A MAN will stand trial in the crown court facing a sexual assault charge.

Antonio Zavettieri, currently living at Booth House, came before magistrates sitting in Swindon on Monday where he denied the allegation of sexual assault against a woman dating from June 21 last year.

Speaking through an Italian interpreter he admitted pleaded guilty to a separate charge of failing to answer police bail on July 9 of last year and to being in possession of a knife in a public place on June 23 of this year.

The court heard after the allegation was made against the 50-year-old by the woman he had been required to check in with police. But after receiving a call from his native Italy saying a relative was very ill, he left Swindon and returned home. He didn’t come back to Swindon until February of this year.

Last Thursday he came to the attention of police once again when he was caught creating a disturbance outside Culvery Court, where he had been staying.

Michelle Hewitt, prosecuting, told the court that Zavettieri had been drunk and was banging on the windows to be let back in. When he was taken into custody he was found to have a black-handled kitchen knife with a three-inch blade in his possession.

Defending him, Catherine Thornton explained that her client had been in his room cooking when he decided he wanted to go for a walk.

“As he had previously been beaten up on the street, as a gesture of protection he absent-mindedly put the knife into his pocket thinking he could use it if he needed to. There wasn’t any need.”

Chairman of the bench Geoff Earl told Zavettirei that he ran the risk of facing a custodial sentence for the possession of the knife and ordered a pre-sentence report be prepared on him.

He adjourned sentencing Zavettirei until July 18 and released him on conditional bail to work with the probation service to compile the report, and to surrender his passport at Gablecross Police Station.

Hearing that he would require his passport for a construction exam that would help his prospects of gaining a job, Mr Earl ordered that he would be able to collect the passport from the station on the morning of the exam and return it by the end of the day.

For the matter of the alleged sexual offence, he will next appear in the crown court on July 29.