A PERSISTENT Workington thief who reacts to being challenged by headbutting and spitting at police officers and shop staff has been jailed.

John Pullin’s latest spate of offending included him wrenching a shopping trolley from a pensioner and hurling it at the Tesco manager who was challenging him, the city’s crown court heard.

The defendant has repeatedly attacked the shop staff and police officers sent to deal with him, Carlisle Crown Court heard. Three sets of offences were before the court: ones from November, 2019, from January this year, and most recently on June 5.

His earlier offences included criminal damage, threatening behaviour and two assaults on emergency workers. In January, Pullin, 34, verbally abused a shop worker when challenged for failing to pay for a can of beer.

He also threatened to empty the can over the woman’s head.

When police arrived, he spat at the officers and tried to headbutt them. Inside the police van, he licked the walls and continued spitting.

The June offences — a common assault, threatening behaviour, two assaults on emergency workers and two thefts — were at the Workington Tesco store. Challenged as he tried to leave with bottles of stolen Jack Daniels whisky, he reacted aggressively.

“You grabbed a trolley from an elderly customer, put it above your head, and threw it at the shop manager,” Recorder Kate Bex QC told the defendant.

He then yelled insults and kicked, punched and spat at the shop staff. He did the same to police officers, before being placed in a “spit hood.” He managed to headbutt one officer in the stomach.

The Recorder told Pullin: "You have a particuarly nasty habit of of repeatedly spitting at people and also headbutting people... Your reaction to being detained is to spit...It’s unpleasant at any time. But it's especially unpleasant to spit during a pandemic.” 

Sean Harkin, for Pullin, said the defendant had a deep-rooted drug problem but he was now motivated to change. “He wants a fresh start,” said Mr Harkin, pointing out that Pullin had faced bouts of homelessness.

“Hopefully, he’ll use his time in prison to get off drugs,” added the lawyer.

The defendant admitted 11 offences.

Recorder Bex jailed Pullin, formerly of Station Road, Workington, for 23 weeks and imposed a criminal behaviour order, excluding from named shops.

Last month, the News & Star reported how Tesco staff have repeatedly found themselves unfairly targeted for simply doing their jobs. New figures showed that more than 20 Tesco staff were attacked in Cumbria in just two months.

Barrow MP Simon Fell revealed also how 70 attacks were recorded in 2020/21 — up from 48 the previous year.

Tesco UK CEO Jason Tarry said: “Every day our colleagues, along with hundreds of other retail workers, in every region of the UK face abuse, threats of violence and are even assaulted, simply for doing their jobs. This is not acceptable.

"Our stores should be safe places to work and shop. There's an opportunity to change the law that will increase the protection of shop workers as they carry out their daily tasks and we welcome the support of Blue Collar MPs on this critical issue.”

MPs from other parts of Cumbria agreed that the law needed to be looked at.

Carlisle MP John Stevenson said it was a UK-wide problem. "I was told there’s an assault — either physical or verbal — on shop workers every three minutes.

"It's very sad to realise that many people who work in the retail industry are having to be subjected to abuse and attacks. They're only doing their job.

"They should be shown the respect they deserve. I certainly think the law has to be looked at to ensure people who are going about their jobs are properly safeguarded and the appropriate action is taken against the perpetrators."

Workington MP Mark Jenkinson added: "There's been a significant increase over the last 12 months.