A MAN who pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery has been remanded in custody after failing to carry out a psychiatric appraisal ahead of sentencing.

Ian Noble was accused of grabbing a woman from behind and demanding she hand over her mobile phone as she walked through an area of Darlington in October last year.

The 44-year-old, formerly of Thorter Row, Dundee, but who now lives in Darlington, pleaded guilty when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court in June charged with attempted robbery.

His sentence was adjourned for a pre-sentence report and was again adjourned last month to allow time for a psychiatric report to be carried out.

At a hearing yesterday, another adjournment was requested as Noble had missed his appointment with the doctor.

However, Judge Deborah Sherwin told Noble that he would be remanded in custody to ensure that a psychiatric report is carried out before sentencing.

The court heard that Noble suffered from OCD and had missed the appointment after turning to alcohol after he lost his temporary job working in Dundee.

However, the judge was unmoved by the plea.

She said: "I will adjourn for reports but only if he is remanded in custody.

"The victim of this crime deserves to know what the outcome of this case is."

Addressing Noble directly, the judge said: "I'm prepared to grant the adjournment for a psychiatric report but I'm not prepared to grant you bail – I'm going to remand you in custody while the report is prepared."

Noble will be sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on October 10.