A CIRENCESTER man caught by police after breaching his bail conditions will stand trial in front of magistrates after pleading not guilty to burgling a charity and business.

Craig Russell, 44, of no fixed abode, was apprehended on October 6 after he breached his bail conditions on September 22. Officers believe he removed his electronic tag.

He appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on Thursday where he was accused of burgling A2B Taxis and Cotswold Counselling in Sheep Street, Cirencester, on August 6.

Russell pleaded not guilty to both charges and was told he would return to Cheltenham Magistrates Court on November 30 to face trial.

Jo Wallis, prosecuting, said: “The police were called to reports of a break-in in both places.

“From Cotswold Counselling a cash box of £125 had been stolen and a post-it note had been put over a sensor. A fingerprint matching that of the defendant was found on that post-it note.

“The property stolen, although small, means a great deal to the people involved because they run a not-for-profit organisation.”

Cash was also stolen from A2B taxis.

Gemma Walsh, defending Russell, told the court that the post-it note could have been moved to the scene of the crime from somewhere else and that their forensic team would be looking into it.

However, the court was told the post-it note may have come from a pad inside the shop.

Russell has appeared in court on 97 occasions and due to his record of committing crimes on bail, magistrates agreed he should be remanded in custody until his trial.

Magistrate Dr Margie Doble told Russell that because the crime was relatively minor he could choose to be dealt with by a jury at crown court or in front of magistrates when all evidence had been assembled.

He chose to be tried by magistrates.