Two men have been jailed after being convicted of stealing from shops in Bury St Edmunds.

Gavin McConkey, 53, of no fixed abode but from the Bury St Edmunds area, was sentenced at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court yesterday, 10 July, to theft from a shop, possession of a controlled drug and possession of a knife or bladed article in a public place.

He was sentenced to 26 weeks’ imprisonment and ordered to pay £239 in costs and victim surcharges.   

McConkey was arrested after a high street shop in the town centre had reported the theft of £141 worth of clothing on 9 July.  

Devin Paola, 24, of Chalk Road South, Bury St Edmunds, was convicted at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on 26 June of 11 theft from shop offences, as well as a public order offence and one count of assault by beating. In total, he received a 12-week custodial sentence. He was ordered to pay costs and victim surcharges totalling £1,169.98.

Paola was arrested on 24 June on suspicion of having stolen clothing from a shop in the town centre.

Sergeant Joseph Nettleton of Bury St Edmunds Community Policing Team said: “This shows our continued commitment to tackling retail crime in Bury St Edmunds.

“It’s vital that we work with businesses and that business continue to report these crimes so we can investigate and look to prosecute when possible and appropriate.

“In these cases, and in others, working and good quality CCTV has provided important evidence and I would advise any businesses wanting more advice to look on our website or to get in contact.” 

You can find crime prevention advice for shoplifting via the Suffolk Constabulary website: www.suffolk.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/keeping-business-safe-from-crime/how-secure-is-your-shop/