TWO men have appeared before the courts charged with robbery and blackmail.

Yunis Sharif, 23, of Marlowe Avenue, Walcot, is said to have robbed another man of watches and a sword on April 26.

It is also claimed he blackmailed the robbery victim.

His co-defendant, Taylor Edwards, 23, of Sanders Close, Stratton, has been charged with the attempted robbery of watches and a sword.

Appearing before Swindon Magistrates’ Court yesterday, the men entered no pleas to the charges.

Magistrates granted both men unconditional bail to appear before Swindon Crown Court on Friday, October 4, for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

An indictable-only offence, blackmail cases can only be dealt with at the crown court.

There are no sentencing guidelines for the offence.

However, the maximum sentence those convicted of blackmail can expect to receive is 14 years imprisonment.