A SERIAL shoplifter who was caught with a meat cleaver down his trousers in Sainsbury’s in Oldham has been jailed for just over six months.

Security staff had detained Paul King at the store in Oldham after observing him on CCTV, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court was told.

King had been seen to place two bottle of whisky beneath his jacket before later putting them back on the shelves, said prosecutor David Lees.

The 52-year-old was taken to a security office and a meat cleaver was recovered from the band of his trousers.

Defence counsel Bernstein said there was no evidence his client had sought to produce the cleaver. The defendant insisted he had found the weapon earlier that day.

King, who has 41 convictions for 96 criminal offences, had also stayed out of trouble recently, he told the court.

But the court heard that the defendant had previously served an 11-year sentence for robbery.

And King had also been jailed for two years in 2015 for weapons charges.

He pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon and two offences of theft, in relation to his most offending. He also admitted to breach of bail.

Mr Lees said King had also been caught stealing meat from another store, on January 5. Security staff identified him again via CCTV footage.

Days later he was also detained for stealing £60 worth of air fresheners. But when he was apprehended he pleaded with police officers to “let him go.”

Jailing him for six months and seven days, Judge Bernard Lever said if a defendant had been in trouble before for carrying sharp objects, when you find a meat cleaver “it is beholden upon you not to pick it up and stick it down your trousers”.

The judge said he had been “foolish”, given his past criminal record.

King, who refused to leave his cell to be sentenced via a video link, accepted he would be receiving a custodial sentence, said Mr Bernstein.

The defendant had a serious drugs problem and knew he would be able to address his addiction problems while in a prison environment, he told the court.

“He says that while he is in prison he can properly address rid himself of this drug addiction that he has, leaving him able to be released and not commit any further offences,” said Mr Bernstein.