A CONVICTED sex offender who threatened to stab a McDonald’s manager after demanding food he hadn’t paid for has been spared jail.

Shane Newnham, of Morton Road, Brading, appeared before a judge at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Tuesday, September 17.

At a previous hearing in July, the 39-year-old admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or provide unlawful violence, in Newport, on March 22.

Prosecutor, Alexandra Bull, said an agitated, heavily intoxicated Newnham was in Newport McDonald’s at around 2.30pm.

She said he was insistent and loud, asking for food and demanding a milkshake.

Ms Bull said the restaurant manager intervened, asking Newnham to leave, and he made attempts at taking other customers’ food from the counter.

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She said he went on to threaten the manager, saying he would come back for him, and that he was going to stab him.

The court heard Newnham later tried to bargain with his victim, telling him he would leave if he was given chicken nuggets, to which the manager replied: “only if you pay”.

Police officers were called, and Newnham was arrested.

The court heard he had already been made subject of an 18-month community order, imposed in February, for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old, and was thus in breach.

Jim Osborne, defending, said Newnham’s previous offence caused his family to disown him, and his mental health deteriorated massively.

He said that, and his drinking, led to the incident at McDonald’s, and when he tried to stop drinking he had fits due to alcohol withdrawal.

The court heard he had been signed off sick from work.

Newnham was fined £200 and made subject of a fresh 18-month community order, to include 40 rehabilitation days and a 12-month alcohol treatment requirement.