A judge has put off passing sentence on a bungling bag snatcher who carried out a daylight robbery in a town centre park after hearing he had twice tried to kill himself.

Ryan Strickland dropped his own mobile phone after snatching a bag from a man as he walked through Queens Park in Swindon.

But after hearing the 24-year-old Chippenham man had made two suicide attempts in the past few months a judge released him on bail so a psychiatric report can be made on him.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court how victim Darren Arthur and his wife were walking home on Friday November 14 when they went through the park.

She said the couple had just bought a drill and DVD from Cash Converters and Mr Arthur had then in a carrier bag shortly after 2.30pm.

They spotted a group of youths in the park and as they approached the exit on the Drove Road were aware two of the youths were following them.

As they got to the gate one of the youths grabbed him in a bear hug while the other threatened him with a bottle he had been drinking from.

Strickland, who had grabbed Mr Arthur, then pulled at the bag and seeing the bottle let got of the bag.

As he released his grip he lashed out at the robber and, unknown to Strickland, knocked his mobile phone from his pocket.

Miss Marlow said the two robbers looked into the carried bag then threw it back and walked off.

She said Mr Arthur called the police and they tracked him down as his mobile was registered to his home on Patchway, Chippenham.

Officer went to arrest him and found a light blue padded jacket matching the one the victims described him wearing during the attack.

When he was questioned he remained silent, Miss Marlow told the court.

Strickland, formerly of Patchway but now living at Springers House, Devizes, pleaded guilty to robbery.

Rob Ross, defending, said his client was seeing a community psychiatric nurse at the Green Lane Hospital and asked for a psychiatric report to be carried out on him.

He said “This boy has made two proper attempts to kill himself within the past five months.”

Judge Charles Wade agreed to the report saying “I don’t think I can stand in the way of that.”

But he said “This is an offence which almost always merits a custodial sentence. I can’t for the moment say that it would not be immediate custody in your case.

“It is important that the court is fully aware of your circumstances particularly what is said in the report.”

He released him on conditional bail to Friday July 17 when he is due to be sentenced.