A SENTENCING hearing for a man who committed a vicious assault has been adjourned after he refused to get on the prison bus to court.

Liam Gregory, of Chedington Close in Canford Heath, has already admitted assaulting a young woman, occasioning her actual bodily harm, as well as having a carving knife and using it to threaten the same victim.

Despite his early guilty pleas, the case has been beset by delays and adjournments.

Last week, a judge ran out of time to hear the sensitive case due to the court's workload.

The hearing was relisted for Monday morning - the third time it had been due to take place.

However, the case was adjourned yet again when Gregory, 24, refused to get on the prison bus from HMP Exeter to Dorset.

He said he did not want to go to HMP Winchester after the hearing instead.

The victim has been to court with her family on each occasion to see the defendant sentenced.

Judge Peter Crabtree OBE said he would adjourn the case once more to allow Gregory time to reconsider or choose to appear via prison video link.

"If he doesn't turn up on the link, or refuses to leave his cell, I will most probably sentence notwithstanding," he said.

"He has been given the opportunity to attend."

Gregory attacked his victim in Waterloo, Poole on September 23 2018.

The woman suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the assault.

Judge Crabtree said: "By refusing to come here today, [Gregory] has put the victim and her family through the requirement of coming her again without a sentence for closure."

The judge warned: "The reality is, he does that at a cost.

"He needs to know that."

The sentence is due to take place on Thursday.