IPSWICH: A 21-year-old thief is serving a six-month jail term today after pleading guilty to shoplifting and attempted burglary.

Colin Weeding, of Rattlesden Close, Stowmarket, also admitted assaulting a police constable, spitting at a detention officer and criminal damage to a police cell.

Ipswich magistrates had previously heard Weeding was one of three men who tried to break into a Co-op store in Norwich Road, Ipswich, at 10.20pm on October 30.

They were seen on closed circuit television by a security guard trying to jemmy the rear door of the store with what was believed to be a crowbar.

The guard then contacted police.

A female officer and a special constable arrived to see three men running down a fire escape behind the shop.

The policewoman called for assistance and went to the front of the premises.

As she did so she looked up an alleyway to see two of the offenders jump from the roof.

One of them was detained by the special constable, the other by a police officer. The third man was found near a funeral director’s premises.

At their earlier hearings Weeding’s accomplices, Cory Masterson, 18, of Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich, and Luke Stuttard, 20, whose address was given as Ipswich police station, were given an 18-month community order, and a 16-week jail term suspended for 18 months, respectively.

They were also ordered to undertake unpaid work in the community.

In addition to the attempted burglary, Weeding was also convicted of theft from a shop after it was reported 72 cans of Carlsberg lager worth �62.55 were stolen from McColl’s in Ellenbrook Green, Ipswich.

Weeding was also brought before court on three other matters, which occurred during the course of one night.

On November 23, while in custody at Bury police station, he was accused of punching and spitting at a police officer, as well as spitting at a detention officer.

He was also said to have scratched graffiti on a cell door.

n Have you been a victim of crime and want to tell your story? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN.