A MAN will appear before a judge in the crown court next month charged with affray.

Kyle Coupe, 22, entered no plea to the charge dating from Saturday evening when he came before magistrates sitting in Swindon on Monday morning having spent the weekend in the cells.

The magistrates declined jurisdiction for the offence in which it is alleged he used unlawful violence against other people putting them in fear of their personal safety.

But the Walter Close resident did plead guilty to a separate charge of receiving stolen goods, despite having previously denied the charge.

The court heard that officers had spotted him and another man riding bicycles on Victoria Road at around 4.30pm on October 30 of last year. They became suspicious that the bicycle Coupe was riding may not be his and stopped him.

When questioned by them he maintained the bike belonged to a friend.

Police carried out further checks and discovered that the bicycle had been bought from Halfords four days earlier and that since then it had been stolen.

Defending him, Sambreen Arif told the court that although he had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge he had written to the court of his own volition to change his plea to guilty, despite having previously had no legal representation.

The magistrates ordered that he carry out 50 additional hours of unpaid work to an order he is already carrying out. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Ahead of his next appearance at Swindon Crown Court on May 20 for the charge of affray he was released on conditional bail to live and sleep at his home address, observe a curfew between 1am and 9am every day and not have any contact with the alleged victims.

He is also banned from entering Swindon town centre, save for court appearances.