A 21-YEAR-OLD man who brandished a large knife inside a bank and demanded money has been sectioned by a judge at Oxford Crown Court.

Lewis Bates, of Tavistock Avenue, Didcot, admitted attempted robbery and possessing a blade in a public place on March 31 this year.

On Friday, prosecutor Rachel Drake said that police were called to the Santander bank in Broadway, Didcot, at about 10.35am.

She told Judge Patrick Eccles that Bates walked into the branch and approached the counter, where assistant manager Matthew Fullbrook was working.

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The barrister said the defendant produced a large kitchen knife, leaned over the counter and shouted: “Put some money in my account.”

She said Bates then walked out of the bank like nothing had happened.

When officers arrived to arrest him, he was sat waiting outside and dropped the knife when they told him to stand up, the barrister added.

Miss Drake said Bates seemed to believe the bank owed him a “substantial amount of money” from work he had done for it as a much younger person.

She said: “When he’s unwell, he thinks he has a grievance with the bank.”

She said that two psychological reports had identified Bates as suffering from a mental illness, but he did not say in court what it was.

Jon Swain, defending, said a bed had been found for his client at the Littlemore Mental Health Hospital in Oxford, so he could receive treatment.

He said: “This was a very sad episode and it is good to see the defendant is making progress in his treatment.

“It is also sad for the people who were present at the scene, that it was necessary for something like that to happen for him to receive such treatment.”

Judge Eccles made Bates subject to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act and said he hoped he would also receive community treatment when he is discharged.

He told the defendant: “This was a very frightening incident for those present, but you were obviously very unwell at the time.”

Bates was also made subject to a restraining order to keep him away from Mr Fullbrook.

 

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