A THIEF who threatened a brave cashier with a hypodermic needle after she challenged him as he was trying to steal from a supermarket was jailed.

Brian Gorrigan pulled out the syringe on New Year’s Day at Tesco Express in Clytha Park Road in Newport.

Gwent Police praised Rasa Zabinskaite for her courage in standing up to him during her “terrifying” ordeal.

The 41-year-old warned the young woman he would stab her with the needle before he fled, prosecutor Nik Strobl told the city’s crown court.

Three days after Gorrigan escaped, he stole £24 worth of chocolate from Poundland in Newport.

The defendant has more than 100 previous offences, the majority for theft and related offences, the judge heard.

Gorrigan, of School Lane, Newport, admitted burglary, threatening a person with an offensive weapon, four counts of theft, going equipped to steal and five counts of failing to surrender.

Marian Lewis, mitigating, said her client was suffering from drug addiction.

Gorrigan was jailed for two years by Recorder Lucy Crowther.

Outside the court, Detective Constable H Orphan, from Gwent Police, said: “This was a terrifying and unprovoked attack by a male on a young female who was simply carrying out her role as a store customer assistant on New Year’s Day.

“This significant sentence sends out a strong message that acts of violence, such as these, will not be tolerated and will be dealt with swiftly and robustly.

“We would like to extend our appreciation to the victim for her support and, also, we commend her for the bravery she showed during and through the aftermath of, what was, a truly frightening ordeal.”