A man stole and ate sweets from the pick and mix stand of a cinema before throwing them aggressively at staff.

Edward Arthur Bryson, aged 55 and of no fixed abode, appeared at Weymouth Magistrates Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to charges of being drunk and disorderly, theft and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

The offences of theft and threatening behaviour related to an incident at the Plaza Cinema in Dorchester.

The court heard that on January 3, Bryson was seen by cinema staff taking sweets from the pick and mix stand in the foyer and eating them without paying.

The duty manager was made aware of him by a member of staff and he threw sweets at her.

Richard Oakley, prosecuting, said: “She asked the defendant to leave, but he shouted abuse at her and made her feel scared and threatened. She then took shelter in a cupboard with other members of staff to protect themselves from the defendant.

“The defendant took ice cream from the freezer and stumbled into the rope barrier, which he picked up and started swinging around.” The offence of being drunk and disorderly related to a separate incident on Friday, January 24, at the Dray Horse Yard in Brewery Square in Dorchester.

Police were called by security staff shortly after 10pm. Bryson was ‘very drunk’, the court heard, and refused to leave the area when asked to do so.

Two police officers attended and found him on a bench outside Pizza Express - he had an almost empty bottle of vodka and was swearing.

Kenny Sharpe, defending, said Bryson is 'obviously someone who struggles with alcohol.'

"It's his own demons that catch up with him," said Mr Sharpe.

For the offence of being drunk and disorderly, Bryson was given a conditional discharge for six months.

However, he was sent to prison for eight weeks due to the other offences because he was in breach of a previous suspended prison sentence of 10 weeks.