A man arrested on suspicion of burglary who tried to escape from a police station by grabbing a security pass from around the neck of a detention officer has been jailed for 21 months.

David Kemp was being returned to his cell from the exercise yard at Bury St Edmunds police investigation centre when he grabbed a swipe card from a lanyard around the neck of a female officer, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Kemp told the woman “I just want to get out of here” before forcing her 20 feet down a corridor where she ended up on the ground, said Laura Kenyon, prosecuting.

Kemp tried to use the card to swipe a sensor on a rear door to the custody block but was unable to get out.

He was detained by staff after the detention officer sounded a panic alarm.

Miss Kenyon told the court the detention officer, who was slightly injured in the incident, had resigned from her job as a result of what happened.

Kemp, 36, of Hawthorn Close, Bury St Edmunds, admitted two offences of burglary in Hawthorn Close, Bury St Edmunds on September 9 and 18 and attempting to escape from custody on September 19.

He also admitted breaching a suspended sentence order.

Jailing him for a total of 21 months Judge Rupert Overbury said he had caused the detention officer to fall to the ground, causing her some injury and discomfort.

“You are a tall man and not insubstantially built and you used your size to bully your way out of the police investigation centre. It was a pretty stupid and forlorn attempt but the effect was that the officer completely lost confidence in her job and caused her to resign and that’s entirely your fault,” said the judge.

The court heard the burglaries took place at the homes of two of Kemp’s neighbours in Hawthorn Close, Bury St Edmunds in September.

Kemp had smashed rear windows at the properties to gain entry and had stolen two televisions.

He had taken one of the televisions to Cash Converters where he used his birth certificate and bank card as ID.

He was arrested after he was seen carrying the other television to a car.

Lynne Shirley for Kemp said her client had been a drug addict and was withdrawing when he was in the custody centre. “He needed drugs and is sorry for what happened,” she said.

She said the televisions stolen during the burglaries had been recovered.