A teenager wielding a machete near a busy play park just weeks after being put on a suspended sentence has been jailed for 27 months.

Lee Mapstone was given a chance by a judge in late February despite driving along the pavement as he raced away from police.

But within a month he assaulted a young shop worker who confronted him over stealing and 10 days later he was in the street near a school with the huge knife.

The 18-year-old, who already has 72 previous convictions is from a family which was featured on 999 What’s Your Emergency last year.

READ MORE: Mapstone family feature on Channel 4's 999 What's Your Emergency?

READ MORE: Lee Mapstone Snr, who taunted police while on the run, sees charges dropped

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how on March 19, Mapstone and a friend had gone to the Co-op on Windbrook Meadow, Upper Stratton.

The pair went to the back of the shop and grabbed meat from the fridge which they put under their clothing as they went to leave.

A part time shop worker followed and asked them to put the items back, but Mapstone kneed him to the stomach and then punched him tot he face causing a bad black eye.

Then on March 29 she said he was in a group of youths involved in an incident in Alton Close, Penhill. Miss Hingston said there were children an other members of the public in the area.

As Mapstone approached he pulled the three-foot long knife out from a sheath inside the front of his trousers.

He then held it up with his arms outstretched, a bit like a boxer, and aggressively shouted ‘I am going to kill you’ at others. While others with him said ‘man, don’t do it,’ he advanced on other making slashing motions with the blade and coming within about 6ft of one man.

He then made a sudden lunge at someone while one onlooker took photographs of the incident, before the youths left the scene.

Mapstone, formerly of Downton Road, pleaded guilty to affray, having a bladed article, theft and assault.

Chris Smyth, defending, said it was regrettable that his client had been unable to take the chance he had been given in February.

“For such a young man he has an unenviable record. His first period of custody was 13,” he said.

He said he suffered from ADHD and his schooling was such that ‘he has achieved little in his life to no other than acquiring this criminal record’.

Jailing him Judge Robert Pawson said “I was prepared to take a chance with you, I am afraid it was a mistake.”