UPDATE: |He went into Tesco to steal Easter eggs and then pulled out a knife News

Paul Warburton told a judge “nice one” as he was banned from the shop and sent back to prison

A man has been banned from a Tesco Express store after threatening a woman who stood in his way, leaving her in tears. Paul Warburton, 35, stole a basket full of goods, including Easter eggs, from the shop in Warrington.

But as he attempted to flee with his stolen loot, he was stopped by members of staff who tried to prevent him from leaving. Warburton then brandished a knife towards them and warned “f***ing move or I’ll stab you.”

Appearing in Liverpool Crown Court, he told a judge “nice one” as he was banned from the store and sent back to prison.

The court heard Abbie Dykes was working as shift manager at the Tesco Express store on Manchester Road in Warrington shortly before 8.30pm on February 9. She had been speaking to her off-duty colleague Laura Donnelly near to the entrance.

Abbie then noticed Warburton, of Jurby Court in Padgate, filling a basket with items worth around £30 and said to her co-worker that “something didn’t seem right”.

David Polglase, prosecuting, described how the defendant then attempted to leave the store without paying for these items. Ms Dykes stood in his path, but he then pulled out a kitchen knife in his right hand and told her: “F***ing move or I’ll stab you. Move, move.”

A scared Ms Dykes complied with Warburton’s demands, and he left with the stolen goods, which were said to have included Easter eggs. He was then identified via CCTV footage of the incident, when a police officer who had previously arrested him just weeks before recognised him on the clip.

As PCs attended his address, they seized a knife matching the blade used in the incident from the living room as well as an Asda bag for life which was identical to one which the offender had been seen carrying.

During an interview, Warburton told detectives that he was “high on cocaine and alcohol” and stole the items “because he had no money”.

But he denied being armed, and after being shown the CCTV clip, said that the alleged weapon “must have been something shining on his jacket”.

Ms Dykes said that she had “been working in retail for 15 years” and this was “the first time this had ever happened to her”.

The mum, whose statement was read out to the court on her behalf, pondered “how different it could have been” and said that she “couldn’t stop crying when she stopped and thought about it”.

She added: “Imagine if I didn’t come back home from work. I never once thought someone robbing some shopping would be carrying a knife and threatening me with it. You don’t know who’s carrying what.”

Ms Donnelly said in her own statement: “I was in shock at what happened. When I got home, it hit me. I started crying. I haven’t really slept and have had nightmares about it. It was a mixture of emotions, including fear. It was like it was happening in front of me.”

Warburton has a total of 42 previous convictions for 67 offences, including being handed a 12-month community in December last year for handling stolen goods in relation to a television which had been taken from an Asda supermarket.

He was also locked up for 42 months for burglary in 2021, being released from his recall on this sentence shortly before striking again.

Jim Smith, defending, told the court: “He has expressed remorse. He has not, at any time, sought to justify or minimise his behaviour and has demonstrated some victim empathy. In the two months since he has been on remand, he has engaged with drug and alcohol services and in psychological therapy. He has started courses in education, and he is also working as a barber.

“His stated institutionalisation has meant that, throughout his life, he has acquired many skills in a prison environment. This is useful but alarming so far as the defendant’s rehabilitation is concerned, and he recognises that.

“He has come from a difficult, deprived background. There is clear evidence here of childhood neglect and traumatic childhood experiences. The first 10 pages of his antecedent record are offences committed as a youth.

“Ostensibly, his education finished at 11 years of age. There is some mention of him offending for his mother, who was addicted to drugs, as early as 13 years old. The defendant suffers from depression and anxiety. There has been suicidal ideation in the past, paranoia and traits of a personality disorder.”

Warburton admitted robbery, possession of a bladed article in a public place and breaching a community order. Wearing a white Hugo Boss t-shirt, he appeared via video link to HMP Liverpool on Tuesday where he was jailed for 51 months.

Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: “There were a number of women working in the shop at that time. They noticed you because you were in the shop with a basket picking items of relatively high value, something about which did not seem right to them.

“It seems to me that what, in reality, you were doing was choosing items either to eat yourself, because you were homeless, or to sell quickly to buy drugs. Rather than leaving quietly, you produced the blade you were carrying and said ‘f***ing move or I’ll stab you’.

“Unsurprisingly, these two woman backed off and you were able to leave with the items you had stolen. They have both been severely shaken. They were both left tearful and have been less confident about going about their work in the store. One of them has a young child, and has been caused to think about what might have happened if you had used that knife and what that would have meant for that young child.

“You had not long been released when you committed these offences. As you have explained to me in a letter, you were released without support, you were homeless and you fell quickly back into drug use. The offences were committed against that background, as a means to support and feed yourself and your drug habit.

“You have clearly had a difficult life. You had a challenging childhood and a life driven by your addiction to drugs. Until you take the support offered to you, which, to date, you have failed to do, this cycle of offending will continue.”

Warburton was also handed a restraining order, banning him from entering the Tesco Express store for seven years. He responded to his sentence by saying: “Thank you judge. Thank you for that. Nice one.”