A knifeman who meant to hand himself in to Swindon police station spent the night in an Oxfordshire cell after he fell asleep on the bus and missed his stop.

Alroy Stroud, 45, hopped on the bus intending to get off at Gablecross police station on the outskirts of Swindon. A warrant for his arrest had been issued by the town’s magistrates on October 20 after he left the court before his case was called on.

Mitigating, John Berry told Oxford Magistrates’ Court that his client had fallen asleep on the bus and missed the stop for Swindon police station. “I’m afraid the last stop is Oxford. He went down to St Aldates [police station] and surrendered,” he said.

Rather than drive him back to Swindon, Thames Valley officers kept him in a cell at Abingdon police station overnight and put him before the city magistrates on Wednesday morning.

Appearing in the dock wearing a grey tracksuit and black bandana, Stroud, of Sudeley Way, Swindon, pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.

Prosecutor Ann Sawyer-Brandish told the court that Stroud called 999 on June 16 reporting that he’d been robbed and had a knife.

When officers turned up at Spring Gardens in the town centre, heavily intoxicated Stroud approached the police car and handed over a flick knife.

He said that he had gone out with £50 to buy some cannabis but was robbed of the cash. He carried the knife for his own protection, he told police.

A previous conviction for possession of a knife meant he was subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of six months’ imprisonment.

The magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report and bailed him to attend Swindon Magistrates’ Court on December 8.

Oxford Mail: Alroy Stroud meant to get off the bus at Gablecross police station on the outskirts of Swindon but fell asleep and ended up handing himself in to police in Oxford - 27 miles away Pictures: GOOGLE/NQ

Alroy Stroud meant to get off the bus at Gablecross police station on the outskirts of Swindon but fell asleep and ended up handing himself in to police in Oxford - 27 miles away Pictures: GOOGLE/NQ

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.