A burglar who was wearing a balaclava when he broke into a Cash Converters shop in Bury St Edmunds and stole jewellery and watches worth more than £4,000 has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Belvin Coney kicked in the front door of the St Andrews Street shop in the early hours of July 17 and stripped a cabinet of its contents, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
Coney, 40, of Ash Road, Thetford, admitted burglary at Cash Converters on July 17 and was given an 11 month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 160 hours unpaid work.
He was also given a ten day rehabilitation requirement and ordered to attend a Thinking Skills programme.
Sentencing Coney, Judge Emma Peters said he had stripped a cabinet at Cash Converters of rings, jewellery and watches worth £4,361.
She said Coney had a drug problem but had sought help and was now clean of drugs.
She said she was giving him a chance by not jailing him but she warned him that he would go to prison if he breached the suspended sentence order.
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