A VIOLENT robber on remand for a knifepoint raid on a Swindon social club laughs in the face of justice as he lounges back with a can of lager in a picture uploaded to his Facebook page.

Dean McHugh added the shot to his profile last month, despite awaiting sentence for stealing cash from the Baize Club, in Park South, following a vicious assault on a volunteer key holder.

The 19-year-old appears in the picture under a banner on his page reading ‘go hard or go home’.

He has also posted a shot of a man appearing to snort cocaine in the shape of the Facebook logo.

The picture of McHugh shows him giving the thumbs up while lounging back on a chair. A comment left by one friend reads: “Free my Dawwwwwg!!!!!!” Another says: “Miss u loads deano xxx”

Although it is not clear where the picture was taken, it was uploaded while McHugh, of Hayden End, was on remand in October.

The robber was with an unknown accomplice last July when they threatened to stab a 47-year-old social club volunteer who was on his way home after securing the building.

The victim was punched and kicked and pinned to the ground before his keys were taken from his pocket.

The pair told him to stay quiet or they would stab him before marching him back to the club, in Horsham Crescent, in the early hours.

Once there, they got him to open the doors and disable the alarm before they went to the bar.

They then got him to open the safe, again saying he would be stabbed in the neck if he wasn’t quick. He was told to sit down in the bar area while they emptied the safe of about £315 in cash and also took the volunteer’s keys and mobile phone from him.

The pair then left him in the bar with blood pouring from a cut near his right eye.

McHugh pleaded guilty at Swindon Crown Court in March to the robbery and also admitted GBH and escape from custody. He is due to be sentenced at Teeside Crown Court on November 29.

New powers to block mobile phone signals in prisons are being considered in the House of Lords.

The legislation has the backing of the Government and will allow governors to use technology to disrupt phone use and stop criminal activity such as drug dealing and intimidation of witnesses.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Prisoners have no access to the internet and are barred from updating Facebook while serving their sentence, or asking others to do so from outside prison. If they do, their accounts will be terminated.”