Raider narrowly missed Aldi boss with knife when stealing beef joints

Serial thief Grant Gettins was already banned from the shop in Sunderland due to earlier incidents and staff raised the alarm when they spotted him enter in July.

Newcastle Crown Court heard when the manager confronted Gettins, who was pocketing £120 worth of meat, there was a struggle and a knife fell out of the thief's clothing, which he picked up.

Prosecutor Rachel Butt told the court: "He slashed it towards him, narrowly missing his stomach."

Gettins, 40, of no fixed address, admitted robbery and having a bladed article.

He also admitted theft of £100 laundry detergent from Asda and £55 of coffee from Farmfoods.

And he pleaded guilty to burglary at the Quayside Exchange building, where he caused £1,318 damage and stole alcohol and burglary at Superdrug where he stole perfume from behind the counter.

All of the offences happened in Sunderland in July.

Mr Recorder Jonathan Sandiford sentenced him to a total of three years and nine months behind bars and said when a knife is brought into any situation "the potential for death is great and very real".

Gettins confessed he had been carrying the knife to cut tags from items he wanted to steal and "stupidly" brandished it in the heat of the moment when he was confronted.

The court heard he is doing well in prison.