A SUFFOLK drug addict left a court room to go on a shop-lifting spree which ended in him assaulting three security guards.Karl Eden had been bailed from South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court on February 8 this year when he went into Ipswich town centre to steal £160.

A SUFFOLK drug addict left a court room to go on a shop-lifting spree which ended in him assaulting three security guards.

Karl Eden had been bailed from South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court on February 8 this year when he went into Ipswich town centre to steal £160.90 worth of DVDs from Virgin.

But Eden, of Ashground Close, Trimley St Martin, had not realised he was being watched and was wrestled by three security guards as he attempted to leave the store.

Under the influence of prescription methadone and heroin he assaulted the guards by biting them until he left bruise marks.

Days earlier, on February 2, he had also stolen £154.90 worth of DVDs from HMV.

David Hutson told magistrates in Ipswich staff from Virgin had been aware the theft was taking place.

At the case, held yesterday , Mr Hutson said: “The defendant had been watched by staff on CCTV.

“He put the DVDs inside his puffa jacket and walked off.

“Security officers from several stores around wrestled the defendant. He became verbally aggressive and attempted to bite one of the officers.

“He then attacked two others. In interview he said he had been in court in the morning, come out and taken prescription methadone and then heroin.”

Eden pleaded guilty in court to three charges of assault and two of theft.

Ian Persaud, mitigating, said: “His history is of very serious drug use since the age of 12.

“He is now 25-yeas-old and in the last six years he has had no opportunity to employ himself.

“He can't help himself and occasionally he goes off the rails. However in this case he believes he was set up by the security staff.”

Eden received 16 weeks in prison for the three assaults and theft from Virgin and four weeks in prison to run concurrent for the first theft from HMV.

Graham Barnett, presiding magistrate, said: “These cases are serious as they happened on bail and on licence.

“You even committed them on the same day you had been in court.

“These were vulnerable people and people serving the public.”