A Church Stretton man who stabbed a frozen food store worker with a syringe needle has been jailed.

Mark Spragg had been spotted by staff leaving the Iceland shop without paying for a bottle of gin.

Store worker Jason Davies was pricked with the needle as efforts were made to stop the 38-year-old defendant.

At Shrewsbury |Crown Court last week Spragg, a fork-lift driver, was jailed for a total of 32 months.

Spragg, of Cunnery Road, Church Stretton, had admitted a charge of causing assault occasioning actual bodily harm in March this year.

He had also admitted being in possession of a bladed article relating to the needle and theft of the gin from the Iceland store on the Harlescott Retail Park, Shrewsbury.

Spragg also admitted attempting to smuggle a mobile phone into HMP Hewell, in Worcestershire the day after the Iceland store incident.

Judge Anthony Lowe imposed a total of 16 months for the offences and also activated a 16-month suspended jail term.

The court heard that Spragg was in breach of the suspended sentence imposed in December last year for possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

In addition, when released from prison, Spragg will be subject to a five-year ban from entering the Iceland store and its car park area.

In a victim impact statement read to the court Mr Davies said he had been worried about the incident as he waited for test results before the hospital said everything was alright.

Spragg had told police he did not stab Mr Davies deliberately and it happened as he was running away and was caught by staff and his coat was pulled over his head.

Mr Brendan Reedy, for Spragg, said his client stole the gin during a period when there was a mix-up over his methadone prescription.