Man abused security guard and threatened builders with a knife

ASHOPLIFTER who called a security guard a ‘ bomber’ and also threatened three builders with a knife and pool cue has been jailed for 54 weeks.

Patrick Mulcahy was caught stealing bottles of vodka from the Bacup Morrisons store and was ‘jumped upon’ by security guard Mohammed Qaiser, a court heard.

Mulcahy suffered a dislocated shoulder during the incident and called Mr Qaiser a racist name and a ‘bomber’.

In a separate incident the father-of-two threatened three builders with a knife and a pool cue after returning home from a drunken night out to find that his flat had been ‘trashed’.

Mulcahy, of Tong Lane, Bacup, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to threatening a person with a knife, theft, racially aggravated harassment all committed while he was subject to a suspended sentence order.

The 32-year-old, who has 17 convictions for 25 previous offences, was jailed for 54 weeks.

The court heard how Mulcahy was caught shoplifting £30 worth of vodka on February 6 this year.

Judge Ian Leeming QC said the defendants racist comments caused Mr Qaiser ‘considerable upset’.

The court was told that a few weeks earlier on January 12 Mulcahy had returned home after a night out drinking to find his flat had been ‘trashed’.

He left the property and walked around before coming across a group of men working on a building site on Thorn Bank, even though they had nothing to do with it.

The court was told how Mulcahy approached the workers and started shouting at them and saying he ‘wanted to fight them’.

Mulcahy was ‘gesticulating with his fingers as if they were a gun’ before being told to go away, the court heard.

The defendant left the scene before returning a short time later with a 12-inch black handled knife that ‘had the appearance of a machete’.

He then shouted: “You are all taking me for a **** head. I will slash you all up.

Mulcahy then put the knife down, but when one of the men tried to grab it the defendant snatched it again and said ‘I will stab you all. I will cut you up’.

The court was told that Mulcahy then ‘lunged’ at one of the men with the knife, but missed and didn’t cause any injury.

He left the scene again but returned for a third time and initially started to apologise. ”

However, the court was told that he ‘changed his mind’ and threw a broken pool cue at the builders.