A man who robbed an elderly stroke victim of her engagement ring as she lay terrified in her hospital bed has been warned by a judge to expect a substantial term of imprisonment.

Robert Ziga, 29, of Oak Villas, Manningham , Bradford, was today appearing at Bradford Crown Court for sentence after his co-accused was found not guilty of the crime.

Stanislav Jano, 24, of Marlborough Road, Idle , Bradford, was discharged from the dock yesterday afternoon after he was unanimously cleared by a jury of the robbery.

Ziga was brought to court from custody and remanded back to prison overnight by Judge Robert Bartfield.

During the trial, the jury was told that stroke victim, Christine Brown, had the engagement ring wrenched off her finger and her phone stolen by an intruder on Ward 15 at Bradford Royal Infirmary . She was dozing in her private room at the hospital at 6.30pm on January 7 when she was woken by Ziga in her room.

The court was told that she was admitted to the hospital on December 11 last year after a fall. She had suffered two strokes and was unable to walk far.

Mr Sharpe said Mrs Brown was extremely upset by the robbery. She was left crying and shaking and her health had since deteriorated.

Jano told the jury he was not with Ziga when he committed the robbery. His friend left him alone in the hospital and then came running downstairs and out of the building.