A MAN who robbed a shopkeeper by snatching cigarettes after threatening to “knock him out” has been spared an immediate jail sentence.

Ashad Pervez, who had been drinking heavily, went on to assault two police officers who were arresting him and to racially assault a hospital nurse, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Pervez, 34, of Victoria Court, Keighley, stole a bottle of vodka from Kangs News & Booze in nearby Victoria Road, and then returned to rob the store.

The father of four was rude and aggressive, telling the shopkeeper: “Do you know who I am, I’m not paying for it?” when he took the vodka worth £31 on August 7 last year.

He returned to the shop a short time later to rob the victim of cigarettes valued at £12.

When the shopkeeper refused to hand them over, Pervez told him: “Put the cigs down or I’ll knock you out,” the court was told.

He said he knew where the man lived and he threatened to kill him.

The robbery was caught on CCTV and police officers saw Pervez soon afterwards driving a VW Golf in Keighley.

While he was being apprehended, he used racially abusive language and kicked out at the officers who had to use Pava spray to subdue him.

Pervez was taken to hospital where he racially abused and assaulted a nurse on the ward by punching her in the chest when she tried to calm him down because he was being angry and abusive.

He called her “a white whore” and knocked her backwards, the court was told.

Pervez pleaded guilty to robbery, theft, assaulting two police officers with intent to resist arrest, and racially assaulting the nurse.

He had 12 convictions for 35 offences, the court heard.

His barrister, David McGonigal, said the offences were out of character. Pervez was in work and had kept out of trouble for five years.

He was a family man doing his best to support his wife and children by working shifts.

Pervez had battled with alcohol in the past but had made big strides to cut down his drinking.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, sentenced Pervez to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with 150 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement to help him with anger management and to curb his drinking.

Judge Mansell conceded that Pervez had mental health problems and was doing his best to support his family.