A MAN who pushed a Tesco Express worker on to a pavement after refusing to hand back stolen bottles of wine has appeared in court for sentence.

Adrian Lashley, who had been barred from the Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth store several times, appeared in court for assault and a series of thefts.

He admitted three theft offences, criminal damage, assault and two breaches of a criminal behaviour order when he appeared before Poole magistrates on April 1.

He was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

At around 5pm on Sunday January 19 the defendant was seen on CCTV to smash the window of a car parked in a car park in Upper Terrace Road, Bournemouth. He took a number of items from the car and caused significant damage to one of the car doors, as well as breaking the window.

On Monday January 27 Lashley entered Tesco Express in Holdenhurst Road and left without attempting to pay for four bottles of wine.

The defendant had been prohibited from entering any premises from which he was barred under the terms of a five-year criminal behaviour order imposed at Snaresbrook Crown Court in July 2015. He had been barred from the Tesco Express store on a number of occasions.

On Monday February 3, Lashley returned to the store and was seen to put five bottles of red wine inside jacket. He realised he had been seen by a shop worker and handed over one of the bottles.

When asked to return the other four he swore at the staff member and pushed her in the chest, causing the victim to stumble back and end up on the pavement outside the store.

Lashley made off from the store but returned a short time later and returned the wine.

The victim did not sustain any injuries that required medical treatment.

Following enquiries by officers, Lashley was arrested in connection with all three incidents on Wednesday February 19.

As well as being given a suspended sentence, he was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to the shop worker and was made the subject of a restraining order that prohibits him from entering the Tesco Express store in Holdenhurst Road for 12 months.

Police Constable Grace Rawlings, of Bournemouth police, said: “Adrian Lashley is a prolific offender who repeatedly targeted one particular business.

“I am glad that through our enquiries we were able to identify him and prove that he was responsible for these offences so he could be brought before the court. I also hope that the order banning him from the Tesco Express store offers further protection for this business against any future offending as he now faces the potential imposition of the suspended jail term if he is caught again.”