Masked thief slashed police officer with a knife during repeated Leeds Farmfoods raids
A masked shoplifter who brazenly stole hundreds of pounds of coffee on a daily basis has been jailed after he knifed a police officer who tried to stop him.
Drug addict Bradley Georgeson was also given a criminal behaviour order (CBO) banning him from the shop in Burley.
Leeds Crown Court heard that the 31-year-old, with his hood up and face covered, walked into the Waterloo Terrace shop on five consecutive days, filled his bag up with jars of coffee, biscuits, butter and detergent and walked out.
He stole around £570 worth in total between September 18 and 22, prosecutor Emily Thorbjornsen said.
But on September 23, PCSOs were present when he entered again at around 5.25pm. He was challenged and became aggressive, pulling out a knife.
During the melee, he slashed an officer across the fingers with the blade, which was between six and eight inches long, and threatened to stab a member of staff “if he saw her again”.
He got away, but officers found him in the early hours of September 24. He was armed with a knife again and lunged at the officers before being Tasered twice.
He then gave a largely no-comment interview, even denying it was him in the footage.
Georgeson, of Rossefield Drive, Bramley, appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds where he was being held on remand.
He admitted five counts of theft, two of possessing a knife in public and Section 20 GBH without intent.
He has 18 previous convictions for 56 offences, including robbery and thefts.
Mitigating, Adrian Pollard conceded that Georgeson faced jail and said it was “matter of how long”.
He said he was “ashamed” of his behaviour and wanted to apologise to all involved.
Mr Pollard added: “He said it was thoroughly uncalled for and must have been an awful experience for anyone who witnessed it.”
He said his first conviction was when he was 13, having already being formally diagnosed with ADHD.
He said he became involved in Class A drugs and “lost all sense of reason” to feed his habit.
He added: “He sometimes does not understand his own behaviour. He is absolutely shocked by his own conduct.”
Judge Neil Clark gave him a five-year CBO banning him from the shop, and jailed him for four years.