A THIEF brandished an iron bar at a store manager and threatened to kill him, a court was told.

Frederick Lambert narrowly avoided going to jail for shoplifting at Poundland, in Basildon town centre.

Basildon Magistrates’ Court heard Lambert headed for the bins behind Poundland on September 9 to hunt for scraps to eat after his housemate ate the last of the food at home. While rooting through the rubbish, Lambert found an iron bar, which he took.

He then went into the shop and was spotted by store detectives trying to hide some cigarette papers in a bag.

Store manager Mark Pilgrim chased him out of the shop and into the street to recover the stolen goods, but stopped in his tracks when Lambert pulled out the metal bar and threatened to hit him.

Mariam Deen, prosecuting, said the manager retreated for his own safety, but Lambert shouted he would kill him.

He was later caught by police with £4 of stolen goods.

Lambert, 51, of Swanstead, Basildon, had admitted shoplifting, threatening behaviour, and failing to answer police bail.

In mitigation, Stuart Cowen, representing Lambert, said: “He turned to the store manager and told him to go away in no uncertain terms, and he accepts he had the metal bar in his hand at the time.”

He added Lambert had a “long-standing alcohol problem” and treatment would work better than sending him to jail.

Lambert was given a two-month prison sentence suspended for a year.

He was also ordered to be supervised by the Probation Service and must complete a six-month alcohol treatment programme.