Whisky bottle attack (From Dudley News)

Whisky bottle attack

2:34pm Monday 9th February 2009 in Local

A 24-YEAR-old Dudley shoplifter who hit a store security guard in the face with a stolen bottle of whisky has been jailed for 17 months.

Michael Cannon, of Sedgley Road, recklessly lashed out with the bottle after he was spotted stealing in the Aldi store in Brierley Hill.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how the security guard was hit near the nose before Cannon was restrained. The guard had to undergo treatment for his injury, said Warren Stanier prosecuting.

Judge Michael Challinor told Cannon it was an "unpleasant" injury on a man who had been doing his duty and added: "If you resist arrest you know you will be punished."

He told Cannon that when caught stealing by security staff he had to comply and added: "Your record leads me to believe you are now beginning to shoplift and then resist."

Cannon admitted theft, assault causing actual bodily harm and also breaching a 16 week suspended prison sentence imposed by Warley Magistrates for shoplifting.

The Judge jailed him for 52 weeks for the assault and store theft and ruled the 16 weeks should also be brought into effect - to run consecutively.

Jennifer Josephs defending said Cannon, who had been working with the Prince's Trust, was full of remorse because he had been trying to put his life back onto the rails.

She told the court Cannon had been free of drugs for around two-years and now wanted to help counsel young people who were addicted to controlled drugs., Miss Josephs stressed to the court the attack had been "thoughtless rather than deliberate. It was a reckless act."