A supermarket security guard is still anxiously awaiting blood test results after he suffered a needle injury wrestling with a shoplifter.
The thief who grappled with the security officer - and later held up a small shop with a broken bottle - was today jailed for four years.
The officer was seen on CCTV footage in a lengthy violent struggle with Dominic James Stewart.
“I have never encountered the level of violence I was confronted with that day in 20 years as a security officer,” the victim later said.
He thought he had been punched to his right arm, but afterwards he felt a dull ache and found a blood spot and a needle-type puncture wound.
He said in an impact statement read out in court today: “I’ve been prescribed tranquilliser medication to help me sleep.
“I no longer feel safe at work. I have considered leaving.
“My main concern is still that any blood tests have not returned so I don’t know if I’ve been infected.
“Words do not sum up the level of stress this has caused me. I will never get over it.”
He pursued Stewart, 34, who was leaving Morrisons in Berwick Hills, Middlesbrough without paying for a basket full of shopping at about 8pm on December 10 last year.
The thief resisted and his top came off as the two men wrestled on the floor of the Ormesby Road shop.
They stopped struggling and Stewart was restrained in front of a store Christmas tree.
He darted out of an emergency exit as he was being escorted to a search in a security room.
Stewart had denied having any sharps to staff, but capped needles were found in his rucksack.
Prosecutor David Crook said it was difficult to know exactly how the wound happened.
He said it could not be shown there was a deliberate strike with a needle in the attack.
Stewart brandished a broken bottle in an armed robbery at the Beechwood Convenience Store 10 days later, at 8pm on December 20.
He tried to disguise himself with a hood drawn up and a scarf across his face, but staff recognised him as he had been barred for stealing.
Holding a broken bottle by its neck, he told a male shopkeeper: “You’re getting robbed. Give me all your money.”
He said “and the rest” and repeatedly thrust the bottle at the scared worker, who filled a carrier bag with money. The threatening raider left with the bag.
Stewart, of Essex Street, Ayresome, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to robbery and assault with intent to resist arrest.
He also admitted eight thefts - a string of shoplifting offences from November and December.
He stole a £980 boxing glove chain from H & T Pawnbrokers on Dundas Street, Middlesbrough, and toiletries, chocolate, meat and plug-ins from other shops.
He had previous convictions for robbery and burglaries which earned him jail terms of up to five years.
Gary Wood, defending, said Stewart pleaded guilty at an early stage and had not offended since 2011.
Since his last release he made genuine efforts to turn his life around, did manual landscape work, started a family and kept out of trouble.
He relapsed back into drug use after finding out from a DNA test that his partner’s baby was not his and lost his job.
His unemployment had a far worse impact on him, said Mr Wood, and he was “led into temptation”.
Mr Wood added: “Drugs played a huge role in the commission of these offences.”
He said Stewart did not intend to cause any injury to the security guard doing his public duty, merely to get away.
He said there was not a sophisticated level of planning in the convenience store robbery.
Judge Howard Crowson said the most serious offence was the frightening armed robbery, for which he jailed him for 40 months.
He added four months for the prolonged assault on the security officer.
He said of the needle injury victim: “I hope and perhaps I will expect that his anxieties will dissipate when the results are provided to him.”
He gave Stewart another four months for the other persistent thefts, making a total of four years.
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