Cody Kisielnicki avoids serious punishment after pulling a Stanley knife on supermarket worker

A young Warragul man, who had a dramatic reaction to being asked to return a small amount of stolen items, has been sentenced.

A young man has escaped jail after he pulled a Stanley knife on a supermarket worker who asked him to return a can of energy drink he was trying to steal.

Cody Kisielnicki, 20, pleaded guilty to theft charges in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court on Monday.

In January Kisielnicki was asked to leave the Traralgon plaza after being disruptive.

He refused to leave and police were called.

When police spoke to him he pulled a T-shirt out of his pants and said he had refused to leave the plaza because he had stolen a T-shirt from Kmart to “make money”.

He was released on bail under the condition he wouldn’t return to Kmart.

However, unable to stay away Kisielnicki returned to the same store shortly after being released.

Despite being reminded he was banned from the shop, he refused to leave and became aggressive, running around yelling and swearing.

He eventually kicked down an emergency door, damaging the door in the process.

In March Kisielnicki visited Coles in Dandenong where he was spotted by a security worker smuggling a can of energy drink under his jumper.

When asked to give the energy drink back, Kisielnicki pulled out a Stanley knife and held it up to the worker.

“Don’t mess with me or I’ll cut you,” he said.

“I’ll stab you."

The court heard the worker was “afraid” and Kisielnicki left the store with the energy drink.

Magistrate Belinda Wallington ordered Kisielnicki not to get into any trouble for 10 months or face returning to court to be resentenced.