A SHOPLIFTER who threatened a store detective with the promise of uncapped drug needles will miss an operation to fix his swollen scrotum.

Marcus Pocock suffers from hydrocele, a painful condition that can cause the scrotum to swell. Surgeons can lance the boil in an operation known as a hydrocelectomy.

The 45-year-old had been due to have the treatment done at the Great Western Hospital on Wednesday.

But Swindon magistrates kyboshed that plan by sending him to prison – for 12 weeks.

Pocock was jailed for two shop thefts, threatening a store detective, failing to surrender to the court and failing to comply with a community order.

Grey-faced Pocock, who visibly winced as he walked into the dock, spoke only to confirm his personal details and his guilty pleas.

Graham Dono, prosecuting, said Pocok had visited Debenhams in Bristol on September 7. He was seen by a “loss prevention officer” selecting two items from a shelf and removing the security tags.

He replaced a red box on the shop shelf but kept hold of a £120 tub of Elizabeth Arden Prevage anti-aging moisturiser.

When he was challenged by the store detective Pocock became aggressive. He reached inside the right pocket of his jacket before telling the Debenhams guard he had uncapped needles in his possession.

A security guard from nearby TK Maxx came to the Debenhams man’s aid and police were called.

Pocock had been due to stand trial on the public order matter – using threatening words with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence. Bristol magistrates found him guilty in his absence on October 23.

He admitted the earlier theft of two bottles of Armani fragrance from Superdrug, Devizes, in August.

Pocock, of Sheep Street, also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to the courts and breaching the terms of a community order by failing to attend appointments.

Defending, Richard Williams said: “I spoke to Mr Pocock earlier in the cells. I made it plain to him he is running out of road frankly and he is swimming against the tide. He understands there are only so many chances someone can be given.”

His client had struggled with a long-standing addiction to class A drugs and now suffered from painful hydrocele. He said Pocock no longer used heroin or crack cocaine, but continued to binge on alcohol.

A benefits complication had left him low on funds and unable to travel to court. He had attempted to steal the moisturiser from the Bristol store to give as a gift to a loved one.

Magistrates took a dim view of Pocock’s offending, jailing him for 12 weeks and ordering he pay a £115 victim surcharge.