A man asked a shop worker ‘where is the shank’ before threatening to kill her and burn down the shop.
Myles Heaney, 29, of Badminton Road in St Pauls, made the threats after smashing a customer over the head with a bottle of wine in St Pauls Supermarket, and fleeing the scene with Champagne and cigarettes.
Heaney, who suffers from mental health problems, told the female shop worker: “I don’t care about police, I’m from St Pauls.”
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Heaney appeared in Bristol Magistrates’ Court today (Thursday, January 27) charged with using threatening behaviour to cause harassment, alarm and distress, criminal damage to a property valued under £5000, theft from a shop, and affray on May 9, 2021. He pleaded guilty to the charges on January 6.
Lucy Eastwood, prosecuting, told the court that a fight broke out after Heaney asked a man for drugs.
“Mr Heaney entered St Pauls Supermarket on Grosvenor Road at about 10.15pm,” Ms Eastwood said.
“He approached a customer, and was heard asking him for drugs.”
Ms Eastwood explained the customer told Heaney: “You just spat at me,” to which Heaney replied: “You don’t know who I am, I’m from St Pauls.”
A fight broke out, which is when Heaney got a bottle of wine and smashed it over the man’s head. He proceeded to hit him when he was on the floor.
“A member of the public asked Heaney to leave which he did,” Ms Eastwood said.
“But he then went back into the store and asked a female member of staff ‘where is the shank?’
“[The shop worker was] very scared by the behaviour and didn’t try and stop him because she was scared of what he would do.
“He left with Champagne and cigarettes with no attempt to pay.”
The court heard how the shop worker was so scared she asked everyone in the shop to leave so she could lock the door.
“Mr Heaney returned an hour later. He told the shop worker ‘I don’t care about police, I’m from St Pauls.”
He proceeded to call the shop worker a “f***ing a**hole.” He said: “I will kill you. I will come back to your shop and burn it down.”
Ms Eastgate read a victim statement from the shop worker, who said she was "very distressed" by the incident, and didn't want to work there anymore as a result.
Peter Richardson, mitigating, told the court how Heaney was at “rock bottom” last May mental health wise.
He explained Heaney, who suffers with psychosis, has started an early intervention scheme and been to rehab to work on his addiction problems since the incident.
“He has an insight into his problems now,” Mr Richardson said. “He wants to get himself better, he wants to move on in a positive way.
"He has a very good support network, with lots of family sat at the back of court today."
Magistrate Deborah Merrick sentenced Heaney to a community order of 12 months, a mental health treatment requirement, ten rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days, a £100 fine, £94.99 in compensation, £85 in prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £95.
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