An eccentric American said he was going to “crack some ribs” and asked three men to give his eggs and alcohol to charity, moments before he was allegedly chased into the path of a van that killed him, the Old Bailey heard.

The landlord of Hampton Court’s Cardinal Wolsey pub, Rostram Notarki, is alleged, on September 7, to have chased Charles Hickox, 53, to his death while wielding an ironing board.

Mr Hickox was asked to leave the Cardinal Wolsey pub earlier that evening and went to the nearby Mute Swan, where he sat with three men he had not met before, the court heard.

Femi Omomo had been at a nearby motoring show with two friends.

Mr Hickox, described as wearing blue sunglasses and having shoulder-length grey hair and a beard, as well as some cuts on his face, took out some eggs, a bottle of Jim Beam, a bottle of Bishop’s Finger beer and two tennis racquets from various carrier bags, Mr Omomo told the court this morning.

Mr Hickox told the trio he had left his credit card at the Cardinal Wolsey and might have to “crack some ribs” when he went back to get it. He then said if he did not return in 20 minutes they should give his belongings to charity, indicating the alcohol and eggs.

Mr Omomo said: “While he might have mentioned he wanted to crack some ribs, if we had looked at him and thought he actually wanted to do that we might have stopped him, but we did not think that was his intention.”

Mr Hickox took the tennis racquets and left the Mute Swan, and Mr Omomo said to his friends “if we hear sirens we will know that it’s him”, the court heard.

Mr Hickox returned to the Cardinal Wolsey and was allegedly chased into Hampton Court Road by the landlord, Rostram Notarki, following a row.

Mr Notarki was brandishing an ironing board as he chased Mr Hickox off the premises and into the path of the Mercedes van that hit him, the court heard.

He suffered severe injuries to the brain and was pronounced dead at the scene at about 8.33pm.

Mr Notarki, 53, denies manslaughter but admits he was involved with the removal of CCTV equipment overlooking the incident. His son, Kian, 19, and Mehrad Mohmadi deny a charge of perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.