white stripes on the day of his arrest as the suspect who had attacked the elderly man.

Joseph denies all the charges against him.

The trial continues.