A serial thief from Bransholme who raided two newsagents in 24 hours waved a knife and hurled abuse at police officers after they demanded to search his home.
Lewis Towle, 23, had already carried out a range of thefts, including stealing more than £3,000 from a Subway outlet, when he was caught by police with a host of stolen items in his home.
But, after being given a court date and released on bail, he continued his crime streak and stole hundreds of pounds worth of stock from two newsagents in the region within the space of 24 hours.
When police again returned to his home in Cheriton Close, they demanded to search the property but was told by Towle to "f*** off, you are not coming in".
He then picked up a long kitchen knife and started goading the police by waving it at them through the window.
Eventually, he opened the back door but remained obstructive and aggressive. However, officers quickly found the stolen items and arrested him and placed on remand.
Towle appeared before Hull Crown Court following his spate of crime, which began on November 5, 2016, when a stolen car with a balaclava inside was found on his driveway.
Just over a week later, he was caught on CCTV using a crowbar to force open the door of a Subway restaurant in Kingswood Retail Park so he could empty a safe and collect more than £3,000.
His actions caught up with him when police searched his home in Cheriton Close, Bransholme, and found a host of stolen items, including a bicycle, and remote-controlled helicopters.
Towle initially entered not guilty pleas and was released on bail. His trial, which was set for February, was adjourned but a month later, he was caught offending again.
In the early hours of the morning on March 19, he raided a newsagents and stole cigarettes, lighters and papers from before breaking into New Village News in Cottingham .
He raided the second premises of £1,500 worth of stock, including 24 bottles of Lucozade and five bags of loose change.
Police again went to the defendant&apos;s address and demanded to search the property, when Towle used the knife to goad them before his subsequent arrest.
The defendant, who also breached a suspended sentence by committing the thefts and burglaries, again denied all the charges before a change of heart saw him enter guilty pleas to three burglaries, four counts of handling stolen goods and one offence of taking a vehicle without the owner&apos;s consent.
Paul Genney, defending, said Towle is an "intelligent young man" who has qualifications as a mechanic as he tried to convince the judge to sentence him to a short spell in custody.
"He has got potential - whether he uses it or not only time will tell," Mr Genney said.
"His previous custodial sentence amounted to only six months - a very short period indeed. He understands that the sentence you will impose will be far more than that but it will be first substantial sentence he will serve.
"There is promise here he will learn. He is an intelligent young man and he will learn from this sentence and hopefully it will be enough to turn him into better way because he has the potential to be far much more than this."
Despite Mr Genney&apos;s submissions, recorder Anthony Kelbrick told Towle he is &apos;wasting a lot of his life by committing lots of crimes&apos;. He jailed him for three years.