Judge gives Stowmarket teen suspended prison sentence
A teenager from Stowmarket has been given a suspended prison sentence after robbing a shop and committing a string of other offences in the town.
Connor Higgins, 18, of Kent Road, robbed £45 from the One Stop Convenience Store in Ipswich Street on March 12 after showing a female member of staff what appeared to be a small axe.
Having previously pleaded guilty to robbery and being concerned in the supply of cannabis, he co-operated with Suffolk Police’s Operation Converter team to admit further offences which were taken into consideration during his sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court today.
The additional offences included a house burglary in Cavendish Road in July 2015 where a pair of binoculars, a smartphone and leather driving gloves were among the items stolen and the burglary of an outbuilding in Combs Lane between March and April 2016 in which he stole power tools.
Higgins also admitted taking a vehicle without consent from Swallow Drive on March 12, stealing cash from a vehicle in Northfield Road between March 9 and 10 and stealing vehicles from Newton Road in April 2016 and Finborough Road in June 2016.
Judge Rupert Overbury sentenced Higgins to two years detention in a Young Offenders’ Institution, suspended for two years.
He also ordered Higgins to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and gave him 40 days activity requirement with the aim of tackling his offending.
Speaking after today’s hearing, Dc Duncan Etchells, of the Operation Converter team, said: “Higgins admitted the offences, dating between June 3 2015 and March 12 2017, which caused considerable distress to the victims who had been impacted by the mindless theft of property.
“It will always be a priority for Suffolk Police to investigate and detect these offences and bring those responsible to justice.”
Operation Converter is an initiative aimed at encouraging offenders to admit their crimes. It enables police to give victims some peace of mind that their offender has been caught and offers the defendant an opportunity to ‘clear their slate’ so they can have a fresh start after serving their sentence.
