A THIEF who targeted the same discount store three times in a single morning has been jailed.

On his third visit, Ashley Dale Metcalfe attacked a store supervisor who confronted him to stop his crimes, said Michelle Flaga, prosecuting.

The same day, he threatened to smash bus windows in Selby and threw a beer can at a passing woman.

At the time Metcalfe, 38, was wanted on warrant for dodging post-prison supervision.

Metcalfe, of James Street, Doncaster, pleaded guilty to assault, theft, possessing cannabis, threatening to commit criminal damage, a public order offence and breaching his post-sentence supervision conditions.

York magistrates jailed him for 13 weeks and ordered him to pay £150 compensation to the store supervisor.

For him, barrister Tabitha Buck said he had recently suffered the death of both his parents and was using drugs to cope.

“He finds himself in a difficult situation with regard to his mental health,” she said.

Ms Flaga said Metcalfe had a long criminal record with 87 previous convictions for dishonesty and had received two eight-week prison sentences for shoplifting in South and North Yorkshire in the last year.

At 9.56am on March 22, he had paid for a newspaper at Home Bargains, but as he did so he had alcohol, tobacco products and other items in his pockets that he didn’t pay for.

Less than an hour later, at 10.40am, he was back to buy another newspaper and again he had items in his pockets he didn’t pay for. When the store supervisor confronted him, he was aggressive.

Slightly over an hour later, at 11.50am he was back for the third time.

The store supervisor told him to stay where he was as police were on their way to arrest him. He forced the shop employee backwards towards the tills, screaming and shouting and being aggressive towards him.

He left the store but was arrested in the street nearby. Officers found cannabis on him. On the same day, he had made a scene at Selby Bus Station.

Ms Buck said he was caught in a cycle of stealing, being locked up and on his release finding himself back where he had started.