A SOUTHAMPTON man armed with a golf club and a pair of shears smashed in his way into a city convenience store.

Daniel Paul Slack used the club to break his way into The Co-Op at Ocean Village.

Once inside, the 27-year-old stole alcohol and tobacco worth more than £400.

Police arrived and arrested Slack near to the store.

When they searched him, they found a pair of “razor sharp” shears.

Slack, of International Way, Weston, was jailed for two years during a hearing at Southampton Crown Court last month.

The court heard how the theft took place at the Ocean Way Co-Op on July 4 this year.

While breaking in Slack triggered the alarm and the store manager was informed.

When police arrived they found a bag of tobacco products and three bottles of Jack Daniels.

Slack had fled the scene but was arrested nearby.

In mitigation, Mark Florida-James said his client had committed the break-in as an “act of desperation”.

He said Slack was due to be recalled to prison for a previous offence in 2012, when he was sentenced to ten years in prison for slashing a stranger across the face with a bread knife as he walked through a Southampton park.

The sentence included a five-year extension period.

Mr Florida-James said following his release this year, Slack had been involved in an argument with his partner.

He said Slack did not have a place to stay, was without a job or benefits and was in need of money in the lead up to the Co-Op theft.

Mr Florida-James as a result of his recall, Slack was unlikely to be released until 2027.

Judge Christopher Parker QC sentenced Slack, who pleaded guilty to one count of burglary, to two years in prison.