A shoplifter threatened a store employee with a syringe when she followed him to the exit, a court heard.

Cameron Smith had approached the woman as she was stocking shelves in the Co-operative store in Park Road West, Crosland Moor, on the evening of April 20.

Anthony Moore, prosecuting, said he asked her if there were any legs of lamb and after answering his query she saw him putting items into a basket.

She became suspicious he was not going to pay for them when he went towards the exit, and followed him.

Words were exchanged in the doorway and she then saw him pull out the syringe and needle in his left hand holding it like a weapon.

Mr Moore said she could see there was cap on it but was shocked and stepped back from him and he left with £20 worth of meat.

She reported what had happened but the following day at around the same time Smith returned to the same store and took meat worth £13 and again left without paying.

He was identified from CCTV footage and was arrested and interviewed on April 25 when he admitted shoplifting but at that time denied threatening with the syringe claiming it must have been a crack pipe.

he told the court he was crack user although at that time on methadone.

The court was told Kirklees Magistrates gave him a four week prison sentence suspended for 12 months on April 11 for stealing a wallet from a person.

Georgina Goring representing Cameron said he accepted he had produced the syringe on the spur of the moment. He was carrying it for a friend, it had a lid on and he had no intention of using it but accepted he would have caused some fear by what he did.

Since being remanded in custody he was clean of drugs and was anxious to be released to support his daughter who was having some problems.

Smith, 36 of Pickford Street, Milnsbridge, Huddersfield, admitted two charges of shoplifting and threatening with an offensive weapon. He was jailed for 14 months with a further four weeks consecutive from the suspended sentence.

Recorder Richard Woolfall said he accepted the syringe was capped but it was a serious offence to threaten a store employee simply doing her duty and she was not to know if he would suddenly uncap it and stab her. “It must have been terrifying for her.”