A DRUNKEN thief dressed in just a Superman bathrobe threatened a supermarket security guard who tried to stop him stealing.

Steven O’Brien threatened to kill the shop employee, who had confronted him for again helping himself to booze, a court heard.

As well as twice taking drink from Tesco, the 50-year-old also stole a woman’s purse on a bus and another woman’s handbag from a coffee shop.

O’Brien, who has more than 200 previous convictions, has been jailed for 17 months after a judge heard his drink problem may not be behind his life of crime.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court O’Brien was on a suspended sentence for other crimes when the latest offences took place.

She said on March 17 a woman on a bus in the town centre discovered her purse was missing and CCTV showed O’Brien taking it.

As well as taking the £9 cash, he also used her bank cards to buy pizzas, mobile phone top-ups and other items online and on the same day took a £15 crate of lager from Tesco Express.

A few weeks later, on April 27, he was again at Tesco helping himself to more beer and a bottle of Sambuca.

“He was seen by security guards and confronted by them. He was rude and abusive,” Miss Squire said.

“He swore and threatened to punch a guard, then when he said he would kill him the guard backed off, letting him get on a nearby bus.

“It is notable that he was in the shop wearing a Superman bath robe and precious little else,” Miss Squire said.

A month later, a woman in the Royal Wootton Bassett branch of Costa Coffee had her handbag stolen and again CCTV showed the defendant taking it.

O’Brien, of Holinshed Place, Grange Park, admitted four counts of theft and one of causing harassment, alarm or distress.

Miss Squire told the court that though he was on two suspended sentences, one was imposed after the current spate of offending.

In March, he was spared jail for stealing a woman’s keys from another tea shop in Royal Wootton Bassett, then driving off in her car.

In June he admitted stealing a charity shop worker’s handbag and using her cards for a spending spree worth hundreds of pounds.

He also stole alcohol from a supermarket and a handbag from a woman in a coffee shop, but as all were before the other suspended sentence a judge could not activate it.

Richard Williams, defending, said his client had started to respond well to supervision imposed for the earlier offences.

Jailing him, Leslie Blohm QC, said: “This is the end of a long line of what are mean and petty acquisitive crimes on your part.

“You remain what I can only describe as a menace to the local population.

“The report makes it plain your offending is not alcohol related.”