A shoplifter who threatened supermarket staff with a knifing before hiding outside the store has escaped a jail sentence from magistrates.

Matthew John Webber had been suspected of stealing television sets from Asda in the early hours of the morning, and threatened a staff member when he tried to take a loaded trolley from him.

Webber, 31, of Higher Market Street, Penryn, later told police he had deliberately gone to the store to steal as he was struggling with money.

At Truro Magistrates’ Court he pleaded guilty to stealing two televisions and groceries worth £764.58 from Asda on February 10, and also admitted using threatening behaviour towards an Asda employee.

Graham Calderwood for the Crown Prosecution Service said Webber was followed out of the store after alarms went off, and he had pushed the trolley outside without going through the tills. When he was shouted at to stop, he said “just call the police” and seemed determined to leave with the stolen goods.

He said he would knife the employee, and started to walk off with the trolley. There was a bit of a wrestling match with the trolley, and again Webber told the employee he would get his knife out.

He went off, and was later found hiding nearby after police were called and used a police dog to track him.

He told officers he had a borderline personality disorder and his memory of events was hazy. He admitted stealing. He said he had recently given up a 17-year-addiction to cannabis which had been a major catalyst of his personality disorder.

In court, probation officer Maggs Hopwood said Webber had told her he had been “manic” at the time of the offence, having been smoking cannabis and drinking, and had also stopped taking prescribed medication. He did not have a knife on him when he made the threats.

She said it was after his relationship with his partner came to an end that things began to go downhill for him. He lost his chimney-sweeping and stove installation business and was homeless. This started him turning to cannabis once again. There was a risk of self harm and he had made previous suicide attempts, but Webber now wanted to move back into a responsible lifestyle, being a talented musician and artist, and enjoying writing.

Webber, who had previous convictions, was given a 12 week prison sentence suspended for a year with rehabilitation activity for 20 days. He had to pay £200 costs and charges.