Ipswich musician reunited with guitar stolen two years ago

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 04:58 · Archive

Joshua Locke recovered his Ibanez guitar, stolen from his Ipswich garage in July 2024, after a friend spotted it for sale in a local pawn shop.

Joshua Locke, a 37-year-old music teacher from Ipswich, has recovered his treasured Ibanez RRG350 guitar two years after it was stolen from his garage. The break-in occurred in the early hours of 9 July 2024 in the Priory Heath area, when a thief also took two other guitars and a bicycle.

Locke had reported the theft to Suffolk Police and appealed on social media, but had largely given up hope of seeing the instrument again. Last Thursday, an old school friend sent him a photograph of a guitar displayed for sale in a local pawn shop. After seeing the image, Locke contacted police, and the force recovered the guitar and returned it to him the following day.

The guitar held immense sentimental value for Locke. He received it as an 18th birthday present and used it while gigging across Suffolk with his former band, which featured his brother and best mates. Over the years, he modified the instrument with new pickups, machine heads and a distinctive symbol he had designed at school, making it instantly recognisable to him.

Locke said he was certain the guitar was his because of the wooden pattern on the instrument's headstock. When reunited with it, he played a tune for his newborn daughter, who is two months old, and described the moment as making him feel young again. He expressed gratitude for the police's help, acknowledging that the theft of a guitar was not a high priority compared to other crimes.

The original theft had prompted a fundraiser organised by a friend, which raised about £1,700. This money allowed Locke to replace some of the stolen equipment and purchase resources for pupils at the schools where he teaches music.

How it is being reported

• Ipswich musician's stolen guitar appears years later in local pawn shopIpswich musician Joshua Locke has recovered his treasured Ibanez guitar, stolen in a 2024 garage break-in, after a friend found it at a pawn shop.East Anglian Daily Times · 22 Oct, 04:30
• Ipswich musician's stolen guitar appears years later in local pawn shopIpswich musician Joshua Locke has recovered his treasured Ibanez guitar, stolen in a 2024 garage break-in, after a friend found it at a pawn shop.Ipswich Star · 22 Oct, 04:30
• Musician's stolen guitar spotted in pawn shopJoshua Locke says he had "lost hope" of seeing his Ibanez again after it was stolen from his garage.BBC Suffolk · 20 Oct, 07:36

In this story: Joshua Locke · Suffolk Police · Ipswich

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