A violent mugger's sentence for attacking a 92-year-old woman while on the run from a mental unit has been adjourned for the NINTH time this week.

A string of delays and a bed not being available meant Sanchez Edwards could not be dealt with for targeting recently-widowed Gladys Scriven in broad daylight.

The 28-year-old been missing from the John Howard Centre medium secure unit since May last year when he struck as Mrs Scriven popped out to post a letter.

CCTV caught Edwards punching her in the face and then dragging her along the pavement for around three metres as she clung on to her bag until she was "in so much pain that she eventually let go".

Hooded Edwards eventually wrenched the handbag - containing a £50 Virgin mobile phone, a Freedom Pass, documents and £100 cash - off her and fled into a bush.

She suffered horrific bruising all over her body as well as several cracked ribs and walked with a limp.

She had been heading to the Lawson Medical Centre in Hoxton in east London when she was attacked from behind on June 27 last year.

Police said Mrs Scriven, who had recently lost her husband of nearly 70 years, was left distraught and too terrified to leave her house.

Two weeks later police spotted Edwards in Bethnal Green Gardens in east London, and arrested him after a chase.

Since pleading guilty to robbery in August last year there has been five sentencing hearings adjourned costing the taxpayer over £20,000.

Crown court hearing can cost up to £3,900 each.

Delays have been caused by reports not being ready and a bed not being free in a secure unit.

His sentencing was due to be in October but was put back as psychiatric reports were not compiled.

Edwards has since been waiting for three months for a bed on a ward.

Wood Green Crown Court heard today (Tues) a bed was finally free for him but the presiding judge was on holiday so could not sentence him.

Judge Joanna Greenberg QC reserved the case to herself at the last hearing on January 31 to be sentenced next month, but it was brought forward to today as a bed had become available.

Judge Graham Arran said: "There have been so many hearings this is one where the problem has disappeared for the time being at least.

"But if a bed can be kept for the defendant for a long time until Judge Greenberg can deal with it I'm not going to go behind a judge who has formed a view about a case as decided there was a need for her to deal with it."

After a phone call was made to Dr Caysi Thinn at the Kneesworth House Hospital in Royston, Hertfordshire, it was confirm a bed could be held for Edwards.

Judge Arran decide to adjourn sentence for the ninth time to March 7.

Linda Shamel, prosecuting, said: "The victim still suffers pain today in her shoulder.

"She still suffers physical and psychological pain and walking is becoming more difficult.

"At the point he pounced on her from behind he knew then she was vulnerable."

Paranoid schizophrenic Edwards has a string of previous convictions for other robberies, supplying drugs and carrying weapons.

Despite being subject to a hospital order, Edwards was allowed out of the secure unit on unescorted leave and failed to return on May 17.

He was tracked and found to be using buses and tube trains around the capital after a £5,000 reward was offered for information about him.

Edwards was sectioned under the Mental Health Act in sentencing as well as facing time in custody under a "hybrid order".

Edwards, formerly of Dalston, north London, was kept in custody ahead of his tenth hearing next month.