A SUFFOLK armed robber hoped police would “shoot him dead” when he held up a pensioner outside a church, an Ipswich Court heard.Carl Dagg, who has been described as both paranoid and delusional by those who know him, held an elderly woman at gunpoint before stealing her car outside St Andrew's Church in Rushmere.

A SUFFOLK armed robber hoped police would “shoot him dead” when he held up a pensioner outside a church, an Ipswich Court heard.

Carl Dagg, who has been described as both paranoid and delusional by those who know him, held an elderly woman at gunpoint before stealing her car outside St Andrew's Church in Rushmere.

He was also armed when he burgled a Haverhill church and a home and he pleaded guilty to burglary at addresses in Kesgrave as well as admitting a staggering 98 other similar offences.

Lindsay Cox mitigating at Ipswich Crown Court said: “He was co-operative with the police when he was arrested and during the course of interviews which were lengthy he said he had hoped the police would shoot him dead.

“Officers described him as paranoid and his former girlfriend said he was delusional.”

Mr Cox asked the court to order a psychiatric report as well as a pre sentence report before Dagg is sentenced during the fortnight beginning October 22.

Dagg, 35, of Foundation Street, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to robbing pensioner Jill Pryke of her Rover car and to possessing a gas powered air gun on May 19 outside the Rushmere church.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on roads between Rope Walk and Cemetery Road in Ipswich on May 18 in a Vauxhall Cavalier.

He also admitted aggravated burglary with a gas powered air weapon, to steal cash at St Felix Church and at Wentworth Terrace, Haverhill on May 17.

Dagg also admitted burglary at Grimwade Street in May, in Graceland Court in Kesgrave in April and at another Kesgrave address in March.

He asked for 98 similar offences to be taken into consideration.

Dagg was remanded in custody until his sentencing.