A persistent Carlisle criminal serving a jail term for burgling a relative’s home has been given fresh punishment – this time for using threatening behaviour towards supermarket staff.

James Felton Queen, 45, has already amassed a criminal record that comprises 254 previous offences, the city’s Rickergate court was told.

The defendant, until recently living at Carlisle’s John Street Hostel for homeless men, made his latest court appearance via a video link from Durham Prison.

He admitted using threatening behaviour.

George Shelley, prosecuting, told the court that Queen was seen going in Carlisle’s Sainsbury’s supermarket in Caldewgate on April 16.

Within a short time, Queen was causing a nuisance for staff and customers and this included him being verbally abusive.

When he was asked to leave the store by security staff he refused.

Mr Shelley outlined how when police then arrived Queen became verbally abusive, making threats to the officers.

He was given multiple opportunities to leave the store without being arrested, said Mr Shelley, but even after the officers put him into a van he continued to be verbally abusive.

Magistrates were told there were customers and children in the store and near to the area where Queen was being abusive and making threats towards police officers.

John Smith, defending, pointed out that Queen had outstanding fines amounting to more than £1,000, and he asked for Queen to be given extra time in jail in lieu of those fines.

“He’s in custody at the moment and when released he is keen to have a straight start on release,” said Mr Smith.

Magistrates jailed Queen for 28 days and this will run concurrent with his existing sentence to clear his fines, they said.

A new fine account would be opened for his latest offence, which resulted in a fresh £120 fine and prosecution costs of £85, as well as a victim surcharge of £34.

Queen was last month jailed for eight months after he admitted burgling his uncle’s home, stealing watches and mobile phones.

When police confronted him shortly after the raid, he told the officers: “I wouldn’t burgle my own family!”

He claimed that he had not visited his aunt and uncle for six weeks and insisted that he had bought the watch on his wrist for £20.

But just two days after the burglary, he pleaded guilty to the offence. The sentencing judge concluded that there there seemed to be little prospect of rehabilitation in Queen’s case.