A MAN who was involved in a cash-point scam at an Ipswich bank has been jailed for eight months.

IPSWICH: A man who was involved in a cash-point scam at an Ipswich bank has been jailed for eight months.

Mihal Burciu was arrested after a resident saw him banging a cash-point machine at the Barclays branch at the junction of Chevalier Street and Bramford Road, Ipswich, and called the police, Ipswich Crown Court heard, yesterday.

Robert Sadd, prosecuting, said that Burciu and another man, who wasn't caught, had inserted a device into the cash-point machine which prevented customers removing their bank cards and withdrawing money.

After the customers left Burciu and his accomplice recovered the cards and obtained money using PIN numbers they had seen the customers enter.

The police were alerted after someone saw Burcui banging on the machine. Burcui was arrested but the other man had run away, said Mr Sadd.

Burciu, 24, of London, admitted five offences of theft and was jailed for eight months.

Jailing him Judge Peter Thompson said he had come to Ipswich for the purpose of committing the crime which he described as “sophisticated“

He awarded the local resident who alerted the police �350 from the High Sheriff's fund.

Mr Sadd said Burciu had operated a scam at the cashpoint which netted him and his accomplice �530. All but �10 of the money had been recovered after the defendant's arrest.

Tom Wainwright, for Burciu, said he had come to the UK from Romania four years ago to get work so that he could send money home to his family.

At the time of the offence in May last year he was out of work and had been desperate for money and had stupidly agree to take part in the enterprise the court had heard about.