A PROLIFIC shoplifter took a Co-op store assistant to the ground at spat at a police officer just four days after being given a suspended sentence.

Christopher Howard, who has been jailed for 48 weeks at Swindon Crown Court, also racially abused a special constable and tried to steal a £3 bottle of beer.

The 41-year-old, who has 103 offences to his name, later told the probation service he’d rather have punched the police officer than spat at him.

Jailing him on Friday afternoon, Recorder Elisabeth Bussey-Jones told Howard that he had acted in a “confusing, bizarre, but violent and vile way”.

Earlier, prosecutor Sian Beaven told the court that Howard had been spotted acting suspiciously in the Cavendish Square Co-operative in Park South shortly before closing time on March 6.

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The Co-operative store in Cavendish Square, Park South Picture: GOOGLE

He was seen by a store assistant watching the CCTV to put a £3 bottle of beer in his basket then walk to another aisle, where he hid the alcohol up a sleeve.

The staff member locked the store’s front doors to stop Howard from leaving. The thief walked towards the exit, making a bizarre demand of another staff member that they give him back his money.

Howard ignored a request from the staff member, who was stood by the doors, to return the bottle of beer. He grabbed the store assistant by the throat then threw him to the ground. Two PCSOs arrived and managed to restrain the shoplifter as other police officers arrived.

On the drive back to Gablecross police station, Howard kicked out at the cage in the police van and shouted vile racist abuse at a special constable – making offensive claims about the man’s wife.

He was taken to a cell in the custody suite, where he spat in the face of one of the police officers. The officer believed the spit would have landed in his eye had he not been wearing protective googles.

The court heard Howard had 36 convictions for 103 offences. Last September, he was given a 10 month sentence for spitting at police officers and urinating in his police cell. On March 2 – just four days before he acted out at the Co-op – he was made subject to a 30 week suspended sentence for a spree that included theft, harassment and assaulting emergency workers.

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How the Adver reported Howard's jail sentence last September

Howard, of Liden Drive, pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court, to theft, assault, assaulting an emergency worker, racially-aggravated harassment and breaching his suspended sentence.

Mark Ashley, mitigating, said his client had no memory of the March offences. He’d recently been released from prison and, after difficulties obtaining his prescription to a substitute for class A drugs, returned to using illegal drugs.

On the day he went to the Co-op he had taken what he thought was Valium. “Whatever it was, clearly, it had a huge effect on him on that particular day.”

The barrister addressed comments in the pre-sentence report, with Howard telling the probation officer he wished he’d punched the police officer rather than spat at him.

Mr Ashley said: “It is correct he’d rather have punched the officer. That was because he considers a punch much less than the spit. He realises the spit was thoroughly disgusting.”

Howard could not understand why he had made the racist remarks. He was remorseful but realistic, Mr Ashley said.

Recorder Bussey-Jones activated Howard’s 30 week suspended sentence in full and added 18 weeks for the new offences.