A Fartown man repeatedly jailed over his offending threatened store staff with a needle during his latest theft.
Shabaz Munir, of Jade Place, was confronted as he tried to steal clothing from the Huddersfield branch of Matalan on October 19.
Kirklees magistrates heard that a security guard became suspicious and kept an eye on the 35-year-old as he wandered around the store based on the Beck Road Ringway Industrial Estate.
He placed a pair of orange chinos in a bag he had with him.
Munir then stuffed a grey top up his jacket and tried to exit the store where he was challenged by the security guard, helped by the store manager.
Andy Wills, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was asked to come back inside and became aggressive, refused to do so and threw his bag onto the floor.
“He was restrained on the floor and said: ‘I have a needle and I’m going to stab you with it.
“The men were fearful and during the conversation the defendant also made the veiled threat: ‘I know your family’.”
Munir was arrested and tested positive for the use of cocaine and opiates, admitting to committing the offence to fund his drug addiction.
He denied making any threats to the staff, telling police: “I told them I may have a needle but I didn’t threaten them – I haven’t got any needles on me.”
Munir admitted theft but denied the threatening behaviour charge.
He was convicted of this and magistrates ordered his arrest when he failed to show up for his trial last week.
The court heard that Munir had a long-standing drug addiction and served numerous prison terms as he committed offences to finance this.
In 2010 he was jailed for a total of 28 months and then for 16 months in 2013 for offences of burglary.
He was then sentenced to four weeks in prison for shoplifting in 2014 and a further 56 weeks in custody in June last year.
Ian Whiteley, mitigating, told magistrates: “Sending this man to prison hasn’t stopped him from reoffending.”
Magistrates sentenced Munir to an electronically-monitored curfew for six weeks.
He must also pay £80 victim surcharge.
