A ROBBER who struck three times in five months boasted he’d “proved right” claims he’d “go on a crime wave”

Appearing before the magistrates’ court last month after being remanded by police on the robbery allegations, James Cherry told magistrates: “I told them [the probation service] if they let me out I’m going to go on a crime wave so I proved them right.”

The extraordinary boast can now be reported after 27-year-old Cherry, of no fixed address, admitted three counts of robbery, three other thefts from shops and two counts of criminal damage.

He also stands to be sentenced for causing grievous bodily harm after he was found guilty last month of a wounding charge. Jurors heard he had left a woman sat in a pool of her own blood after striking her in her own home after a party on April 21, 2019. Cherry claimed he’d acted in self-defence.

Appearing before Swindon Crown Court on Friday morning via video link from Bullingdon prison, Cherry pleaded guilty to eight charges of robbery, theft and criminal damage.

But he made his displeasure known when Judge Jason Taylor QC announced he planned to adjourn the case until December for a pre-sentence report. That report will consider whether Cherry was so dangerous he should be made subject to an extended sentence.

“I don’t work with probation so I don’t know what they’re going to help with,” he said.

“They don’t really work with me. I don’t work with them.”

Judge Taylor shot back: “I’m not asking for a report because I’m considering some order in the community. I’m asking for a report to consider whether or not because of these robberies with weapons I should find you dangerous. If I do find you dangerous that’s bad news for you.”

Cherry was remanded in custody to appear before the court on December 9 for sentence.

The man robbed cigarettes and cash from a McColls shop on June 13.

In late September and early October he went on a spree. It began on September 21. He stole £750 worth of fragrance from Lloyd’s Pharmacy in Royston Road, Park South, also damaging a plastic display stand. On the same day he stole tobacco from the One Stop store in Lawns.

Cherry was at Superdrug in the Parade, Swindon town centre, on September 29 – stealing four bottles of Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances. He robbed almost £720-worth of cigarettes from an Esso garage on the same day.

On October 1, he robbed the Pop-in shop, Cavendish Square in Park South, of £600 cash. The following day he damaged property belonging to Wiltshire Police.

He was charged and put before Swindon magistrates on October 3, when he reacted to news that he would be remanded in custody by saying “brilliant” before adding “lovely jubbly”.

On Friday, Swindon Crown Court heard Cherry had a previous conviction for robbery in 2011.