A burglar who stole more than £14,000 cash from a Suffolk supermarket after climbing into the roof space and cutting a pipe used to carry pods of cash has been jailed for four years.

Twenty-three pods containing a total of £14,800 cash were intercepted at the Sainsbury’s store in Bedingfield Way, Bury St Edmunds, on January 11, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Michael Bryon, 35, of Staffordshire, denied the burglary but was found guilty after a two day trial.

Lindsay Cox, prosecuting, told the court that Bryon was arrested after his DNA was found on tape used during the burglary to maintain the air flow through the cash delivery system.

He told the jury that in 2010 Bryon had committed an almost identical burglary at a Tesco’s store in Swindon.

On that occasion the roof space at the store was entered and £10,400 cash was stolen after a pipe in the air flow system was cut.

Mr Cox said Bryon had pleaded guilty to that burglary and claimed he had been the driver.

Outlining the facts to the Sainsbury’s burglary in January, Mr Cox described it as “an interesting form of theft.”

He said that the missing cash was discovered on the evening of January 11 by two members of staff who noticed 23 empty pods.

Police officers found a vent on the roof had been forced open and entry had been gained into the roof space of the store.

Pieces of tape were found on the pipe where it had been cut and DNA found on it matched the defendant’s profile.

Bryon denied being involved in the burglary on January 11 and said he had given his partner a lift to her sister’s during the afternoon and had then done some DIY at home.

He accepted owning tape like that used in the break-in and said he knew people who committed offences like the Sainsbury’s break-in.