A violent robber who attacked a man in a town centre park and snatched his bag from him has walked free from court.

Ryan Strickland grabbed victim Darren Arthur in a bear hug while an accomplice threatened the man, who had been shopping with his wife and stepdaughter, with a bottle.

Judge William Hart sitting at Swindon crown court told the 24-year-old “This was a frightening and unpleasant experience for Mr Arthur and his wife.

“People are entitled to feel safe in our town going about their everyday tasks.”

But the judge told the court that he hoped not jailing Strickland, who has a history of violent crime, would help stop him from re-offending again.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told how the thug was in a group of youths who had been drinking in Queens Park, Swindon.

He said a comment was made to his wife and as they approached the Drove Road exit they noticed two of the group were following them.

Strickland then grabbed Mr Arthur and pulled at the bag while the other man brandished the bottle he had been drinking from in an aggressive manner.

As he released his grip he lashed out at the robber and, unknown to Strickland, knocked his mobile phone from his pocket. The two robbers looked into the carrier bag then threw it back and walked off.

Mr Arthur called the police and they tracked him down as his mobile was registered to his home on Patchway, Chippenham.

There, officers found a light blue padded jacket matching the one the victims described him wearing during the attack. When he was questioned he remained silent.

Strickland, who now lives at Springers House, Devizes, pleaded guilty to robbery.

Rob Ross, defending, said his client had long-term mental health problems, having been diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Ritalin.

He said that he had not been convicted of anything else but cultivating cannabis since 2003 but head recently sought help for his mental health problems.

Mr Ross said: “He wants to change and the last eight months has shown us he is serious.”

Strickland could not remember any of the incident as he was drunk, he said, but he was hanging around with a group of people and the peer group pressure led to him committing the offence.

“It was several minutes, maybe less than that, of madness,” he said. Ross told the court it ‘really amounts to assault with loutish behaviour’.

Imposing a suspended sentence the judge said “The victims of your offence I suspect felt at the time and still feel that you should go to prison for what you did.”

He passed a 50 week term suspended for two years with 120 hours of community service and a Think First programme.