A SWINDON man is so ill in hospital that he will be unable to attend court to answer charges of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Magistrates sitting in Swindon heard today that Jacob James Quinn, 22, of Langstone Way, Westlea, was not in court to answer the charges because he was in Fromeside Hospital in Bristol.

Solicitor Gordon Hotson, defending, told the court that Quinn was “very, very ill indeed” and subject to a full hospital order and was unlikely to be released for many years.

Quinn was due in court to answer four charges of possessing extreme pornographic images and a separate charge of theft.

He was charged that on August 2, 2015, in Swindon he possessed the extreme images depicting a corpse and animals.

The final charge was that on July 4, 2016, at Swindon, he stole a purse containing a NatWest debit card, a driving licence, two loyalty store cards and £80 cash.

Mr Hotson told the magistrates that although Quinn was not fit to plead the Crown Prosecution Service had decided to proceed with the charges. The only way for Quinn to appear in court was via a video link, Mr Hotson said.

The magistrates ordered that the case should next be heard in Chippenham on Thursday, December 15.