Daniel Coulson Jailed for Two-and-a-Half Years After Multi-Business Burglary Spree and Rooftop Stand-Off

IPSWICH — A serial burglar who caused a major disruption in Ipswich town centre by scaling a shop roof to evade police has been jailed for two and a half years. Daniel Coulson, 50, of Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and one count of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance.

The court heard that Coulson's crime spree began on May 9, 2024, when he broke into a Europcar premises on Woodbridge Road, stealing a Mercedes car and 17 sets of keys. Less than a week later, he targeted a local recruitment firm, stealing laptops, mobile phones, and cash. On that same morning, he broke into Carats Jewellers on Buttermarket, stealing jewellery valued at more than £9,000.

Nine-Hour Rooftop Standoff

When the alarm at Carats Jewellers was triggered, Coulson fled the premises and climbed onto the rooftop of the Buttermarket building. Police and emergency service crews were called to the scene, establishing a large cordon around the area for safety. The standoff lasted for nine hours, forcing nearby shops to remain closed during peak trading hours and costing local business owners thousands of pounds in lost trade. Coulson was eventually persuaded to come down safely at approximately 13:40 BST.

Sentencing and Mitigation

During the sentencing hearing at Ipswich Crown Court, Judge David Pugh was informed that Coulson has 66 previous convictions, 36 of which are for theft. At the time of the offences, Coulson was out on licence following a 2017 conviction for rape.

In mitigation, Coulson's defense lawyer stated that his client had shown "significant remorse" for his actions. The court was also told that Coulson suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) stemming from a traumatic upbringing and had relapsed into drug addiction around the time of the burglaries. Judge Pugh sentenced him to a total of 30 months in prison.