A JUDGE said he may be 'too lenient' when he jailed a knifeman who tried to rob a homeless woman.

Robert Lawrence first attacked his victim, pulling a Stanley knife on her, in Manchester Road in the middle of the night.

And after she managed to get away from him with the help of passers-by he attacked her again, punching her then threatening others with a catapult.

But, jailing him at Swindon Crown Court for two years and eight months, Recorder Gordon Bebb QC called the sentence 'a very short one' and said 'It may be too lenient'.

Lawrence, 50, launched the attack shortly after 1.30am on the morning of Saturday October 22 last year.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said the pair knew each other from sleeping rough in local car parks and the defendant approached the woman claiming she owed him £80.

Lawrence told her the debt had increased because she had 'wasted his time', before he grabbed her by the clothing and dragged her into an alley.

He bashed her into a wall, causing her to collapse to the ground, and said he would cut her up 'into small pieces', before producing the blade and holding it to her face.

When others intervened he left her alone saying 'I want that money by 8am in the morning or I will hunt you down and cut you up'.

A few minutes later she was walking close to the Jury's Inn hotel when he again approached her and demanded she hand over her phone, which she did.

He then slapped and punched her demanding more money, which she did not have, before people again stepped in to protect her.

As he walked away he was seen aiming a catapult at the people who were helping her, Mr Meeke said.

Lawrence, formerly of Hartford Close, admitted assault with intent to rob, actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon.

Richard Williams, defending, said his client had meant to be sentenced in January but left court after reading his presentence report.

He said he accepted he was facing a jail term for what he had done, though was trying to change his life in the time since.

After moving back to his family in Andover he said he had found a job as a ground worker having been at rock bottom at the time of the offending.

Passing sentence the judge said: "It is clear from the pre-sentence report that you take the view what you did was justified because you believed she had taken money.

"You do not hesitate to use violence if you think you have been wronged. You have previous of over 30 years of assault and dishonesty.

"It may bee too lenient but I will sentence you in total to four years. That is the start point. With the maximum discount of 33 percent you will in fact serve two years and eight months.

"The total sentence, which is a very short one given what you did there, is two years eight months."