Man jailed for 18 months following burglary in Bacton
A 21 year old man has been jailed for 18 months after being charged with a burglary in Bacton
Ricky Watson of Newton Road, Stowmarket appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on September 22 where he was convicted.
The burglary took place overnight on June 8 and 9 at an address in Bacton. While occupants of the property were asleep, offenders entered and stole electrical items and keys, including those of a Renault Megane car which was parked on the driveway. The vehicle was stolen and then recovered the following day by police in Stowmarket.
Between his arrest on the June 27 and his sentencing, Watson chose to work with officers from Suffolk Police’s Operation Converter team and went on to admit six further offences. These included two burglaries in Steeles Road, Woolpit, one taking place overnight on June 13 and 14 this year and a second incident at a different property on the same road overnight on June 26 and 27.
A 16-year-old accomplice who was with Watson stole a cycle from a shed in the first incident and in the second incident Watson stole a bottle of alcohol while the teenager stole cash and a BMW from the property.
Watson was also linked to theft of a Red Mazda vehicle from a property on Deben Road in Haverhill on May 13, while overnight between May 10 and 11 Watson also drove a BMW stolen by the same 16-year-old. In late May the 16-year-old also stole a moped from Woolpit where Watson allowed himself to be carried before it was abandoned. On May 18 Watson also stole a four foot garden gnome from Mallard Way.
DC Duncan Etchells said: “House burglary is an intrusive crime that can have devastating effects on the victims. We are determined to continue to bring those who are responsible for this type of crime to justice. The message to burglars is simple; if we have information that you are burgling people’s homes, we will use all powers and tactics available to us to arrest you and ensure the Courts deal with you appropriately.”
Operation Converter is an initiative aimed at encouraging offenders to admit their crimes. This has benefits for all – police are able to give victims some peace of mind that an offender has been caught for the burglary of their home or the theft of their property and the individual has the opportunity to clear their slate so they can have a fresh start when they are released from prison, without the possibility they will later be traced for a further offence. Offenders have to give sufficient detail for officers to be sure they have committed the crime and these offences are then ‘taken into consideration’ at sentencing. The judge will look at all the offences before determining the sentence.
Watson’s 16-year-old accomplice, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was dealt with by Great Yarmouth Youth Court and was given a 12 month youth Rehabilitation Order with intensive supervision, a three month curfew order and made to pay £445 compensation.