Worksop drug user '˜threatened to stab Tesco staff with needle'

Lee Moody was chased out of Tesco, on Gateford Road, with £237 of alcohol when staff heard glass breaking and two bottles were smashed, at 10pm on April 6.

The court heard he also stole £63 worth of chicken and coffee from Sainsburys, in Worksop, on April 2.

But he was caught by a police officer 15 minutes later on King’s Street, and taken to the ground when he tried to run away.

Probation officer Cheryl Nisbet said Moody spent £100 on heroin and £50 on crack cocaine per day, and had been addicted to drugs for 27 years.

“He says he is now down to using heroin once or twice a week, but I think he might be minimising what he uses,” she said.

Nigel Mission, mitigating, said Moody was released from a substantial prison sentence in 2008 and made a “determined effort” to give up drugs.

“A friend died a year ago and another friend has sorted his own problems out to the extent that he is a drug worker,” said Mr Misson. “That’s provided him with huge momentum. He’s a very intelligent man and he could follow in that ilk.”

Moody, 44, of Gladstone Street, admitted theft, using threatening behaviour and failing to surrender, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court.

He was sentenced to a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement, which will be reviewed every five weeks.

He must also abide by a three-month curfew from 7pm to 7am, and 9pm to 9am at weekends. He was ordered to pay £170 courts costs, a £115 government surcharge, £63 compensation to Sainsbury’s and £70 to Tesco for the two smashed bottles.