A THIEF caught trying to steal alcohol from an Oxford supermarket coughed on store staff and claimed to have coronavirus.

Drunk Jonny Samson went on to spit at police who came to arrest him and threatened to 'slit the throat' of the store manager.

The 24-year-old of Victoria Road, London, appeared to be sentenced at Oxford Magistrates' Court today.

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He had admitted assault by beating, two public order offences and a count of shoplifting.

Outlining the case prosecutor Charlotte Webster said the offences all related to an incident at the Sainsbury's in Cowley on Easter Monday.

At about 2pm Samson was seen to take two bottles of wine and two bottles of gin to the self service checkout of the Between Towns Road store.

He made no attempt to pay for the goods, prosecutors said, and he was confronted.

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It was then that he began shouting to be let go claiming he had coronavirus before threatening to attack a security guard.

Samson went on to tell a member of staff in a shocking racist attack to 'go back to your own country.'

Police officers then arrived on the scene and Samson resisted arrest, coughing at the police and telling them he had Covid-19.

As his outburst continued he spat at one of the police officers.

During the incident, the court heard, Samson also threatened to 'slit the manager's throat.'

Mark Dixon, defending, said at today's hearing that his client wanted to 'apologise to all concerned.'

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He said Samson was 'highly intoxicated' and he was scored as 'eight out of 10 drunk.'

He added: "He does genuinely express his dissatisfaction at himself.

"He does have mental health problems that are quite serious, he is treated by mental health teams in London."

Explaining the circumstances behind the initial shoplifting he said that Samson had been in Oxford staying with his girlfriend but he had been kicked out.

He said that his client had been drinking and had gone to a shop in order to steal more alcohol before events escalated.

Sentencing, District Judge Kamlesh Rana said: "I give you credit for your guilty pleas, I take into account your expressions of remorse.

"The use of threats and coughing under the auspices of coronavirus to key workers, being supermarket staff, but even worse to a police officer.

"[And] spitting at a police officer in this disgusting way, particularly in these current circumstances.

"There is no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence."

Samson was jailed for a total of 20 weeks. That sentence was made up of 20 weeks for assaulting an emergency worker, 10 weeks for the shop theft and a further six weeks for each public order offence, all of which were ordered to be served concurrently – at the same time.

Samson was also ordered to pay a total of £300 compensation to his victims.