A Suffolk man was found with a broken bottle in his trouser pocket following a vodka fuelled dawn rant at supermarket staff.

Christopher Patrick launched a drunken tirade at the driver of a delivery lorry outside Tesco Express in St Andrew’s Street South, Bury St Edmunds, on the morning of September 11.

The 37-year-old approached HGV driver Joshua Dixon and two store staff as they began unloading goods at 6.35am.

Suffolk Magistrates’ Court heard how Patrick was talking nonsense, saying: “You’re waiting for me to mess up my life.”

Patrick, who had been drinking vodka at a hostel in Grove Road, refused to leave and acted in an increasingly volatile manner.

Staff called police when he began tampering with the tail lift of the lorry and ripped away a red reflective sticker, which he threw to the ground before replacing on the back of the vehicle.

When arrested, he was found to be carrying the broken neck of a bottle in his right trouser pocket.

Patrick continued to be obstructive – demanding police leave him in a cell in order to “get used to being in prison”.

At a hearing the following day, he admitted being drunk and disorderly, possessing an offensive weapon and criminal damage to the lorry sticker. He was also in breach of a 12-month conditional discharge handed down by the same court for theft in April – one of 21 convictions for 33 offences.

In a pre-sentence interview, Patrick told the probation service he drank half a litre of vodka on the morning of the incident, despite being sober for a month.

Magistrates heard alcohol and crack cocaine misuse had cost him a “job, home and future”.

Drink, drugs and inactivity acted as a trigger to Patrick’s behaviour, which the probation service, said could be managed in the community with suitable unpaid work and rehabilitation.

Lyndon Davies, mitigating, said Patrick was being nothing more than a nuisance towards Tesco staff and had never intended to remove the bottle from his pocket.

“He has shown willingness to engage with the probation service and shows genuine remorse for his behaviour,” added Mr Davies.

Patrick was sentenced to a 12-month community order, including 100 hours of unpaid work, 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirement and six months of drug rehabilitation.

He must also pay Tesco £20 compensation for the sticker.