Two brothers, aged 10 and 12, are standing trial after allegedly threatening to 'spill blood' with a Stanley knife during an attempted robbery in a skate park.

The boys, from Epsom, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Staines Youth Court today for the trial, having pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The 12-year-old was charged with threatening another teenager, aged 16, with a Stanley knife in a skate park in Long Grove Road, Epsom, and the attempted theft of a bicycle from another boy, 16, in the same location, during the school Easter Holidays in April.

His younger brother was charged with attempted robbery of the bike.

The court heard how there were a string of confrontations between the 12-year-old and various groups of other boy skaters in the park that day.

Mr Franks, prosecuting, said the 12-year-old approached a 16-year-old boy, who was skating with a group of friends, who he apparently threatened with a Stanley knife.

The court heard the boy then approached another group of boys, including Matthew Brook and Jonathan Murray, and started making provocative comments to them and again produced a knife.

It was alleged that he then left this group and then started speaking to another 16-year-old boy, who had been skating with friends.

Mr Franks said the older defendant approached the boy and asked if he could take his bicycle, which was unlocked and leaning against railings about 10m away. 

The court heard that after exchanging words he got the knife out of his pocket and, when the other teenager started to back away, he rode off on the bike, with its 16-year-old owner following, asking for its return.

At this point, it was said that two men, Matthew Brook and Jonathan Murray, arrived and spoke to boy, who handed back the bike, but again took his Stanley knife from his pocket, although he did not use it to threaten anyone.

Giving evidence from behind a screen, the 16-year-old who was allegedly threatened with the knife, said: "The [boy] said ‘stop laughing or I will spill your blood.  It will be all over the floor.  Do you think I’m joking?’"

He added: "I was really shocked, quite scared and quite nervous.  I didn’t realise that he was someone who would be carrying round a knife at his age."

Mr Brook said he and his friends were resting near the skate ramps when the older boy approached them and started "verbally antagonising" the group.

He said: "[The defendant] just went round the group trying to provoke a reaction from us, calling each of us different names saying ‘you’re gay, you’re black, you’re Hindu, you’re a paedophile’.

"A knife was produced during the name-calling."  

The children, who were given bail after being charged, sat together with their heads just visible above the wall of the dock.

Neither of them have previous convictions.

The trial continues.