A shoplifter who stole household goods worth £1,000 from Ipswich stores and a charity box from a Framlingham pet store has been jailed for 16 months.

Sentencing 29-year-old Ashley Griffin for the theft of goods worth £1,000 from stores including John Lewis, Wilkinsons and Hobbycraft, Judge Martyn Levett said it looked as though he was fitting out his own home or someone else’s house with the stolen items.

Griffin, 29, of Horseman Court, Martlesham Heath, admitted seven offences of shoplifting, burglary and handling stolen goods and was jailed for a total of 16 months.

The court heard the shoplifting offences were committed between March 19 this year and May 22 and included a £220 sewing machine and a lamp which were stolen from Hobbycraft at Martlesham and a £149 kettle and two pairs of curtains worth £360 which were stolen from John Lewis in Ipswich.

Griffin had also stolen an £85 vacuum cleaner and a £99 steam mop from Wilkinsons in Ipswich.

Michael Crimp, prosecuting, said on another occasion Griffin had tried to leave Wilkinsons without paying for two other steam mops but had been stopped by staff.

Also before the court was Julian Ellis, 52, of Ascot Drive, Ipswich, who admitted burglary and breach of a suspended prison sentence and was jailed for eight months.

Mr Crimp told the court Griffin and Ellis, who has 203 previous convictions, had broken into Toby’s Pet Shop in Bridge Street, Framlingham, last month and stole an electric till and five charity boxes.

Mr Crimp said the charity boxes contained around £250 which had been collected for charities including East Anglian Air Ambulance, Marie Curie, Suffolk Animal Rescue and Laxfield Pre-school.

Griffin had also been found in possession of £280 worth of frozen meat which had been stolen during a break in at Kiln Farm Shop, Kesgrave, between June 15 and June 16 this year.

Paul Donegan, representing both men, told the court that they both had long standing drug problems.

He said Griffin’s shoplifting offences had been unsophisticated and he hadn’t disguised himself in any way.