A man has confessed to robbing cigarettes on two different occasions on the same Bolton road.

Akhter Bagasi was brought before Bolton Crown Court accused of robbing the cigarettes, along with a lighter and pipe, on Blackburn Road last year.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and was told he will be brought back to court at a later date to learn his fate.

Addressing Bagasi, Judge Eliot Knopf said: “You will know from your previous involvement with the system that this will allow the probation services to find out more about you.”

The Bolton News: The case was heard at Bolton Crown CourtThe case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Brian Kennelly KC, prosecuting, set out the charges against Bagasi.

He was accused of robbing a man of four packs of cigarettes, a lighter and a pipe from a man on Blackburn Road, Bolton on October 27 last year.

Two days later he returned and took three packs of cigarettes worth £41.40 at the same place.

He was arrested soon afterwards and has been remanded in prison.

Bagasi, of Rose Avenue, Farnworth, had been due to face trial for his alleged crimes but, appearing before the court via video link from prison, decided instead to plead guilty to both counts of robbery.

Mr Kennelly told the court that he accepted Bagasi’s plea and was prepared to conclude the case by this spring, when he hoped the judge would be ready to pass a sentence.

He said: “It is very likely that this whole situation will be resolved for this defendant by then.”

David Farley, defending, said that his client accepted his guilty but asked the court to delay his sentencing to make sure that there was time for both a psychological report and a report by probation services to be prepared.

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Judge Knopf decided to allow a delay before sentencing to give time for these reports to be prepared.

He ordered that the case will be brought back to be reviewed later this year on April 6.

He added that if enough progress has been made by that point then Bagasi will learn his fate at a sentencing hearing just a few days later on April 11 this year.