A DERANGED knifeman was cornered by staff in a Worcester supermarket after he had twice tried to steal goods from display counters.

The supermarket employees used shopping trollies to corner 35-year-old Lee Phillipson inside the St Peter's branch of Tesco.

He was brandishing a nine-inch carving knife he had grabbed from a rack, after claiming that "voices" had told him to be armed to protect himself from people, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Staff ordered him to put the knife down and he eventually placed it into one of the trollies before being physically restrained until police arrived.

Phillipson, who was suffering from a psychopathic illness, had also twice doused himself in petrol and threatened to set himself ablaze.

Judge Michael Mott said because psychiatric help was not available in a secure clinic the only alternative was prison.

He sentenced Phillipson, of Brookthorpe Close, Warndon, Worcester, to 30 months jail.

The judge added that he hoped medical help would be available when he was released. It was, at present, unsafe to release him into the community.

Pardeep Tiwana, prosecuting, said Phillipson tried to walk out of Homebase, in St John's, with a microwave oven on March 16 this year, but was caught by a staff after a short chase.

Five days later a member of the public phoned police to tell them Phillipson was in Angel Place in the city centre pouring petrol over himself.

He told officers at the police station: "When I get out of here I'm going to knife someone and do serious damage.

Police found a kitchen knife on him.

But magistrates granted him bail and six days later he was at Tesco, where he tried to walk out with a trolley stacked with Easter eggs, said Mr Tiwana.

Security officer Ian Danenbergs grabbed the trolley off him and he fled.

n Continued: P8But 15 minutes later he returned in an agitated state and armed himself with the carving knife.

He also picked up a vacuum cleaner, put it over his shoulder and tried to leave. But staff surrounded him with trollies.

David Mason, defending, said alcohol had nullified his medication for a mental condition. He is a deeply troubled man seeking attention," he said.

He is a significant danger to himself and others."

He pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article, affray and shoplifting and had previous convictions for weapons offences, damage and causing grievous bodily harm.

Judge Mott said the magistrates had made a mistake granting bail to a defendant with such a persistent criminal record.