A 32 year old Stroud man was jailed for 27 months last week, and given an additional suspended sentence for a spate of other offences including shop lifting, assaulting a police officer and carrying a knife.

George Belger, of Nouncells Cross, Stroud, had ‘packed a lot in,’ said Judge Ian Lawrie QC after he was told of the spate offences which included 31 previous convictions.

The judge jailed Belger for breaching the criminal behaviour order (CBO) and a suspended jail sentence, one charge of assaulting a police constable, two of assaulting Waitrose staff, two of shoplifting and one of possessing a knife in public.

Prosecutor Caighli Taylor told the judge that the CBO was imposed in August 2017 and it prohibited Belger from entering Tesco in Stratford Road.

Belger was also excluded from other shops in the town because of his persistent shoplifting.

But on August 23 Belger was captured on CCTV breaching the order by entering the Tesco store and stealing a number of items.

Then on September 11 Belger attempted to steal beef from Waitrose and appeared to threaten to cut a member of staff when approached.

“He said ‘Don’t make me cut you’,” the prosecutor said during the court case.

Later that day a police officer went to Belger’s home to arrest him, but he resisted, and headbutted the arresting police constable twice.

When Belger was searched a lock knife was found in his pocket.

After hearing that Belger’s criminal behaviour was link to a drug habit the judge sentenced him to jail saying: “You are incapable, when shackled to a drug habit, of stopping thieving. Custody is being beneficial to you.”