A prolific shoplifter who bit a security guard just weeks after being spared jail for his role in dealing hard drugs has been jailed for two years and two months.

Vito Rondinelli was also armed with a knife when he sank his teeth into the security guard having been caught on his latest bout of shoplifting.

And after hearing it was the fifth time this year he had been before a court for stealing from shops, as well as the drugs offences, a judge jailed him.

David Reid, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court the defendant had gone stealing at Designer Outlet Village on Monday, August 28.

After stealing three boxes of Ralph Lauren trainers, worth £224.79p and two jackets worth £119.48p from Superdry he was held and the police were called.

Also in the bag was a small kitchen knife as well as a set of cutters and tinfoil.

As they waiting for officers to arrive Mr Reid said the security guards tried to stop him answering his phone.

"In trying to stop him the defendant bend down and bit him on the wrist," he told the court.

He said the defendant then swung his leg and kicked the victim in the rib cage.

Rondinelli, of Church Place, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, assault and possessing a bladed article.

In June he was put on a 20-month suspended sentence after he allowed two London drug dealers to operate out of his family home.

He had already had seven hours of unpaid work added to that order for one breach and Mr Reid said probation were preparing to breach him again for failing to turn up.

The court was told that Rondinelli had also been before the magistrates on four occasions for shoplifting in 2017.

Emma Handslip, defending, said that her client was a trained chef but when he could not find work he slipped back into his old ways.

As a result she said he has lost his wife and daughter as social services became involved and he was living on the streets.

Now that he is custody she said he can address his problems with a view to going straight when he gets out.

Recorder Michael Vere-Hodge QC jailed him for eight months for the new offences with 18 months of the suspended sentence to be served consecutively.

He said "You are a prolific shoplifter and on this occasion you also had on you a bladed article, which you know perfectly well you shouldn't have done, and also you assaulted the security officer who was only doing his job in detaining you.

"You had stolen a good deal of property from the shops and when you had been stopped you bit the security guard."