Two teenagers were forced to flee empty handed after stealing more than £8,700 worth of gold chains from a Haverhill jeweller, a court has heard.

Thomas Lee-Mahoney and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, had targeted Griffith Jones Jewellers in the town’s High Street.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how the pair visited the shop on January 22.

The 17-year-old returned later that morning, when he asked to see a tray of gold chains.

The boy then grabbed them and ran from the shop, joining Lee-Mahoney, of Mill Hill, Haverhill, who had been waiting in the doorway.

Prosecutor Michael Crimp said members of the public challenged the two thieves and the boy dropped the tray of chains.

Passers-by helped to collect up the chains and returned all of them to the jewellers’ shop.

They had a total worth of £8,784.

Both Lee-Mahoney, who had briefly lingered at the scene claiming to be a witness to the theft, and the 17-year-old were later arrested.

Mr Crimp said: “It cannot be said that this was the most sophisticated of thefts.”

Neither offender was wearing gloves or a mask.

Ian James, mitigating, said the 17-year-old regretted his involvement and claimed that the theft had not been his idea.

The boy asked for nine other offences to be taken into consideration by the court.

Richard Potts, mitigating for Lee-Mahoney, said he too regretted his actions.

The 17-year-old and Lee-Mahoney both pleaded guilty to an offence of theft from a shop.

Judge John Holt made the 17-year-old the subject of a youth offending rehabilitation order and placed him under Probation Service supervision for 24 months and said he must take part in a programme designed to help offenders.

Lee-Mahoney was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid community work and placed under supervision for 12 months.

Written byELEANOR DICKINSON