A DRUNKEN yob was today locked up for threatening to kill two pizza shop workers unless they dropped criminal damage charges against him.

Daniel Hewitt left staff at the take-away terrified for their lives and afraid to go back to the shop, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Hewitt was on police bail for the December criminal damage when on January 10 this year he went into Pizza Salerno on High Street, Loftus.

Niaz Mohamad and Assadallah Abdulfathi, who had given statements to the police, were working in the shop when Hewitt entered just before midnight.

Prosecutor Richard Parsell said he screamed at them: "You black bastards, drop the charges or I'll kill you. I have many friends, you will die."

The two worried workers noticed 21-year-old Hewitt had his hand over his pocket and believed he had a weapon, although he made no such claims.

Unemployed Hewitt, of Muriel Street, Carlin How, near Saltburn, admitted witness intimidation and was yesterday jailed for nine months.

Mr Parsell told the court that Hewitt has a "depressing" catalogue of previous convictions for public disorder and criminal damage.

Judge Peter Armstrong told Hewitt: "No witness should be subject to that sort of behaviour and the courts have to do what they can to send out the message that it simply will not be tolerated.

"The fact that you were heavily intoxicated is no mitigation whatsoever. The occupants of that shop were terrified. They thought you had a weapon from your manner. You threatened to kill them."

The court heard that Hewitt was given a nine-month community order and told to pay £100 compensation in February for the criminal damage.

Andrew McGloin, mitigating, urged Judge Armstrong not to jail his client, saying he has moved away from trouble-making friends.

Mr McGloin said Hewitt's father was prepared to get him a job at the recycling plant where he works, to help keep him out of bother.

"While he says he would never have carried out the threats, he does acknowledge now that the shopkeeper thought the words were genuine and caused him great anxiety and distress," said Mr McGloin.