A career criminal will face an extra 18 months in jail for assaulting a shop owner with a metal pipe.

Gregory Minors, of Marsh Lane, Pembroke, who was described by Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves as "the angriest man I have ever seen" during an earlier hearing, is already serving a year in Westgate for another offence.

But Puisne Judge Archibald Warner lengthened his stay at her Majesty's pleasure and ordered the 36-year-old unemployed defendant to undertake anger management classes due to his "propensity for violence".

Minors, 36, was seen placing clothes in a helmet on July 1 this year at Connections Boutique in Court Street, crown counsel Wayne Caines told Supreme Court yesterday.

When the manager approached Minors, he threw the clothes on the floor and punched the complainant on the side of his head before leaving the store and returning with a three-and-a-half foot bronze metal pipe. He then hit the owner on the arm with the weapon.

When Police arrived, Minors shouted "You know what that f****** faggot did to me", after his arrest he added: "I hate that f****** faggot."

The store owner suffered bruising but refused hospital treatment for his injuries.

When cautioned by Police at Hamilton Police station, Minors, who has a string of previous convictions for a range of crimes including four assaults on Police officers, said: "F*** you. Lock me up for ten years because when I get out, there is going to be a storm worse than Fabian."

Mr. Caines said due to the nature of the offence, the lack or remorse shown by Minors and the number of previous convictions, he should be sentenced the maximum of two years.

"This is a defendant that has had every opportunity to sort his life out and has not," said Mr. Caines, who told the court that Minors had previously been convicted for six assaults, violently resisting arrest, three offences of using threatening words, two of threatening behaviour and breaking Domestic Violence Protection Orders.

"To echo the words of Magistrate Greaves, 'this man will either kill somebody or be killed himself' and society must be protected by the force of the law."

In mitigation, Minors told the court: "I'd like to apologise for my character and how I sometimes present myself.

"It happens sometimes to me that I act in a way that is unconstitutional. I would like you to understand the circumstances under which I'm here.

"I was provoked by him."

He accused the shop owner of making homosexual advances at him in the past, including offering to "suck his d***" that day.

"I'm not a bad person," he added.

In sentencing Minors to an additional 18 months in jail, Mr. Justice Warner said: "The defendant has a propensity for violence and cannot control his temper or anger."

The Connections Boutique store owner contacted last night to deny claims by Minors that he had made sexual advances to him.

"It is simply not true," he said.

"I was working in the store, the cashier called me over to say that this man was trying to steal something from the store ? and then he assaulted me. That's it."