A Malmesbury man who has admitted carrying out an assault will still face a trial after disputing the circumstances of the incident.

Samuel Parker pleaded guilty to a charge of actual bodily harm when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court in July.

But the 21-year-old will have a trial of issue on Thursday, November 6 where a judge, sitting alone, will decide the facts of the incident after hearing evidence.

The defendant may represent himself at the hearing after a judge was told that his solicitors had come off the record as they were not being paid.

Parker had been due to appear before a judge on Monday for a hearing in advance of the trial, but failed to attend.

Judge Peter Blair QC said the court had an address for him in Athelstan Road in Malmesbury, which they had used to write to him about the hearing.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told the court she had some paperwork with an address in Basevi Close in the town.

The judge said he would be written to at both addresses informing him of the date of the trial.

She said the solicitors came off the record last month on the basis that they had had no contact from him and they had had no payment.

Parker admitted assaulting Peter Billett occasioning actual bodily harm on Saturday March 22 this year.