A father-to-be appeared in court with a bag packed for prison after failing to keep probation appointments and threatening a Tesco worker with a knife.
Clint Elliott was given a 12-week jail term, suspended for nine months, when he appeared in court in April for fraud and threatening behaviour.
But he failed to keep probation appointments as part of the order and on Tuesday magistrates activated the sentence and sent him to prison.
The court heard Elliott’s partner was due to give birth yesterday.
Magistrates were told Elliott (32), of Wellington Way, Market Deeping, had no money to keep appointments at Grantham and, even though he was given travel warrants for the train trip from Peterborough to Grantham, he could not afford the £4 bus fare from Market Deeping to Peterborough.
Chris Payne, for the Probation Service, said Elliott told the service he was considering committing a robbery to get the money and police were alerted.
Elliott pleaded guilty to two offences committed the next day – theft of a £198 TV from Tesco at Market Deeping and possessing an offensive weapon, a kitchen knife.
Prosecutor Hugh Cauthery said the store’s deputy manager, Adrian Mann, arrived for work about 7am and heard staff shouting “stop” to a man walking off with a widescreen TV.
Mr Mann challenged Elliott, who raised his trouser leg to reveal a kitchen knife tucked in his sock.
Mr Cauthery said Elliott asked Mr Mann: “Do you want some of this? I am desperate.”
The court heard Elliott stashed the TV but it was gone when he returned to collect it later.
Solicitor Mike Alexander, mitigating, pointed out that Elliott had a packed bag at his feet and fully expected to go to prison.
Mr Alexander said Elliott had medical problems and committed offences because he had no money.
The knife – less than six inches long – wasn’t brandished in the incident at Tesco.
Magistrates said Elliott would serve about six weeks in prison for his breach of the suspended sentence order.
He will be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court for the offences at Tesco.