A yob was sentenced to extra time in jail for hurling insults and making rude hand gestures at a judge.

Martin Lambert called Recorder Heather Baucher a bitch and gestured at her after she locked him up for 15 months for attempted theft.

She ordered he be brought back into the dock and then added another 14 days to the sentence for contempt of court.

Lambert, who has used up to 100 aliases, had been convicted of trying to steal cash from a Texaco service station in High Street, Staplehurst, in March last year.

Recorder Baucher said lone cashier Karen Heather dealt with Lambert “robustly” when he demanded the money.

She said Ms Heather pushed him off the counter and told him to go.

“She said he didn’t shout at her and she didn’t feel threatened.

“On any version of the events, this was a frightening incident. It is to her undoubted credit that she has reacted as she has.

“No doubt a less robust individual would have psychiatric trauma. This was a pathetic attempt to steal.”

Recorder Baucher criticised Lambert, from Kidbrooke, south east London, over fathering three children by different mothers.

“Fatherhood brings responsibility,” she told him. “It is not a mitigating factor. Not least, you haven’t seen your children at any stage - children by separate mothers.”

After Lambert, who denied attempted theft but was convicted, was brought back into court to explain his outburst, John Fitzgerald, defending, said it was caused by the stress of being sent to prison.

“The outburst has an element of feeling somewhat hard done by,” he said.

The judge said: “When I asked for him to be taken down he made repeated gestures."

She added: “This is contempt in the face of the court, not just to my jurisdiction but to the jury. I gave him due warning. It was clearly inappropriate conduct in the face of the court.”