A shoplifter has been jailed after attempting to steal alcohol and assaulting a member of staff at a Shell convenience store in Farnborough.
Robert Lennon, 38, previously of Waterlooville, attempted to steal nine bottles and two cans of alcohol worth around £150 from the Farnborough Road store on 23 January.
According to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, Lennon assaulted a male staff member in his 50s after being confronted inside the shop.
Police launched an investigation and Lennon was charged with attempted theft from a shop and assault by beating.
At the time he was charged over the Farnborough incident, Lennon was already serving a 32-week prison sentence for stealing watches worth more than £7,000 from a shop in Rushden, Northamptonshire, in February.
Lennon pleaded guilty to the Farnborough offences and was handed an additional 12-week custodial sentence at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on 5 May, bringing his total sentence to 44 weeks.
PC Nilam Rai, from the Farnborough Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We want to be absolutely clear – shoplifting and assaults on workers will not be tolerated in the district.
“Our team takes all reports of shoplifting extremely seriously and I hope this result reassures the local community that we will do all we can to put offenders before the courts.”
Police have urged retailers and shop staff to continue reporting incidents of shoplifting to help officers identify, arrest and prosecute offenders.