A 69-year-old shoplifter who drove away with a store detective hanging out of the window of his car has been jailed for nine months.

George Mugford had stolen a bottle of vodka from the Co-op in Old Town and was in his car when he was confronted by the security guard.

The pensioner then put his foot down and sped out of the car park with Karl Cadman clinging on.

Mugford, of Hunt Street, admitted theft but was found guilty of dangerous driving by a jury after denying that offence.

At a trial last month the jury heard the pensioner had been seen stealing the alcohol from the Newport Street store on August 23.

Having paid for other items he went to his car and was in a queue of traffic waiting to leave the car park when the security guard approached. After knocking on the window and showing his ID, Mugford wound it down and, having been confronted, denied stealing the vodka.

But Mr Cadman believed he was going to hand the bottle back anyway, so leaned in to retrieve it, but instead Mugford put his foot down and drove off at speed.

As he was leaning into the car the detective had to cling on to the window as the car shot out into the road.

It travelled five or six car lengths before he was flung to the road just before the vehicle smashed into a wall.

He was taken to hospital where he was treated for cuts and bruises.

During the trial Mugford said he had been affected by a bang on the head he had suffered before stealing the alcohol.

He said he thought he was being attacked in his car and panicked and that the car crashed as the detective had grabbed the steering wheel as he tried to stop him getting away.

But a jury rejected his version of events and a judge said he was satisfied Mr Cadman had identified himself to him before he drove off.

Trudi Yeatman, defending, said though her client had a history of offending he had not been in trouble for ten years.

Mugford had problems with his health, she said, having undergone a quadruple heart bypass in the past and lived on his pension in the home of one of his children.

She said he was remorseful for what happened and didn’t know why he had stolen the drink as his problems with alcohol were in the past.

Passing sentence Judge Euan Ambrose said: “It has to be said there was no trace of remorse in your evidence at the trial. There was anger at Mr Cadman and the forceful assertion it was his fault.

“It was very dangerous. Mr Cadman could very easily have been very seriously injured indeed. It is so serious only a custodial sentence can be justified.”

He jailed Mugford for nine months and banned him from the road for two years and told him he must pass an extended retest.