A shoplifter who put stolen vodka into a child’s buggy he was pushing told staff who followed him outside Tesco in Camborne: “You wake my baby and I’ll deck you….” and was then found to be pushing not a child but a doll.

Before Truro magistrates was David Carver, 37, of Green Lane, Redruth, who pleaded guilty to stealing vodka and going equipped to steal. He also admitted a bail offence.

Gail Hawkley, for the CPS, said he had been seen in the store taking the vodka and putting it into the buggy. He was followed outside where when confronted by staff he became aggressive. When he tilted the buggy the bottle was visible and so was the doll where a child would have been.

The bottle was found to have a silver foil around its security tag and Carver had a roll of silver foil in one of his pockets. He had previous convictions.

His solicitor Robin Smith said he had had previous drink and drugs problems but was making efforts to put this right, with some success.

Carver was given a six week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and told to pay £80 victim surcharge.