THE Crown Prosecution Service is to appeal against a decision taken by magistrates to release a defendant on bail pending his appearance at Swindon Crown Court next month.

Robert John Lawrence, aged 49, of Hartford Close, Swindon, appeared before Wiltshire Magistrates sitting at Swindon charged with blackmail, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, threatening a person with a blade in a public place, theft of a mobile phone and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

The offences are alleged to have taken place in the area of Manchester Road, on Saturday, October 22.

The blackmail charge is that Lawrence did, with a view to gain himself or another or with intent to cause loss to another, make an unwarranted demand of money to the value of £80 from Lexie Taylor with menaces.

He is further charged that on the same date in Manchester Road, he had with him an article, namely a bladed article, and unlawfully and intentionally threatened another person, namely Lexie Taylor, with that article in such a way that there was an immediate risk of serious physical harm to that person.

It is also alleged that on the same date he assaulted Lexie Taylor, thereby occasioning her actual bodily harm, and he stole a mobile phone belonging to her.

Because of the serious nature of the offences the case was committed to Swindon Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on November 25.

Prosecuting, Keith Ballinger made an application for Mr Lawrence to be held in custody until 25 November on the grounds of the seriousness of the offences and that he might contact witnesses and try to influence them.

Representing Mr Lawrence, Philip Hall argued that his client, a self-employed groundworker, currently unemployed, should be released on conditional bail.