Suspected thief broke shop manager's nose
Northumbria PoliceA suspected shoplifter who broke the nose of a shop manager has been jailed for almost a year.
Thomas Phillips, 40, attacked the manager as he was being removed from the shop, throwing seven punches at the man's head and face.
The man suffered several cracked teeth in the attack at the shop in Penshaw, Sunderland, on 15 April, Newcastle Crown Court heard. He said he now feared going to work.
Phillips, who had a history of violent offending, was jailed for 10-and-a-half months after he admitted assault causing actual bodily harm to the manager and threatening his neighbours with a hammer in a separate incident in November.
'Instantly aggressive'
Phillips, of Swaledale Crescent in Houghton-le-Spring, had been suspected of stealing from the store before so he was asked to leave when he entered the shop at 17:00 BST, prosecutor John Hobley said.
The court heard that Phillips became instantly aggressive, telling the manager he was "sick" of him before he started to punch him.
Other workers intervened, the court was told, and they bundled Phillips from the shop.
The manager suffered a broken nose and cracks to two of his front teeth, Mr Hobley said.
In a statement read to the court, the man said he did not go to work to be assaulted and was "apprehensive" about returning to the shop.
He said Phillips was a "regular" customer so he lived "on edge" every day and feared for the safety of himself and his staff.
'Just doing his job'
Phillips launched the assault while on bail for earlier offences committed against neighbours, the court heard.
He had previous issues with nearby residents when, on 13 November, he was challenged about throwing a brick at one of their cars, Mr Hobley said.
Phillips emerged from his house wielding a hammer at a father and daughter, the court heard.
Recorder Rebecca Brown said the shop manager was "providing a service to the public" and "just doing his job".
She said Phillips had a history of violent offending, including wounding someone for which he was jailed for eight months in 2008, but there was a break when he was detained under the mental health act between 2018 and 2022.
The court heard he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and the judge concluded there was a link between Phillips' offending and his disorder.
The court heard that Phillips chose to "self-medicate" with illegal substances knowing the negative effect that would have on him.
Restraining orders were also made banning Phillips from contacting his neighbours or the shop manager and from entering the store for five years.