HEROIN addict Jeris Ryan has been jailed for 16 months after committing a string of offences shortly after being released from prison.

The 22-year-old, who has 47 previous convictions, was twice caught carrying knives and was also found to have heroin while on bail.

Ryan was jailed for 18 months last year after being involved in an attack on a man in his own home over drugs money.

Simon Brenchley, prosecuting, said he was released from prison after serving half the sentence.

Police were called to TK Maxx in Swindon town centre at lunchtime on Friday, November 18 after staff thought they saw him trying to remove tags from stock.

When two officers arrived they confronted Ryan who became obstructive and extremely agitated. A woman police officer saw a flash of silver and thought it was a knife.

She then saw Ryan place the weapon into the pocket of another man's overcoat, Mr Brenchley said.

The officers retrieved the wooden-handled kitchen knife and arrested Ryan, who continued to be aggressive.

He was questioned by police and said that he never had a knife but was charged with possessing a bladed article and obstructing the police and was released on bail to appear at court in January.

However, he failed to attend the hearing and was back out on bail when arrested on Wednesday, March 9 and found to have three wraps of heroin.

Ryan was bailed again but was arrested on Thursday, April 6 when he was caught on North Street with a folding knife with a 9cm blade.

Mr Brenchley said that though Ryan had no previous convictions for possessing knives he was jailed for having stun guns in 2004.

Ryan, of Wakefield Close, Freshbrook, admitted two counts of having a bladed article, obstructing police, possessing heroin, failing to surrender to custody and breaching an early release licence.

Andrew Hobson, defending, said that his client was a heroin addict and urged the court to consider having him assessed for rehabilitation.

Mr Hobson said that although the knife was produced in front of a police officer it had never been brandished aggressively.

Instead he was simply trying to pass it to a friend in the hope that the officers would not discover it. Mr Hobson said Ryan found the second knife in a gritting bin shortly before his arrest.

"Then there was the possession of three wraps of heroin, spectacularly undignified as they were found in his buttocks."