A knife-wielding shoplifter crashed during his getaway and held a knife to the neck of a delivery driver as he tried to steal their vehicle.

Michael Dunn had previously brandished the weapon at a security guard and members of the public after stealing alcohol from a supermarket in Maidstone.

During the evening of July 12, the 50-year-old loaded a shopping basket with bottles of spirits and walked through the entry barriers of Morrisons in Sutton Road without making any attempt to pay.

A security guard intervened and Dunn threatened them with a knife, before returning to his car with the stolen items.

As Dunn drove from the store he crashed into another car, leaving his vehicle unusable.

He then fled on foot brandishing the knife in surrounding streets at several members of the public.

During this time, Dunn tried to steal a vehicle being used by a delivery driver and held the knife to the victim’s throat. He was unable to drive away, as the keys had snapped in the ignition after the victim tried to remove them, and again ran from the scene.

Officers had by then located Dunn’s car, which still contained the stolen alcohol, security tags and shopping basket.

They tracked him down to a garden near Bell Road where Dunn had been making threats to the resident, demanding they let him in. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Dunn, of no fixed address, was charged and later pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to robbery, attempted robbery, making threats to kill, and possession of a knife in a public place.

He also admitted driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. Dunn was last Wednesday (September 13) sentenced to six years and four months in prison.

Detective Constable Megan Collins, of the Kent Crime Squad, said: “Dunn is a violent offender who thought nothing of threatening a security guard and terrorising other members of the public.

“His actions left a community in real fear and were only halted when patrols located him following several calls from alarmed residents.

“We remain determined to protect businesses in Maidstone from criminals like Dunn and the town is a safer place now he is serving a lengthy prison sentence.”