A 19-year-old man who admitted responsibility for 35 crimes which happened across west Suffolk and in parts of Norfolk has escaped a prison sentence.

Joseph Cousins, of Burling Way, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, was convicted yesterday at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court and handed a sentence of 18 weeks, suspended for 12 months.

On 14 December last year, Cousins was charged with burglary at a property of Billberry Close in Red Lodge where several drills, saws, a socket set and a pressure washer were stolen.

He was also charged with theft from a motor vehicle on Juniper Road in Red Lodge where a pair of sunglasses were stolen, and a second theft from motor vehicle from a car parked in Harebell Road in Red Lodge where a Dell laptop and satellite navigation system were stolen.

He also admitted responsibility for a further 32 incidents that took place across the west of the county between September 13 and September 19, including four incidents of interference with motor vehicles and 28 incidents of thefts from motor vehicles.

These crimes amounted to over £4,700 worth of goods being stolen and happened at locations in Red Lodge, Feltwell and Weeting.

In one incident, around £2,000 worth of power tools were stolen from a Vauxhall Astra van, while in another incident £450 worth of sunglasses, sportswear and footwear were stolen from a vehicle.

DC Duncan Etchells, from the Operation Converter team, said: “Cousins is a determined individual whose prolific criminality caused his victims great distress.

“Burglary and theft from vehicles is a clear invasion of people’s homes and vehicles and can be very upsetting and distressing for the victims.”

A spokesman for Suffolk police said: “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.”