A jury heard a man accused of being involved in a £5k Norwich betting shop robbery thought he had been dropping off men involved in drugs.
Christopher Passley, 50, has gone on trial at Norwich Crown Court having denied conspiracy to commit robbery at the Betfred bookmakers on London Street, Norwich.
The jury of seven men and five women have heard a total of £5,435 was taken in the knife-point raid on July 1 2018.
The court has heard Passley had "hatched a plan" with Meriel Hayes, who worked at the bookmakers at the time, "to set it up" and had been "the getaway driver".
On Tuesday (November 15) the jury heard an interview Passley gave to police following his arrest.
Passley, from Nottingham, told police Hayes, who was his friend, had helped pay for the hire of the car.
He said he was called by Hayes who asked him to "do a favour".
She asked if he could "pick up my cousin and one of his friends".
He said that he had driven from Ipswich to Norfolk to pick up the men.
He told officers he collected them up at a garage in Long Stratton and had thought it had been something to do with picking up drugs but insisted he "didn't know them".
He later drove them back to Ipswich and dropped them at a pub.
Hayes called him to check he had got them back before coming to see him in a pub in Ipswich the next day.
He asked her why she was not at work and she said "my shop got robbed last night" adding that she was "traumatised" but was "smiling".
She showed him a text with a picture of the man who had been involved in the robbery and who he picked up.
He asked "if she knew about it" and she smiled.
Passley, who had been paid £200 by her for taking the men, said: "I said 'why did you do that to me?'"
"I was furious, I was so upset"
He told officers "I didn't know anything about the robbery".
They said he knew he was involved in dropping someone off who was involved in a robbery.
He said: "No".
The court has heard Hayes, 43, formerly of Beverley Road, Norwich, has admitted conspiracy to rob.
A trial is being held in Passley's absence as the defendant has not appeared in court.
The trial continues.
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