A MAN who was so angry at missing the last bus home stole a jar of cooking sauce and threw it through Arriva’s office window has narrowly avoided jail.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court heard how Christopher Lane picked up the Lloyd Grossman jar in a Tesco store in Darlington town centre on July 20 after he was unable to find a brick.

The 47-year-old, of Simonside Walk, Ormesby, Middlebrough, admitted criminal damage, theft from a shop and using threatening and abusive behaviour to cause harassment.

David Maddison, prosecuting, said Tesco’s security guard had followed Lane out of the shop after he picked up the jar and saw him run down the street and throw it through the Arriva office window, causing £1,500 damage.

He also shouted at a nearby bus driver before running off.

Colin Sleeman, mitigating, said the defendant was vulnerable because of mental health issues and had been upset at the prospect of being stranded in the town.

“There was no premeditation, it was on the spare of the moment through anger and upset at the predicament that he was in and it appears he has gone ahead and committed the offences without thinking of the consequences of his actions.”

Magistrate, Ann Turnbull, gave Lane a community order for 12 months with 15 rehabilitation sessions and alcohol treatment.

She also gave him a curfew meaning he will have to be at his home from 7pm to 7am every evening for 12 weeks and ordered him to pay £500 compensation towards Arriva and £150 in court costs.

“This is your last chance – you appear before court again and you will go to prison,” she said.