Jail for man who threatened to hit staff at Tesco Express, London Road

John Copson, of Lansdowne Road, Worcester, knew going back to prison was a possibility for him, turning up to Worcester Magistrates Court with a large bag in preparation. 

John Copson previously admitted threatening to hit someone over the head with a Prosecco bottle and using racist abuse in the incident at Tesco Express in London Road, on October 8 last year.

As previously reported Copson went into the store on his pushbike blocking the entrance for customers. 

JAILED: John Copson outside Worcester Magistrates Court (Image: Sam Greenway/Newsquest)

Copson dipped his hands in an ice cream tub and was eating and drinking from it, before being asked by staff if he was going to pay.

Copson then took a bottle of Prosecco and held it above his head threatening to hit staff member Jake Pinder-Hampton.

After being dragged out of the store on his bike, Copson called staff members fat and used racist abuse against them.

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Copson also shouted: "I'm not scared of prison, I will go back", before throwing a fire extinguisher. 

Staff were so frightened they locked the store to prevent him from coming back in. 

Mark Hambling said Mr Pinder-Hampton felt intimidated by Copson's erratic behaviour in the "prolonged incident". 

CHAOS: Copson caused chaos at Tesco Express, London Road (Image: Newsquest)

He added Copson has a "substantial" list of previous convictions and served prison sentences. 

Mark Turnbull, defending, said on the day of the offence Copson, who was on a methadone script, had collected Diazepam from the doctors. 

"He took some, he didn't feel it had any effect on him so he took some more," Mr Turnbull said, suggesting that helped explain Copson's offending that day. 

The solicitor highlighted that although Copson said racist language there was no one around at the time from an ethnic minority.

The solicitor added: "He has little recollection of the incident.

"He is disappointed to find himself in court again.

"He doesn't understand what it (his crime) was about, or what the point of it was."

JAILED: Copson was jailed by Worcester magistrates

Copson was sentenced for racially/religiously aggravated harassment/alarm/distress by words /writing; threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place; assault and using threatening, abusive, insulting words, and behaviour causing harassment, alarm, and distress.

Chairman of magistrates bench, Judith Hulland, told Copson he was being jailed for 26 weeks. 

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She explained the bench had chosen not to suspend his sentence due to Copson being under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of his offences, and that the threat was made to staff serving the public.

After Copson was told he would also pay a £120 fine and £154 victim surcharge Copson asked "Can I go now?", before magistrates agreed he could be taken down.