Bury St Edmunds burglar – jailed

A 43-year-old man has been jailed for four years after admitting three counts of attempted burglary in Bury St Edmunds in March 2017.

Between 2 and 31 March, Neil Charles attempted to break into two homes in the town.

Charles, of Beaumont Close in Bury St Edmunds, was arrested on 31 March after he unwittingly triggered a doorbell camera as he attempted to break into a home in Horsecroft Road.

Although there was no trace of Charles on police arrival, he was identified from the footage and subsequently arrested at his home address around 10:15pm and taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre.

He was shown the recording during his interview with detectives and verbally admitted he had attempted to break into the home on two occasions, on 24 March and again on 31 March.

Although he gave a ‘no comment’ interview regarding another attempted burglary in Fountains Road on 2 March, following further enquiries Charles was charged with three counts of attempted burglary.

Charles appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday, 7 September, where he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment.

Temporary Detective Inspector, Craig Brett, said: "Charles is a prolific offender with a significant number of previous convictions of burglary. Thankfully he was unsuccessful in gaining access to these two homes and nothing was taken, however I hope his sentence brings some peace of mind to the victims.

"This case really illustrates the value of cameras as crime reduction devices which captured the offender and directly lead to his arrest. There are a number of smart technology products available today that are not only affordable but can help deter and detect a burglar to help keep our communities safe from crime.”