A THIEF struck a man in the head with a bike lock after he reported him to security for shoplifting.

The eagle-eyed shopper witnessed Marley Warner putting items into his jacket and tipped off the store’s security guard.

But as he did so, he was overhead by Warner’s friend.

He was then attacked by the pair in the store car-park – an attack in which Warner used a bike lock to send his victim tumbling to the ground.

Last month, at Southampton Crown Court, Warner was jailed a total of 33 months after pleading guilty to the attack and more than a dozen other offences.

The court was told how the incident took place in Aldi in Portswood on May 18.

The court heard how the witness saw Warner putting items into his pockets, before going to the till to pay for a bottle of water.

He informed a nearby a security guard, but was overheard by Warner’s friend.

The pair then confronted the man and his girlfriend as they walked back to their car and hit him from behind with a bike lock.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court, via video link, Warner pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and possession of an offensive weapon.

The 24-year-old also pleaded guilty to a variety of other offences relating to separate incidents.

Warner, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to three counts of assault on emergency workers, one count of criminal damage, two public order offence, 15 counts of theft and a common assault.

As well as a 33 month prison sentence, he was also ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge.