Two men jailed for combined total of 11 years following aggravated burglary in Beccles Road, Lowestoft

Two men have been jailed for a combined total of 11 years following an aggravated burglary in which a man was punched in the face and hit with a wrench.

Richard Aldous and Benjamin Newcombe, aged 44 and 40, appeared before Ipswich Crown Court on Friday where they were sentences to eight years and 40 months respectively.

Aldous, of Lea Lane, Witham, in Essex, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

He was jailed for seven years and seven months for the aggravated burglary and a six-month concurrent sentence for the possession of an offensive weapon.

Aldous also pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm relating to a separate incident, for which he received a five-month consecutive prison term and a five-month concurrent term.

This brought his total prison sentence to eight years.

Detective Constable Sophie Moore, of East CID in Lowestoft, said: “The sentences handed down reflect the seriousness of the crimes and we are particularly pleased with the eight years’ imprisonment handed to Aldous, which is a significant jail term for these offences.”

Newcombe, of Alexandra Street, Thurmaston, in Leicestershire, had pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment.

He also admitted permitting his premises to be used for the production of cannabis for which he received a six-month concurrent prison sentence.

The burglary was on Saturday, December 2 of last year at a house in Beccles Road, Lowestoft, at about 4pm.

A 30-year-old man was in an upstairs bedroom when he heard a window smash downstairs.

He went to the top of the stairs to investigate when he was confronted by Aldous – who was known to him – and Newcombe, who he did not recognise.

Newcombe grabbed the man around the throat and tried to push him into the bedroom, which he resisted.

Aldous then succeeded in pushing him into the bedroom and shouted that he owed him £100.

The man was then punched twice in the face by Newcombe, before Aldous attempted to hit him in the face with a wrench, which the man managed to block with his wrist, but he was then hit in the back with the wrench instead.

Newcombe then took the man’s watch, necklace and bracelet and also stole his girlfriend’s mobile phone, before the pair left the house.

The man suffered reddening to his face and back. The marking on his back was consistent with the outline of a wrench.

Before the incident Aldous was at a nearby pub, which was confirmed through CCTV footage, in which Newcombe was also seen.

Aldous was found by police at a flat in London Road South on December 7 and was arrested.

He was found in possession of the keys for a vehicle and a logbook was found at the address for a Peugeot van.

Officers found this van near to the road where he was arrested, and during a search of it, they recovered tools that resembled those used to commit the burglary.

Items of jewellery were also found during the search of the address and these were subsequently identified by the victim as his property.

Aldous was charged on December 8 and made his first appearance at court the following day.

Newcombe was arrested on March 6 in Leicester and charged the following morning, appearing at court later the same day.

The two counts of assault that Aldous was also convicted of occurred at a public house in Mill Road, Lowestoft, on May 7, 2023, and involved Aldous punching and biting a man as well as punching and biting a woman who tried to intervene.

Detective Moore added: “This was a violent burglary against the victim in his home, who was not only punched in the face, but also struck with a wrench.

“The fact that Aldous has also been convicted of two counts of assault, clearly demonstrates that he is a violent individual and our streets are undoubtedly safer with him locked up.”