An Ipswich teenager who was caught shoplifting just weeks after he was given a suspended sentence for a robbery has been given another chance to stay out of trouble.

Joshua Hills, 19, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on April 25 this year and was sentenced to two years’ detention in a young offenders’ institution, suspended for two years, after admitting robbing a man in Colchester in March.

On Friday the court heard that less than two months later, on June 21, he stole £40 worth of goods from the Asda store in Stoke Park Drive, Ipswich.

Michael Crimp, prosecuting, said Hills had been seen committing the offence by staff and the stolen items were all recovered.

Hills, of Edgeworth Road, Ipswich, admitted shoplifting and breach of a suspended sentence and was given a conditional discharge for the theft and had the length of the suspended sentence extended until August 2018.

In April the court heard that the robbery took place at 5pm on March 16 as Ben Hanton was walking along Mersea Road, Colchester.

Mr Hanton saw Hills, who was wearing a hoodie, acting suspiciously but carried on walking.

Shortly afterwards he felt an arm grab him round the neck making it difficult for him to breathe.

He was then dragged behind a hedge where Hills took his wallet containing bank cards and demanded his PIN.

He then used the PIN to withdraw £200 from Mr Hanton’s bank account before he could cancel his card.

Russell Butcher, for Hills, said his client had stolen baby food during the shoplifting offence as a way of giving something back to a friend who had let him stay at her house.

Mr Butcher said Hills had been in custody for six weeks.