'Baldrick's' faked burglary

A broke restaurant manager tied himself up in a faked burglary compared by the man’s solicitor to “one of Baldrick’s cunning plans”.

Detectives spent more than 28 hours worth of their time investigating Rihal Noor’s claims he had been tied up and his rented home burgled.

This Is Wiltshire:

Rihal Noor outside Swindon Magistrates' Court 

Noor pleaded guilty to wasting police time and three weapons charges. Magistrates sentenced him to a 12-month community order and told him to complete 240 hours of unpaid work and up to 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He must pay £1,000 compensation to Wiltshire Police.

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Burglar's bus confusion

A burglar’s claim that the bus service from Salisbury could not have got him to court before 3pm was lampooned by a Swindon judge.

Dean Griffiths, 34, was hauled before Judge Peter Crabtree having failed to come to court in mid-October to be sentenced for stealing a bag from a house in Lord’s Lane, Chippenham.

Defending, David Maunder said that on the day he was due to attend Swindon Crown Court, Salisbury-based Griffiths had picked up a methadone prescription from the pharmacy at 9.30am and would have been unable to get to the north Wiltshire town before 3pm.

This Is Wiltshire:

Lords Lane, Chippenham Picture: GOOGLE MAPS

But that claim was dismissed as ludicrous by Judge Peter Crabtree.

Explaining to the defendant he would have to change at Devizes, Judge Crabtree said: “Anyone who knows the bus system knows they can get here within two hours.”

Griffiths was bailed to appear before the crown court on November 19 for sentence.

Judge Crabtree ordered a pre-sentence report but warned the burglar that he could face a spell in prison.

“Custody’s the starting point,” the judge said.

MORE COURT:Thug who used VW Golf to crush victim is jailed

MORE COURT: Judge slams 'chilling' efforts to cover up Calne murder

Punch left hole in cheek

An irate husband punched a taxi driver so hard in the face it left a hole in the victim’s cheek big enough for him to put his finger through it.

Shane Darbon was called by his wife, who has terminal cancer, complaining that she had been assaulted by the driver outside Melksham hospital on October 10. He fronted-up to the driver before hitting him in the face.

This Is Wiltshire:

The force of the punch against driver Adam Bujak’s teeth resulted in a small hole being left in his cheek. Mr Bujak likened the result to an atomic bomb going off in his mouth.

Medics at the Royal United Hospital in Bath needed 21 stitches to seal the cut.

Sentencing Darbon to an 18-month community order, Judge Jason Taylor QC described the injury as highly unusual.

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'Too ill' - but still able to walk out of NHS centre...

A shoplifter who was too ill to be sentenced was bailed by a Swindon judge to go to the NHS walk-in centre less than 400ft from the court building.

Complaining Anna Burns hobbled to the health centre accompanied by a probation officer last Monday.

This Is Wiltshire:

Burns (in black) walks into the NHS health centre on Islington Street

But she left within minutes after hearing she would have to wait 30 minutes to be seen by a nurse. She said she wanted to walk home to collect her phone charger then call an ambulance.

Burns, 33, had been due to appear before Swindon Crown Court a second time on Friday to be sentenced for a series of shoplifting offences that had put her in breach of a crown court suspended sentence.

When she failed to show up Judge Peter Crabtree issued a warrant for Burns’ arrest.