A thief who returned to a supermarket after previously stealing from it tried to headbutt a worker who recognised him and told him he was banned from the store.

Jason Cousins took goods from the Tesco superstore in Manston but was later banned from going there by a court.

However, the 46-year-old recidivist had not only swiped £20 worth of groceries from the store on June 22, he returned several weeks later to the store’s petrol station and was spotted by worker Toby Longley who told him he should not be there.

But Cousins, of Manston Road, Ramsgate, became angry and threatened Mr Longley and tried to headbutt him.

Just days later he was seen loitering around the same area by police and he was arrested.

Cousins was later charged and admitted common assault and shoplifting when he appeared in the dock at Margate Magistrates’ Court on August 7.

Prosecutor Julie Farbrace said: “On June 22, he went to the Tesco store in Manston and filled up a bag with £20 worth of items and left without paying.

“He was caught on CCTV and identified.

“Then on July 9, he was in the same area but at the Tesco store’s petrol station in Manston and a shift leader recognised him and told him he was banned.

“The defendant went to headbutt him and then made verbal threats which was all caught on CCTV.

“On July 20, police saw him in the area and he was arrested and during interview, he admitted he had no intent to pay for the items he stole and when asked if he could understand the fear [of attack] by the shopworker, he said, he could and that his actions were ‘inexcusable’.”

She also read out a victim impact statement from Mr Longley in which he said he was just going about his everyday duties and when he leaves work now he worries he is not safe and that the incident had left him feeling uneasy.

Ms Farbrace also said Cousins had previous convictions and was on a suspended sentence and a community order which had a drug rehabilitation requirement attached to it.

Paul Shingleton, mitigating, told the court that his client had heard the shopworker belittle him.

He added: “He heard him bad-mouthing him when he said ‘one of the thieves is here again’, he asked him to repeat what he said and there was an altercation.

“He accepts what he did was wrong, he should have walked away, and he has a banning order now stopping him from going to Tesco.”

Mr Shingleton said when Cousins had appeared in court in June for other similar offences he was given the drug rehabilitation order - for which he had only just been given his first appointment - and the ban.

Magistrates also heard Cousins had already been sentenced to 20 rehabilitation activity requirements as part of the suspended sentence he had also previously been given for other offences.

As a result, magistrates decided to fine Cousins £120 for the assault offence and £40 for the shoplifting offence and he was also ordered he pay £75 compensation to Mr Longley and £20 compensation to Tesco.