A PAIR of sisters will stand trial over claims they called a man – who was stabbed later that evening – a paedophile.

Mary and Megan Wright are said to have been part of a group that had congregated on Spring Gardens, near Swindon Borough Council’s offices, on August 13 last year.

They spotted Janusz Pielak, a 58-year-old Polish man, nearby. Prosecuting, Nick Barr said the Crown’s case was the two women said – wrongly - Mr Pielak was due before the courts the following day for molesting a 15-year-old girl.

“Some of the gentlemen in that group took exception to that,” Mr Barr said. Two men had stabbed Mr Pielak as he returned to his tent.

Appearing before Swindon Magistrates’ Court, Mary Wright, 23, formerly of Cheney Manor Road, and younger sister Megan Wright, 22, who gave a care of address of John Street, pleaded not guilty to a charge of disorderly behaviour causing Mr Pielak harassment, alarm or distress.

Magistrates granted the sisters conditional bail for the trial on April 9.

It follows the jailing of two men in December for stabbing Mr Pielak – slashing him in the arms and back.

Lee Sparks, 38, and Anthony Gardiner, 61, both of no fixed address were sentenced to 16 months and 19 months imprisonment respectively after they admitted causing grievous bodily harm.

Jailing the men, Judge Peter Crabtree said: “That, I have no doubt, is a just sentence.

In February, Sparks was stabbed in the chest by samurai sword-wielding friend Terence Ryan. The latter had accused Sparks of stealing his mum’s morphine from her home. Ryan, 40, was found guilty of GBH with intent and jailed for seven years and three months.