A Bolton man who robbed a shop must wait longer to find out what his punishment will be after he was unable to be brought into court.

Akhter Bagasi targeted a store on Blackburn Road in October last year.

He robbed seven packets of cigarettes, one lighter and a pipe.

The 42-year-old, who has admitted two counts of robbery, was due in Bolton Crown Court to be sentenced this week.

Bagasi was due to appear from HMP Forest Bank over a video link to learn his fate.

However this was unable to go ahead due to threats being made against him in prison.

David Farley, defending, told the court: “I went to log into Forest Bank for a pre-sentence conference.

“He wasn’t available.

“There has been some sort of threat to Mr Bagasi.

“They have thought it safe not to bring him out of his cell.

“He has been subject to some bullying.

“He is quite vulnerable.”

The court heard Bagasi, of Rose Avenue, Farnworth, has been in custody since being detained for the incident in October.

It was also told he had been made the subject of a community order for a previous offence at the time he carried out the robbery.

A probation officer told the court he had completed one rehabilitation activity day as part of this but had since disengaged with his mental health worker and stopped taking depot injections.

However they also said his mental health had stabilised while he had been in custody and there had been no positive drugs tests while he had been incarcerated.

Judge Nicholas Clarke KC adjourned the case in light of the prison’s inability to bring Bagasi through.

He ordered that he must be brought to court to be sentenced on Thursday, May 17.

HMP Forest Bank is the prison where most offenders from Bolton will be sent.

It is located on Agecroft Road, Pendlebury, and was opened in the year 2000.