A Weston man who threatened to slit a baby’s throat has been jailed for three years.

James Lawrence, aged 23, also threatened to infect people with hepatitis at a town supermarket.

He appeared at Bristol Crown Court on September 24 charged with three counts of affray – he admitted two and was found guilty of the third.

The court was told police were called to a disturbance involving seven ‘youths’ outside the Odeon on February 20 last year where Lawrence had been spotted. Three of the men, one of them who had a blade, went into Tesco.

Witnesses saw Lawrence, of Lonsdale Avenue, threatening staff and shoppers after an altercation.

Police later found a used needle on the shop floor.

The fight continued on the streets, where a mother with a pushchair saw an ‘angry’ Lawrence walking towards her.

He pointed to her daughter in the pram and said: “I’m going to slit her throat.”

Two other witnesses heard the threat and one woman confronted Lawrence.

He was released on bail where he committed a further offence by robbing a pharmacy of methadone liquid.

He was jailed for three years in prison in total.