Lee Chapman jailed for Bury St Edmunds burglaries of Nowton Park café and Jimmy’s Fish and Chip shop

A man who was wanted on prison recall from 2015 has been jailed after carrying out burglaries at a café and a fish and chip shop in Bury St Edmunds.

Lee Chapman, 44, of no fixed address but from Bury, was jailed at Ipswich Magistrates Court for four months.

He pleaded guilty to two burglaries at Nowton Park café overnight on April 6 to 7 in 2022 and at Jimmy’s Fish and Chip shop at Hardwick shopping centre overnight between December 29 and December 30, 2022.

During investigations forensic tests on a rock that was used to smash a window of the café linked Chapman to the crime. A paving slab at the chip shop was also forensically tested – which also linked Chapman to the scene of the crime.

Information from the public prompted officers in April this year to investigate a wooded area near to the Sainsbury’s store in the town and a tent.

Chapman was subsequently arrested and charged with the two offences.

Chapman had been wanted on prison recall from 2015, living under a false name and identity. When officers located Chapman, they confirmed his identity and began to link these and other offences to him.

At court two other offences of burglary were taken into consideration.