A London group who travelled to Suffolk to steal over £6,000 in jewellery and phones have pleaded guilty to the thefts.

Honor Roarty, Kieran Egan, Alfie Turner and Bailey Ridge all appeared at Suffolk Magistrates Court on Wednesday. 

The court heard the group drove to the Vodafone shop on Newmarket High Street on April 15 this year where Roarty, 27, asked staff questions about phones as a ‘distraction tactic’ the court heard.

However, she paid little attention to the answers which aroused the suspicion of the staff member, prosecutor Lesla Small said.

While Roarty did this, Egan, 34, and Turner, 27, took two iPhones from the display to the value of £2,106.

Ridge, 27, kept watch of what happened, according to Ms Small.

Egan and Turner then left the store without paying, quickly followed by Roarty and Ridge.

They then drove to Bury St Edmunds and targeted the second-hand shop, Cash Converters in St John’s Street.

They deployed the same tactic and Turner and Egan broke into a glass cabinet and stole two gold necklaces, one gold ring, one gold bracelet and a TAG Heuer watch, to the total value of £3,966. 

However, a member staff saw them doing it and the police were called as they left. 

Police detained the group in a petrol station car park in the car they drove off in.

The court heard Roarty was found wearing the two necklaces and all the items were recovered except for the watch worth £2,250.

Egan, of Hazel Grove, Sydenham, was also caught in possession of cannabis and cocaine and Roarty, of Wandsworth High Street, London, in possession of cannabis, Ms Small said.

The four admitted the theft offences and Egan and Roarty admitted the drugs offences.

They will both appear at Woolwich Crown Court on May 13.

Turner, of Beckenham Road, London, was released on bail along with Ridge, of Wollaston Close, London, pending pre-sentence reports, and both were told to turn up to Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on May 29.