A CROWN court judge had to put off sentencing Swindon burglar David Evans after he was not brought to court from prison.

The 24-year-old is on remand at Horfield Prison in Bristol after admitting five burglaries and a theft when he appeared before magistrates.

But the authorities at the prison failed to send him to Swindon Crown Court because they had been given the incorrect roll number for him.

Evans, who has a history of offending and drug abuse, has admitted breaking into the same house in Gorse Hill four times over an eight-week period.

He also raided another house in Rodbourne as well as stealing a £600 bicycle in a separate incident.

At an earlier hearing Evans, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to three burglaries and theft and asked for two further burglaries to be taken into consideration.

Rob Ross, defending, said that it transpired that when the prison received the request to produce his client they had an old roll number.

Adjourning the matter to Monday May 22, Judge Tom Longbotham asked for the governor of the prison to explain what had gone wrong to avoid such a situation taking place again.