A young man who admitted receiving a credit card stolen in the mugging of a senior yesterday offered an emotional apology to the lady's family.

Seventeen year old Wayne Christopher told Magistrate's Court that he had actually tried to stop the attack on 77 year old Josie Ray, who remains in a coma at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital after the attack on February 2.

Christopher, who is from Warwick, told the court: "I'm sorry that it happened and I hope the lady gets better."

At that point, however, a woman identifying herself as the daughter of Josie Ray stood and said: "Could he address that apology to the family, please."

Christopher turned and in a low voice apologised to Mrs. Ray's daughter and her grandson, who sat next to her.

"I tried to stop it," said Christopher.

Mrs. Ray, the wife of William (Cheese) Ray, remains in a coma in the general ward. She was moved from the ICU last Friday. Although she is now able to breathe on her own, her daughter Carol Culver told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "The prognosis is not very good at this moment."

Mrs. Ray was first taken to the hospital on February 2, after she was violently mugged at the Southampton Post Office while she was retrieving her mail.

Mrs. Ray suffered head injuries and a broken wrist in the incident and was taken to hospital where doctors have since been treating her for bleeding and swelling of the brain.

Tyrone Brangman, 16, of no fixed abode, was arrested along the Southampton Railway Trail near the Post Office five days after the attack.

He was charged with the violent robbery of and causing grievous bodily harm to Mrs. Ray. As both charges are indictable and will be tried in the Supreme Court, Brangman was not required to enter a plea in Magistrates' Court yesterday. He remained silent throughout the proceedings.

Acting Magistrate Carlisle Greaves agreed with prosecutor Juan Wolffe's objections to bail, remanding Brangman into custody at the co-ed facility until February 19.

Christopher, however, was vehement in court that he in fact tried to stop the attack on Mrs. Ray. He pleaded guilty to receiving a stolen Bank of Bermuda credit card taken from Mrs. Ray's purse after the robbery.

As he read to the court the facts of the events regarding Christopher, Mr. Wolffe told the court what allegedly happened at the Southampton Post Office the day Mrs. Ray was attacked.

He said after the attack the mugger, who abandoned Mrs. Ray's purse in the bushes along the Railway Trail, gave her wallet, cash and credit card to Christopher. Also missing from the purse, found on the Railway Trail by Mrs. Ray's grandson several days later, were her reading glasses, worth $150.

The youths, said Mr. Wolffe, then attempted to order Four Star Pizza with the stolen credit card. Four Star did not accept the card, however, and the young men had to pay for their order themselves. The credit card, added Mr. Wolffe, has not yet been recovered.

"I think this matter is sufficiently serious that I need some assistance in sentencing you," said Mr. Greaves. "There must be something seriously flawed in someone attacking a granny."

"I'm going to request a social inquiry report," replied Mr. Greaves, bailing Christopher for $1,000 with a like surety.

Christopher will reappear in court on April 16 at the completion of the social inquiry report for sentencing.