A MAN who flouted his bail conditions as he awaited trial for assaulting a female has been remanded in custody by a judge.

Kenny Dalgliesh had been ‘avoiding capture’ for 66 days leading up to his trial after failing to comply with a tagged curfew at his Eldene home.

But he changed his plea to guilty before a jury could be sworn in with what was branded ‘a strong whiff of seeing if the prosecution witnesses would turn up’.

When the 34-year-old admitted actual bodily harm prosecutors told Swindon Crown Court they would not seek a trial on the charge of threats to kill.

Dalgliesh, of Aymer Place, Eldene, admitted assaulting the woman on Sunday, November 4 last year.

Judge Douglas Field adjourned the case to Friday, June 20 to give the probation service time to compile a pre-sentence report.

Paul Trotman, defending, asked for his client to be released on bail despite accepting ‘He has been evading capture for breach of curfew’.

Judge Field refused and remanded him in custody, saying: “You have been in serious breach of your bail. There must be a substantial risk of custody in this case.”