A MAN who left a Tesco store manager fearing for his life after brandishing a knife told officers he thought it would be "fun" to stab someone.

Bartolomiej Kubacz, of Marlborough Place, Banbury, was jailed for four years at Oxford Crown Court yesterday after admitting a spate of offences between January and September last year.

The 24-year-old smirked as prosecutor Edward Hollingsworth recalled the offences, which included threatening manager Richard Bennett with a knife while he was working at Tesco Extra, in Lockheed Close, Banbury.

Sentencing, Judge Ian Pringle said: "You seem to be amused by your offending and I'm sorry to see that.

"It's clear that you have some problems but you have got to be willing to address those problems.

"What is clear to me is that you have absolutely no remorse for the way you behaved."

Mr Hollingsworth said Mr Bennett approached the defendant after spotting him eating chicken from the deli counter at about 9.15pm on September 8, and thought he would steal the £210.84 worth of goods he had in his trolley.

He said Mr Bennett spoke to Kubacz again shortly before midnight and asked him to pay for the £64.32 worth of alcohol he had drank while in the store.

The prosecutor said the "cold and calm" defendant then pulled a knife from his jeans pocket, pointing it at his victim.

Mr Hollingsworth said: "Mr Bennett was genuinely afraid he would not see his family again."

He said the defendant threw oranges at officers when they arrived, before Kubacz was detained at Littlemore Hospital under the Mental Health Act.

Mr Hollingsworth said Kubacz also attacked hospital staff Pauline Kuzanga and Osilu Hassan on September 24 last year.

During a police interview Kubacz said he was "curious" to know how it felt to stab someone and also told officers he lied about seeing and hearing things.

He added: "I wanted to stab someone because I thought it would be fun."

Defence barrister Jonathan Coode said Kubacz stabbed himself when previously "unwell" and had a family history of suicide.

Kubacz also admitted attempted burglary on January 23 and causing criminal damage at Abingdon police station on September 24.