Sentance delay over health test (From Gazette Series)

Sentance delay over health test

A PSYCHIATRIC report was ordered on Wednesday on bungling bag-snatcher Lee Orchard, 27, of Frederick Thomas Road, Dursley.

At an earlier hearing at Gloucester crown court Orchard admitted robbing 21-year-old Kerry Greenwold of shopping as she walked along Gloucester's Aldate Street on November 19.

Today he was due to be sentenced for the offence following the preparation of a pre-sentence report by the probation service.

But defence solicitor Joe Maloney requested a further adjournment on the grounds that the Gloucester prison psychiatrist, who had seen Orchard, felt one would be useful to the court.

A report could provide evidence which would allow the court to deal with Orchard by making an order under the Mental Health Act, said Mr Maloney.

Judge Carole Hagen complained that time could have been saved by a psychiatric report being requested at an earlier stage but she agreed to the application,

She remanded Orchard in custody for up to four weeks for a report to be prepared and told him he would be sentenced as soon as it is ready.

Orchard had protested from the dock at the length of the adjournment, saying he needed to be in a hospital ward being helped rather than locked up in a cell. s The judge reassured him: "You can come back to court as soon as the doctors have seen you and can come back to the court with the information.

"If that is next week it will be next week that you are sentenced. You won't stay in custody a day longer than is necessary."