A man who threatened to shoot staff at a Tesco store has been given a suspended sentence.

Theodore Adiyan used an imitation firearm to intimidate security guards at the store in Highbridge Road, Barking, on January 1 last year.

He had returned to the store car park days after being banned for shoplifting shouting “Come outside, I’m going to kill you” to Malik Badjie.

Adiyan then pulled out the weapon as Mr Badjie and his colleague Mahbubur Rahman wrestled him to the ground.

The 47-year-old, of Bushey Road, Plaistow, had previously threatened to stab the security guards after being detained on suspicion of shoplifting.

He admitted possessing an imitation firearm during the hearing at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.

The court heard that Adiyan has had mental health problems in the past.

Judge David Radford told him: “It is plain from the evidence that you had decided for no proper reason that you had a grievance against those who worked at that store at which you had been banned.

“On the day of this offence, having threatened previously to kill, you attended the store with this imitation firearm.

“One of those members of staff was fearful that it may be a real gun.

“It was not – it was an imitation firearm.

“Nevertheless, it is something with the potential to cause fear certainly by carrying it to that place in the context of the previous threats being made.”

Adiyan was given a six month sentence suspended for 18 months.

He will have to comply with a supervision requirement and mental health treatment requirement for 12 months.

Adiyan was also a banned going within 100m of the Tesco store.