A MAN who threatened to “burn down” a convenience store after stealing two bottles of wine, stole a bike and two mobile phones has avoided jail.

Rashid Jbilou, 44, of St Peter’s Road, Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to theft from a shop in Christchurch Road and using racially aggravated words or behaviour towards the shop owner on the same day – August 4, 2020.

He also pleaded guilty to stealing a bicycle worth £500 from student halls in Bournemouth on October 10, 2020 and two counts of theft from another when he stole two mobile phones on February 2, 2021.

Jbilou committed the offences in October and February while on bail. He appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing on Friday.

Prosecuting, Tom Evans told the court: “On August 4, he was in the process of stealing two bottles of Jamaican wine when thwarted by the staff.

“He became abusive and threatening and called him a ‘Turkish ****’. He threatened, ‘I will come back to the store and burn it down’.”

Mr Evans said the defendant was placed on qualified curfew until his trial date, when he pleaded guilty to using racially aggravated words or behaviour, and his sentencing was adjourned until February 4.

On October 4, however, Jbilou stole a bicycle from student halls in Bournemouth worth £500, he was arrested in January this year and pleaded guilty.

Talking about the offence in February this year, Mr Evans said: “Steve Church lives in one of the flats [in Windsor Road], Rachel Jenvey was visiting at the time. They had met the defendant on previous occasions.

“At approximately 10.20am, Mr Church was woken by banging on the communal door.”

Mr Evans said Jbilou, who had a drug problem, was “attempting to score” and he “threatened to kick down” Mr Church’s door. After being let in, he stole Mr Church's and Ms Jenvey's mobile phones.

He was arrested the same day and was in possession of the SIM card from one of the phones.

The court heard Jbilou had 14 previous convictions from 31 offences.

Mitigating, Malcolm Gibney said the defendant hadn’t offended between 2008 and 2017 which suggested he was “capable of improvement”.

Mr Gibney asked Mrs Recorder Louise Harvey, sentencing judge, to defer sentence to prove Jbilou could change. The sentencing was deferred for three months.

Mrs Recorder Harvey said: “With your complete lack of respect for court orders and despite the opportunities you have been given, it seems you have fallen into a spiral of low level offending.

“The difficulty the court faces is whether to give you a number of short custodial sentences, the likelihood would be you would be released very quickly with no support.

“I am going to give you an opportunity and defer sentence for a period of three months, that would give you an opportunity.”

The defendant had to agree to reside at his usual address, not reoffend, not visit the convenient store and comply with the probation service during is deferral.

The sentencing was relisted for September 3.

Dorset Police declined to provide a custody picture.

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