A THIEF armed with a knife waved it at a supermarket security guard as he stole bottles of Baileys, meat and underwear from Sainsbury’s.

Gregg Dalton, 40, from Newport was captured on CCTV carrying out the crime at the store on the city’s Albany Street earlier this month.

He was jailed for this and being in breach of a suspended prison sentence for similar offences carried out earlier this year.

Describing the theft at Sainsbury’s on November 2, prosecutor Rose Glanville told Newport Crown Court: “The defendant was walking towards the the exit holding a trolley which had an estimated six bottles of Baileys, batteries, a collection of meat, underwear and other miscellaneous items totalling some £300.

“As the defendant left the store he was in possession of a curved craft knife which was about three inches in length and it was held openly on the trolley’s handle.

“When challenged by a security guard, the defendant waved this knife towards him over the distance of the trolleys three times.

“The security guard reports that the defendant said at the time: ‘You don't know what I'm going through. I need this. I owe people money.’ “The defendant was then seen to walk toward Albany Trading Estate, the staff not wanting to follow him because of the knife.”

Dalton had stolen goods worth £250 after he went shoplifting in Asda the day before.

The defendant, of Caerau Road, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife in public, theft, a public order offence.

He also admitted being in breach of a 12-month suspended sentence for battery, possession of cocaine, a public order offence and three offences of possession of an offensive weapon in public.

Dalton has 19 previous convictions for 35 offences.

Sol Hartley representing him said he had found his client “utterly distraught” after meeting him today.

The court heard how the defendant’s wife had recently died.

Mr Hartley added: “At the time of these offences he was having difficulties with his mental health and no doubt drugs played their part in that.”

The judge, Recorder David Elias KC, jailed Dalton for 16 months for the offences on November 2 and activated eight months of the suspended sentence.

That means the defendant was sent to prison for two years.