A shoplifter has been barred from entering any Tesco supermarket in England and Wales after falsely claiming to have AIDS while wiping blood on a worker.
Jodie Marie Skelton began throwing items on the floor at an Express branch in Birstall, Leicestershire, when confronted by staff.
The 33-year-old had entered the store with a man who acted as a decoy while she placed unpaid for products into a bag, before being challenged to return them, Leicester Crown Court heard on Monday.
Samuel Lowne, prosecuting, said the defendant also pushed a store employee as they tried to detain her with two colleagues, reports LeicestershireLive.
She grabbed the first victim round the throat and pulled their hair before hitting out with bottles and cans, and shouting racist abuse, the prosecutor said.
Skelton also dug her fingernails into a male employee's fingers and spat in his direction, but missed.
Having cut herself in the melee, she wiped her blood on a male employee's hands saying "I've got AIDS" and attempted to smear blood on another shop worker.
The prosecutor said the incident, on December 21, lasted 15 to 20 minutes.
Skelton, of Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, admitted three counts of racially aggravated common assault upon Tesco Express employees and shoplifting goods of an unknown value.
She admitted being in breach of two suspended sentences, totalling 10 months, for having a bladed article and shoplifting last April as well as taking cannabis into prison when visiting an inmate, in October.
The court heard she had numerous theft and dishonesty offences on her criminal record.
Sentencing, Judge Philip Head said: "It's unacceptable in this city or anywhere to use language like that and you should be ashamed of yourself, it was disgraceful."
He said Skelton used her blood and the false AIDS threat "as a particularly unpleasant weapon" intended to "terrify" the staff.
Judge Head added: "It's similar to the recent cases of people claiming to have Covid but this has a fair more frightening air to it.
"You have an entrenched drug habit, although you were clean for a period of time.
"Following domestic tragedies, you relapsed and got into debt."
He said there was no suggestion that Skelton did have AIDS.
He added: "I think Tesco is due to relief from you.
"I'm making a two year restraining order and you are not to enter any Tesco store in England and Wales."
He said he did not have any jurisdiction over Scotland.
Jailing her for a total of 41 weeks, he told Skelton: "Stop shoplifting."
Skelton, wearing a top, emblazoned with the word 'Fearless' smiled in the dock and said: "Thank you."
Tony Ventham, mitigating, said Skelton's "madness" on that afternoon, shortly before Christmas, put her accommodation under threat.
He said: "The threat and using blood is an aggravating factor but there was no premeditation.
"She had a subordinate role and the man she was with got away with it."
He said Skelton was successfully weaning herself off heroin with a Methadone prescription, had undergone various courses in custody to better herself and was deeply remorseful.
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