Burglars

Members of an organised crime gang who burgled stables acrossthe county have been jailed.

Frank Matthews, Jimmy Price and Lewis Collins were arrested after they conspired to steal horse equipment valued at around £100,000 at up to eight separate properties between 3rd May and 17th May 2020.

Two burglars have been sentenced at court after they stole vehicles parked outside owners’ homes in Swale and Medway.

Between Saturday 26th June and Sunday 11th July, Jim Smith (left photo) and Benjamin Lee targeted high value cars by stealing the ignition keys, having gained access to the victims' addresses.

On the 26th June, the pair stole an Audi A4 parked on a driveway in Coombe Drive, Sittingbourne. They replaced the number plates with a set stolen from a similar vehicle and then drove to Iwade where they attempted to commit another burglary.

Business owners are being reminded to ensure valuable items are securely stored if being left overnight, following a number of burglaries on a Sittingbourne trading estate.

Kent Police received reports of three break-ins to commercial premises on the Trinity Trading Estate at around 2am on Wednesday (18th December) morning. Computer equipment, cash and vehicle keys were reported stolen.

Masked burglars who targeted a Sittingbourne home are being sought by investigators.

The incident is reported to have happened at around 8:00pm on Friday (25th October), at a private address in South Green.

Three men entered the premises holding screwdrivers and threatened the two occupants before leaving with a quantity of cash and jewellery.

The men are described as wearing balaclavas, dark jackets and jeans. One of them is said to have spoken with a foreign accent.

Two burglars, who were caught on CCTV breaking into The Friends Of Wisdom Hospice's Charity shop in Sittingbourne have been jailed.

Lee Heathfield, aged 33 and Shane Baker, aged 28, entered the property in July stealing electronics and cash. Both were identified and arrested. Baker, of no fixed address, was jailed for 27 months and serial burglar Heathfield was jailed for fraud, theft and three other counts of burglary in Sittingbourne. His crimes were committed in June, July and August.

An armed gang who viciously attacked two men during a burglary in Sittingbourne have been jailed for a total of more than 30 years.

One of the victims was threatened with a knife, beaten with a baseball bat and hit by a pellet from a BB gun during the incident at a house in Cortland Close on Tuesday 24th November 2015.

Two of the offenders jumped out of an upstairs window upon police arrival but were arrested shortly afterwards, as were their two accomplices.