A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to 38 weeks in prison after stealing more than £3,000 from machines during a series of raids on FECs in Great Yarmouth. 

The thefts occurred between the spring and summer, targeting locations such as Wellington Pier, Leisureland Arcade, and Britannia Pier. Norwich Crown Court heard that on 7 April, Craig Boulstridge took £700-£800 in coins from a machine at Wellington Pier. On 9 May, he struck again at Leisureland Arcade, stealing £800 after breaking into cash boxes. He then raided the Mint Arcade on 2 June, taking £500. In his largest theft, Boulstridge broke into six machines on Britannia Pier, stealing £1,000 in the early hours.

Boulstridge also admitted to fraud after using a stolen bank card from a car in Yarmouth and to stealing a £900 bike from Norwich Camping and Leisure. He asked for 14 other offences, including eight gaming machine thefts, to be considered.

Sentencing him to 38 weeks and four days in prison, recorder Nicola Fitches described Boulstridge’s actions as part of an “appalling offending history,” underscoring the impact of his long-standing drug addiction on his criminal behaviour.