A BURGLAR who stole more than �18,000 during a burglary at a seaside amusement arcade has been jailed for two years.

Jane Hunt

A BURGLAR who stole more than �18,000 during a burglary at a seaside amusement arcade has been jailed for two years.

Sentencing Philip Green, Judge John Devaux said the burglary at the Forum Amusement Arcade in Sea Road, Felixstowe had been carefully planned and was a “professional operation”.

Green, 42, of Bond Street, Ipswich admitted burglary in March last year.

Patricia Doggett, prosecuting at Ipswich Crown Court, said there was an element of pre-planning in the burglary as tape had been placed over security monitors earlier in the day while the arcade was open.

Entry to the premises had been gained by forcing rear doors and during the burglary internal doors and gaming machines had been forced open and a grinding wheel had been used on the safe.

As well as stealing �18,000 from the safe and the gaming machines the burglars had caused �14,000 damage to the premises.

Several days after the burglary police stopped a car in which Green was a passenger in the Felixstowe area and found a number of cash bags in the vehicle which were similar to those used at the amusement arcade.

Police also discovered tools in the vehicle that were consistent with those used in the burglary as well as two screwdrivers which had come from the arcade.

When police searched Green's home they found a bag containing �78 cash.

Roger Thomson, for Green, said his client had a history of drug related offending and was keen to get off drugs and planned to use his time in prison usefully.