Drunken bricklayer attacked shop staff at Wakefield's The Ridings during bodged robbery

Joseph Sharp had downed vodka after his partner had kicked him out, so he attempted to steal to raise money for a “bed for the night”, Leeds Crown Court heard.

The 29-year-old, who has previously worked a bricklayer, was given more than four years’ jail this week for the shameful incident at The Ridings in Wakefield city centre.

Judge Tom Bayliss KC told him: “You have an alcohol problem, that’s plain. And you have a drug problem and you steal to satisfy your needs.

“You are one of the increasing numbers coming before the courts that steal from shops without compunction, to satisfy your need for money for drugs and drink.

“Short prison sentences do not seem to deter you. No-one should have fear of violence when they go to work.

“The courts must and will pass deterrent sentences to make it clear to you, and anyone else who goes into shops and steals with impunity.”

The court heard that Sharp entered The Perfume Shop in The Ridings on the afternoon of January 13 where he grabbed gift packs from the counter, but a member of staff tried to wrestle them from him.

She was dragged across the counter before another member of staff tried to intervene and Sharp put her in a headlock.

Seeing the struggle, shoppers then came to their rescue and Sharp ran. He returned a short time later and dragged a perfume display stand out of the store.

The police were called and found Sharp in the city centre. When they approached him he held a bottle by the neck as if he was planning to use it as a weapon.

They cornered him and he threw the bottle at them, which narrowly missed. He ran but they caught up with him and used PAVA spray to subdue him.

He gave a no-comment interview at the police station, but later admitted attempted robbery, assault and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

Sharp, of Westwood Road, Castleford, has eight previous convictions for 15 offences, including Section 18 GBH for which he was jailed for three years in 2021.

Mitigating, Satpal Roth-Sharma said Sharp was “trying hard to address” his drink problem.

On the day in question his partner had thrown him out so he went into Wakefield city centre and began drinking vodka.

She that out of “sheer desperation” he was planning to steal to raise enough money for a “bed for the night”.

Sign up today for our free daily newsletter, packed with all of the latest news, sports and more from Leeds and the surrounding areas

Ms Roth-Sharma said he had worked as a bricklayer but had “fallen off the wagon”.

She added: “He offers extreme remorse, apologises to those affected and realises how frightening it must have been.”

Judge Bayliss jailed Sharp, who appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds where he was being held on remand, for 49 months.