TWO men have admitted trying to steal beauty products from a department store before running off and assaulting staff.

Mark Anthony Stiggers and Andrew Charles Shipsey tried to steal the products from the Swindon store on November 23 last year.

Stiggers was jailed for 12 weeks, whilst Shipsey had his sentence hearing adjourned.

Outlining the case at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, prosecutor Keith Ballinger said the pair were spotted on CCTV randomly putting items into a basket.

One of the shop workers approached the pair, asking for the items back, before being “barged” out of the way by Stiggers.

Security guards pursued them, and managed to detain one of the men.

Mr Ballinger added that one of the men also threw punches in the direction of the staff, connecting with one and missing another.

The prosecutor said that Shipsey said he was planning to sell the items to fund his Class A drug addiction.

The 33-year-old also appeared having been convicted of common assault, having ambushed a car, and leaned in to steal the driver’s phone.

Mr Ballinger said that two men and a woman were walking a dog on Newcastle Street when one of the men walked into the road and stood in front of the victim’s car.

One of the men took the driver’s phone, and as he tried to get it back, the second man – Shipsey - approached and was being threatening towards him.

It happened on June 14 last year.

It was heard that Shipsey, of Shakespeare Road in Royal Wootton Bassett, had been signed off work through depression, but decided to leave Swindon to live closer to family.

Sentencing Stiggers, of Spring Close, District Judge Joanna Dickens said that shop workers are vulnerable and that Boots is often targeted by thieves.

Noting he was to be recalled on licence for 28 days, she “may have considered a suspended sentence” but that option had been made redundant.

She instead imposed a total sentence of 12 weeks for three counts of assault and one count of theft – of which the 31-year-old will serve half.

“You’ll do six weeks from now, four of which you’d be doing anyway. So you’re only really going to be doing two weeks.

“So really in the big picture it's quite a lenient sentence.”

Meanwhile Shipsey will be sentenced for four counts of assault and one count of theft on May 26 at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court.