Diss, Hoxne and Fressingfield armed robbery incidents see man jailed for 100 months at Ipswich Crown Court

A man has been jailed for more than eight years after armed robbery incidents in Diss, Hoxne and Fressingfield.

Matthew Thorndyke, 32, of no fixed address appeared before Ipswich Crown Court earlier today, where he was sentenced to five years and four months for an armed robbery in Fressingfield and three years for an attempted armed robbery in Hoxne.

Seven further offences, including a robbery at Diss Food and Wine on April 2, were taken into consideration.

Mr Thorndyke, who was arrested in Eye, was also given a 12 month prison sentence for possession of a bladed article in each incident, both of which will be served concurrently..

He had previously pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, and two counts of possession of a bladed article in a public place, relating to the incidents in Fressingfield and Hoxne.

The Fressingfield offence took place at Mace Stores in New Street on April 1 at 7.20pm, when Mr Thorndyke entered the shop brandishing a knife and threatened staff, before stealing a quantity of cash, cigarettes and alcohol.

The Hoxne incident occurred at around 11.20am on Friday May 1, at the Post Office in Low Street, Hoxne, where Thorndyke once again brandished a knife on the premises and made demands for money, fleeing empty-handed when a panic alarm was activated.

Nobody was harmed in either incident.

Detective Inspector Matt Adams, of East CID at Lowestoft Police Station, said: "The robberies concerned were terrifying ordeals for the victims and I have no doubt that the impact of Matthew Thorndyke’s actions will have been felt much wider within the community, causing other similar business owners to fear they could be targeted.

"Investigating these crimes was a priority for our CID, who worked hard to identify Thorndyke as the offender and gather the evidence required to charge him and remove him from the streets.

""I am pleased with the sentence passed today and hope it will give Thorndyke the time to reflect on his actions and also act as a deterrent to others who seek to steal from our businesses and threaten people who are going about their work.”