Convicted dummy snatcher asked shocked mum for her daughter's used soothers to suck on

Josh Guilder was locked up earlier this year for offences in Essex and was living at a probation hostel in Northampton when he added to his criminal record.

The 24-year-old made contact with 75 people online to try and buy used baby items and even asked one shocked mum – who had given him her address so he could pick them up – if he could take the dummy from her daughter’s mouth so he could suck it.

This week his sentencing hearing was adjourned so a psychiatric assessment could be carried out – although Guilder told a judge he would not take part in it.

Northampton Crown Court heard Guilder was jailed for 14 months in February after he took soothers from five children in Harlow, and was handed a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) banning him from having contact with children aged under 10. The BBC reported that an earlier hearing had heard he "has never been weaned from dummies".

Prosecutor Daniel Mander told the court that a woman in Northampton was advertising baby and toddler items for sale on Facebook when Guilder contacted her about buying them in May.

Mr Mander said: “As part of it she provided her address to him and then became concerned when she was asked whether, in respect of baby dummies, they could be given to her daughter as he would want them in a used condition.”

He then asked if he could take the dummy out of her child’s mouth so he could suck on it, the court heard.

In a victim statement read by Mr Mander, the mum said Guilder’s messages had affected her confidence in selling online and made her feel unsafe.

Mr Mander said: "It made her fear for the safety of her and her children as she had disclosed her address.”

He added that she was paranoid that he might turn up. He said: "She is extremely shocked and disturbed by the comments.”

Guilder, who appeared at court over videolink from HMP Peterborough, was reported to police and his phone was seized which found evidence of further offences. He had visited two addresses where children were present to buy items and had made contact with parents selling baby items on 75 separate occasions.

He had also deleted WhatsApp messages from his phone and had an auto-deletion setting so messages were deleted within 24 hours, a further breach of his SHPO.

The court heard he had shown a level of ‘disregard’ for the court order and had said: "F*** your SHPO and shove it up your a***. It’s all bulls***.”

He pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, one of attempting to breach a sexual harm prevention order and one of harassment. The court heard he did not want legal representation and said he ‘didn’t care any more’.

Guilder, who has been recalled to prison until October, previously said he would not cooperate with a further psychiatric assessment.

But Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking KC adjourned the sentencing and said she would order a report by a forensic consultant psychiatrist because she was concerned with the issue of risk. She suggested to Guilder that he use a ‘bit of common sense’ and co-operate as well as get legal representation.

But he said he wasn’t doing any of it before adding: "You might as well sentence me now.”

Judge Lucking KC replied: “No, I’m afraid it’s my decision about when I do that.”

Guilder’s sentencing hearing was adjourned to October 3.