A MAN has been jailed for stealing £157 of meat from a city centre Lidl while armed with a razor blade.

Heath Harrison, 42, of Bowling Old Lane in the Holme Top area of Bradford, was sentenced to six months in prison for three offences, at Leeds Magistrates' Court last Monday (March 11).

The 42-year-old previously pleaded guilty to stealing from a shop, possessing a knife blade or sharp pointed article in a public place, and failing to surrender to police or court bail at the appointed time, on March 5 at the same court.

It relates to January 31 this year when Harrison entered the Lidl supermarket on Manchester Road with a razor blade.

He then stole meat worth £157.47 from the shop.

Harrison was supposed to first appear at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court on March 1 to face two charges relating to the incident at Lidl.

But he did not turn up and a warrant for his arrest without bail was issued, as a result.

Harrison then indicated a guilty plea for the first two offences on March 5, where he also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to police or court bail at the appointed time.

This was specifically for failing without reasonable cause to surrender to custody at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court on March 1, having been released on bail in criminal proceedings on February 1 at West Yorkshire Police Station.

After the trial on March 5, Harrison was remanded in custody until the sentencing date on March 11.

This was due to the nature and seriousness of the offence, Harrison's previous record and character, and there being a real prospect of him being sent down.

Harrison appeared via video link on March 11 and was handed a six month prison sentence for possessing the razor blade and ordered to pay a £128 surcharge to fund victim services.

The court said the reason for the sentence was because the offence was aggravated by the defendant's record of previous offending.

There was no separate penalty for the theft from a shop charge, but Harrison was given a one month jail sentence for failing to surrender to police or court bail at the appointed time.

This will run concurrently alongside the six month prison sentence.

The surcharge must be paid by September 9, 2022.

Harrison's guilty pleas for all three offences were considered by the court when sentencing.