An inept burglar who broke into a clothes shop minutes from a Suffolk police station has been jailed for 35 weeks.

Police officers who responded to an intruder alarm at Javelin in Market Hill, Sudbury found Danny Whyte standing outside the premises holding a large bundle of clothes with another pile of clothes at his feet, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

When he was arrested he was found to have a knife and a tool for smashing windows in his pocket, said Michael Crimp, prosecuting.

Whyte admitted to officers that he was “fairly stupid” as the tool for smashing windows hadn’t worked and that’s why the burglary had taken so long.

He said he had pawned his wedding ring the day before and needed money to get it back. The court heard the clothes stolen by Whyte were valued at nearly £2,000 and damage to the premises was valued at £500.

Whyte, 44 and of Earlswood Way, Colchester, admitted burglary, possessing a knife and breach of a suspended prison sentence.

Richard Keogh for Whyte described the burglary committed by his client as “inept” as the premises were a few minutes from a police station.