A SERIAL offender who has spent almost half his life in prison is back behind bars after threatening to kill a supermarket security guard.

Daniel Gale, of no fixed abode, was once again locked up after setting a fake gun on a Morrison’s employee who caught him and his friend stealing alcohol.

Armed police and a police helicopter were called to the Basingstoke Road supermarket as Gale, 30, chucked the imitation firearm in a bin and tried to flee the scene.

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The offence was committed on September 27, 2021, at around 9.45 pm, three months after Gale was handed a suspended sentence for robbery.

He and a friend were spotted loading alcohol into a bag on CCTV by a security guard.

The security guard confronted them and found £117 worth of booze stashed away.

Gale and his friend were told to leave the store but the defendant started abusing the security guard, calling him a ‘f****** c***’.

He told the security guard to come outside as he wanted to show him something, but the employee refused.

Reading Chronicle:

It was at this point that Gale pulled a pistol from his waistband. He pointed it at the security guard, and said: “I will kill you.”

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Reading Crown Court heard how he also pointed the gun at a cashier, but he fled the scene when a customer raised the alarm about the stand-off.

Armed police were called to the scene and a police helicopter was dispatched to locate Gale.

He was seen discarding the gun in a bin before he was arrested on Northumberland Avenue.

Gale told officers he put a torch in the bin, but upon recovery, the item in question was a BB gun with a cylinder attached, which was added to give the appearance of a silencer.

In a statement read by prosecutor Tom Worden, the victim said he feared for his life after Gale pulled the gun on him.

“This was very distressing at the time and since then it has left me feeling very anxious and unsafe”, the victim said.

Gale, appearing via video link from custody, held his head in his hands and shook his head as he listened to Mr Worden read the victim's statement.

Reading Crown Court heard how Gale has 22 convictions for 37 offences, including rape, shoplifting, possession of an imitation firearm and possession of a knife.

The 30-year-old has spent 13 years of his life in prison.

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He was recalled to jail in 2013 after absconding from a curfew. He was refused release from a parole board until 2020 as he refused to engage with rehabilitative courses following his rape conviction.

Speaking to the court from custody, Gale said this was because he ‘maintained his innocence’ over this sexual offence.

Nick Saunders, defending, said there was no risk to the public over the course of the incident as the item Gale used was not a real firearm.

He claimed Gale has had a ‘torrid time’ in prison having been stabbed and bullied.

Mr Saunders also said Gale appeared to want to engage with rehabilitation courses and claimed ‘he simply can’t face doing another long stretch.’

Her Honour Judge Norton, sentencing, said the security guard threatened at gunpoint by Gale was ‘understandably terrified’ as he ‘believed he would be killed’.

She said she understood Gale had personality disorders but told him that no psychologist could link his conditions to his crime.

Gale was sentenced to 40 months in prison for possession of an imitation firearm and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause distress.

HHJ Norton added another 18 months on to his sentence for breaking his suspended sentence order.

This means Gale received a 58-month prison sentence, of which he will serve half.

He appeared at Reading Crown Court on Monday, April 4.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Amy-Jane Rogers, based at Reading police station, said: “This was a terrifying incident for the victim in this case who was unaware at the time it was not a real firearm.

“The sentence shows the severity of this offence and how seriously it is taken by the courts.

“I would like to thank the victim for his bravery in coming forward and for his support throughout the investigation.”