A VW Golf stolen from Canterbury was used in a supermarket burglary where alcohol worth £800 was stolen.

After committing the burglary, the intruders were involved in a car chase with police, ending when they were boxed in by police cars back in Canterbury.

Kieron Hollinrake, 34, and Ricky Hodgkins, 29, both of Craddock House, Craddock Road, Canterbury, appeared for sentence at the city’s crown court for the burglary and other offences.

Hollinrake had also admitted theft of trainers and going equipped to steal, aggravated vehicle taking and stealing a number plate with 13 other offences considered.

He was sentenced to 12 months, suspended for two years with a condition he undergoes intensive residential drug rehabilitation and will be supervised for 18 months.

Hodgkins was sentenced to 12 months, suspended for two years with 250 hours unpaid work. Both men were banned from driving for 12 months.

Denzil Pugh, prosecuting, said Hollinrake was arrested for stealing shoes from the Nike factory outlet at Ashford.

He was bailed then went to several garages collecting diesel and driving off without paying. He was identified from CCTV and in police interviews made full admissions.

Just after midnight on October 27 the Golf was taken from it’s owner’s home and both accused drove to the Co-op at Cliftonville where they broke in and made a number of trolley runs stealing bottles of drink.

Police had by this time been notified about the stolen Golf and began following it with blue lights from Birchington.

At one time it pulled over as if to stop but then sped off chased by the police at high speed back to the Sturry area.

Both defendants had considerable previous convictions and Robert Dalling, for Hollinrake, said he had entrenched drug addiction for the last 16 years but was now strongly motivated to engage with drug treatment and efforts had been made to arrange a place for him at a treatment centre.

Philip Rowley, for Hodgkins, said he had a terrible record but felt he was not the original author of their misfortunes.