A MAN who assaulted another man with an axe has been remanded in custody while a judge decides what to do with him.

Steven Haggis, 51, attacked the man at a hostel in Swindon in a row about the victim inappropriately touching him And when he went to the police station after he heard officers wanted to speak to him about the incident he had a knotted sock containing two snooker balls in his pocket.

Haggis sought out his victim in the garage area of the Bath Road establishment on October 3 when he knew no one else would be about.

He was armed with the axe and demanded the man apologise for what he had done or fight with him, a court heard.

The defendant then struck him with the blunt end of the axe, knocking out two of his teeth.

Haggis, formerly of Bath Road, had denied a charge of unlawful wounding but was convicted following a trial at Swindon Crown Court.

The jury had been told the victim had a reputation for touching men inappropriately; sometimes when he was drunk and other times when sober.

Haggis, who has a long history of serious crime, though nothing since he assaulted a police officer ten years ago, claimed he was acting in self defence.

But a jury rejected his claim and found him guilty following a trial last month.

Recorder Michael Vere-Hodge QC said he could not pass sentence until he had a full assessment as to his state of mind at the time of the offence and now.

He said: “I am going to put your case back so that I can get a further report from a psychiatrist to deal with the question as to whether you pose a risk and whether you come within the law that deals with defendants that are dangerous.”

The judge pointed out he had three previous offences for having a knife-like weapon, one of which was an axe, as well as armed robbery and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

He said Haggis had shown eccentric behaviour during the trial and he wanted to find out what made him tick.

Chris Smyth, defending, said of the offence: “It was a festering situation that was building up on itself, setting out on the background of abuse when he was younger.”

He said his client had lived at the Bath Road hostel for 20 years and there was a bed available for him there when he is released from custody.

Haggis had spent 155 days in jail on remand and Mr Smyth asked for him to be released on bail to live there while the reports are made on him.

When the judge said he must remain in custody Haggis said from the dock: “Don’t you like me? I have got no respect for you whatsoever and never will have.”