Man avoids jail after ‘waving knife around and shouting’ in Wellingborough Sainsburys supermarket

A 37-year-old man has been handed a six-month community order after “waving a knife around and shouting” in a Wellingborough supermarket.

A man and a woman entered the Sainsbury’s store in Northampton Road, Wellingborough on June 9 last year to steal items, Northampton Crown Court heard on July 7, 2023.

The pair were confronted by security, who detained the woman, but the man - Sean Egan, aged 37 - left the store.

A short time later, Egan - of Harvey Road - returned wearing a different coat and was seen by store staff waving around a small knife whilst shouting.

Ms Chichester, prosecuting, said that Egan pointed the blade at a member of security staff, who thought that he was going to be stabbed, so he picked up a wet floor sign in a bid to deter the assailant. Egan subsequently left the store again.

Egan’s previous convictions included affray, criminal damage, assault, burglary, wounding and driving offences.

Liam Muir, in mitigation, described the incident as “unpleasant” to which His Honour Judge Mayo agreed it was “terrible.”

Mr Muir continued: “It is terrible and it is disgusting, to be honest; the defendant is disgusted by his actions.”

The court heard that, despite police interviewing Egan two days after the Sainsburys incident and having CCTV footage, Egan was not initially charged.

Egan received a 14 month prison sentence in October 2022 for dangerous driving, which was committed one day after the Sainsburys incident.

Mr Muir said the possession of a knife offence should have been dealt with along with the dangerous driving and it would have added up to three extra months to his prison sentence.

The court heard that Egan’s engagement with probation has been “very good” and he has just secured a new job.

Judge Mayo ,addressing the defendant, said: “If there was ever an example of someone learning their lesson from being locked up, it’s you.”

Egan was handed a six-month community order, an electronically monitored curfew for one month and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. A restraining order has also prohibited the defendant from entering the Northampton Road Sainsburys store for five years.