Man Jailed After £29,000 Jewellery Raid in St Ives

A prolific offender who smashed his way into a St Ives jewellers and stole £29,000 worth of jewellery during a crime spree across Cambridgeshire has been jailed for 16 months.

A man who stole £29,000 worth of jewellery during a two-minute raid on a St Ives shop has been jailed.

Joe Ross, 36, of Hawkins Road, Cambridge, broke into Chloe’s Jewellers in Crown Street at about 3.20am on 30 April, using a hammer to smash his way into the premises.

Once inside, Ross smashed display cabinets and stole jewellery worth approximately £29,000 before fleeing.

His offending continued just 24 hours later when he used the same hammer to break into Stow-Cum-Quy Post Office, where he stole £450 in cash.

A few hours later, Ross targeted the Co-op in North Street, Burwell, stealing several jars of coffee.

His crime spree came to an end following an attempted break-in at Burwell Post Office at around 3.20am on 3 May. Ross failed to gain entry and fled the scene, but left traces of blood behind.

At Peterborough Crown Court on Wednesday, 26 August, Ross was sentenced to 16 months in prison after admitting two counts of burglary, attempted burglary and theft from a shop.

He was also ordered to pay £29,555 compensation to Chloe’s Jewellers, £950 to Stow-Cum-Quy Post Office and £2,205.69 to Burwell Post Office.

Detective Constable Samuel Andrews, who investigated the offences, described Ross as a “prolific criminal” whose actions had caused significant distress and financial loss to businesses across Cambridgeshire.

He added: “Thanks to the evidence gathered during the investigation, we were able to link him to each of these offences and bring him before the court. I hope this sentence provides some reassurance to the business owners affected.”