A thug who threw lamb and a plant pot at supermarket staff before shouting homophobic abuse at a police officer has avoided jail.

Tristan Hannaford and a pal had gone into Lidl in Shellons Street, Folkestone when he started taking joints of meat from the fridge.

The 44-year-old put the meat, including a leg of lamb, under his jacket and tried to leave the shop without paying.

However, his actions were seen by a member of staff who approached him and told him to put it back. But Hannaford became abusive to the shop worker and started swearing at him.

The member of staff again told him to leave the store and followed him to the till area with the meat where he continued to swear and shout at staff.

He then threw the lamb at a staff member and refused to leave the shop, and when staff tried to escort him out, he headbutted the same member of staff.

As he was leaving the store Hannaford also picked up a £5.99 potted plant which shattered on the floor as he threw it at staff.

He then sat on a wall outside the store as staff were trying to call police where he assaulted another staff member.

When officers arrived he lunged the right side of his head at one as he was being put in a police car.

Police pinned him to the floor and he then shouted homophobic abuse at one officer.

Hannaford, of Bargrove Farm, Newington, Folkestone, was charged with six offences – threatening behaviour, three counts of assault, criminal damage and shoplifting – and admitted the offences when he appeared in court in June year.

He returned to Folkestone Magistrates on September 14 to be sentenced, where District Judge Justin Barron heard the incidents took place on October 4 last year and that the meat he threw and stole was worth £41.51.

Mathew Hawell prosecuting said: “He has previous convictions for assault and battery and the incident with the police was caught on body-worn footage, it was homophobic abuse.”

The court also heard Hannaford had suffered a traumatic childhood and he got into drink and drugs to cope and had been in rehab in Birmingham since the incident and was making efforts to improve his life.

Judge Barron told him he was not going to send him to prison as he had now been out of trouble for a year and no one had suffered serious injuries during the incident.

He added: “What I have heard was a deplorable incident and I take a dim view of assaults on police and shop staff and I send a lot of people to prison for assault and shoplifting.”

He decided to jail Hannaford for 12 weeks but suspended the term for 18 months and ordered he complete a nine-month alcohol treatment programme and attend 30 rehabilitation sessions with probation.

He was also ordered to pay the shop worker he headbutted £150 compensation and the police officer £100 for the verbal abuse and was also ordered to pay £5.99 compensation to Lidl for the broken potted plant.

Hannaford was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154 and £85 costs.