Here are the biggest court stories that have featured in the Stroud News and Journal, Gazette Series or Wilts and Glos Standard over the past few days.

A Cotswold man who sexually abused a 13-year-old girl over a four month period has been jailed for two years and eight months today.

Henry Scott, 24, of Bagpath, near Tetbury, pleaded guilty at Gloucester Crown Court to three charges of having penetrative sex with the girl, engaging in sexual communications with a child and possessing indecent images of the girl in all three categories of seriousness.

The court heard a statement from the girl, now 17, describing how Scott's abuse has left her suffering panic attacks, poor sleep and problems with concentrating on GCSE studies at school. She said she felt like a 'bomb had gone off' in her life.

FULL STORY: Cotswold man, 24, jailed for sexually abusing girl, 13

A judge who passed a jail sentence on a burglar quickly changed his mind when he realised there were no custody officers or cells available.

Sivuyile Mjali, 28, was initially told by Recorder Paul Garlick QC that he would be going to prison for eight months and that his offence was too serious for the sentence to be suspended.

But then Recorder Garlick was told there was no provision for taking anyone into custody at the 'Nightingale' Court where he was presiding in Cirencester.

Instead, the judge passed a suspended eight months sentence.

Mjali, of Mayfair Court, Observer Drive, Watford, had pleaded guilty to burgling a terrified woman's flat in Cheviot Close, Quedgeley, on September 21, 2019, as she cowered in bed, stealing keys, a bank card, pregnancy test kit and a gold watch.

FULL STORY: Burglar spared jail due to lack of provision at Nightingale court in Cirencester

A man has pleaded guilty to robbing the McDonald’s and Miss Millie’s restaurants in Yate.

Rudi Batten, 22, of Station Road, Yate, appeared at Bristol Crown Court last Friday and pleaded guilty on two counts of robbery, two counts of having an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and one count of possessing a knife or blade in a public place.

FULL STORY: Man, 22, admits robbing Yate McDonald’s with imitation firearm