A shoplifter attempting to steal £300 worth of items from a department store has been jailed after stabbing a worker with a syringe.

In a bid to escape after J E Beales employees in Wisbech caught Lina Markelyte attempting the theft, she stabbed a worked in the hand.

A court heard how the 41-year-old was trying to leave the store in September last year when staff told her the police were being called.

Markelyte followed employees back into the manager’s office where she began begging them not to report the attempt theft.

While inside the office, her pleas “turned to rage” as she grabbed a syringe from her bag and removed the protective cap.

She lunged towards the victim, syringe in hand.

The victim tried to push her away but as she grabbed Markelyte’s hand, she felt the needle puncture her skin. She eventually managed to disarm Markelyte before restraining her.

Officers arrived and arrested Markelyte, while the victim was taken to hospital for treatment.

Markelyte, of no fixed abode but from the Fenland area, admitted charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, theft from a shop and possession of a bladed article in a public place.

On Monday, November 30 at Cambridge Crown Court, she was sentenced to 30 weeks in prison.

DC Chris Goodman said: “The emotional toll this attack had on the victim cannot be overlooked.

“She was forced to endure months of testing to determine if Markelyte had infected her with the needle she used in her attack.

“I would like to commend the victim for her bravery, both at the time of the attack and throughout the investigation.

“Hopefully this sentence will make Markelyte and others think twice before resorting to such thoughtless violence.”