Lots of people who committed crimes were jailed this month and are now spending time behind bars.

Here are just some of the criminals including, drug dealers, rapists, violent offenders, killers, sex offenders and thieves who committed crimes and were locked up in January.

Neil Dunkley

A violent thief was jailed for several offences where he was often identified as the culprit by his distinctive face tattoos.

A man was visiting a flat in Albany Road, Gillingham, in October 2022, when he heard loud voices upstairs and went to investigate.

He was confronted by four men, including criminal Neil Dunkley, who said one of the occupants owed him cash and, as they were not there, demanded that the victim pay the £120 debt which he did and the men then left.

Dunkley, 49, of no fixed address, was later tracked down, arrested and charged in February 2023 for theft which he pleaded guilty to in court.

In a second incident in January last year, Dunkley stole a man’s phone in Gillingham High Street and the victim followed him, demanded that he return the mobile and then punched him to the floor, but after Dunkley got back up, he took a craft knife from his pocket and threatened the man.

He was charged and later pleaded guilty to theft and threatening a person with a knife, but in February last year, he pulled a knife out of his pocket and became aggressive towards two paramedics who were treating him in an ambulance.

Again he was charged with possessing a knife in a public place which he pleaded guilty to in court.

Dunkley was sentenced earlier this month at Maidstone Crown Court to a total of two years’ imprisonment and two counts of robbery were ordered to lie on file.

Luke Ransome

Two thieves walked into a JD Sports store, lifted a haul of coats off the rails and then legged it, a court heard.

Luke Ransome and Lee Plant who both have lengthy criminal records, walked into the shop in Maidstone and grabbed a number of coats before running off.

Police were called and Ransome, 45, was spotted in the town centre with the items just 15 minutes later and arrested and the next day, 44-year-old Plant was apprehended.

The pair were interviewed and later charged with shoplifting which they admitted when they appeared before magistrates in Medway earlier this month.

Rajni Prashar, prosecuting, told the court the pair committed the offence on December 29 and that both had done so while on suspended sentences.

The court also heard Plant, of West Park Road, Maidstone, and Ransome, of Captain’s Close, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, both had lengthy records.

As a result, they activated part of Ransome’s suspended sentence and jailed him for a week for the latest shoplifting offence which meant he was jailed for a total of 25 weeks and must pay £239 in court costs when he is released.

Plant was also jailed for a week for the crime and part of his suspended sentence was also activated which will see him serve a total of 15 weeks in custody and was also ordered to pay the same costs.

Jonathan Bates

A former primary school worker said she has been left with “scars that will never heal” after an ex-colleague repeatedly shared fake pornographic images of her online.

Kirsty Pellant, 44, was one of four women targeted by teacher Jonathan Bates, who posted digitally-altered pictures of his victims on websites offering free and paid-for sexual services.

For years the decorated war veteran managed to avoid detection by using specialist encryption software, but he was jailed this month after one of the women turned detective and uncovered who was behind the malicious campaign.

It brought to an end an eight-year wait for justice for Miss Pellant, who says the stress of the ordeal ultimately led to her having to quit her job as head of safeguarding at St John's Primary School in Canterbury in 2023.

Former soldier Bates secured a job as a teacher at St John’s after leaving the Army and completing an educational conversion course in 2012 and he moved back to Cornwall in 2015 - the same year another teacher at St John’s was told by a friend about explicit sexual images of her online.

The court heard these were on fake accounts that showed real photos of her face superimposed onto the bodies of other women involved in pornographic acts and horrified by what she saw, the teacher reported the sites to Kent Police, but the force was unable to identify the perpetrator.

Miss Pellant then became aware she was being targeted, but again police could not work out who was responsible, but Bates started targeting a third victim in Cornwall and the mystery started to unravel as she used Facebook to identify other women who were targeted and realised there was a link between them all, they all had the same mutual friend, Bates.

Bates was later charged and admitted four charges of stalking by creating fake online accounts and he was jailed for five years and given a 10-year order banning him from contacting his victims.

Dougie Frankham

A “prolific and unrepentant” thief who ignored a court order to steal from a Co-op and Lidl was locked up.

Dougie Frankham was banned from entering a number of stores in Maidstone in February 2022 following several shoplifting convictions.

However, between April and August last year, the 38-year-old was recognised by staff at the Co-op stores in Loose Road and Northumberland Avenue, as well as the Lidl in St Peter’s Street.

Entering them was enough to breach his Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) but he also went on to steal alcohol and groceries.

On August 13, Frankham, of Cambridge Crescent, Shepway, was arrested and faced multiple charges linked to shoplifting and breaches of his CBO.

He pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody until his sentencing hearing at Maidstone Crown Court earlier this month, where he was sentenced to almost 14 months’ imprisonment.

After sentencing, Chief Inspector Steve Kent said: “Frankham is a prolific and unrepentant offender who appears incapable of changing his ways.

“We welcome this prison sentence and remain determined to protect our local businesses and bring criminals like Frankham before the courts and ensure they are held accountable for their actions.”

Robbie Dunn

A thug out of prison for just 11 days repeatedly stabbed a man after robbing him of £20 at a cashpoint.

In what a judge described as an act of "extreme and gratuitous" violence, Robbie Dunn viciously attacked Robert Mitchell in Dover town centre on May 20 last year.

Mr Mitchell later told police he feared he would die and could not understand why someone he thought was a 'friend' could behave in that way and Dunn, from Dover, had only just been released from jail for offences which included an attack on his father.

Now he will face many more years behind bars after a judge ruled he continues to pose a danger to the public when Canterbury Crown Court heard that the 24-year-old, who is also a convicted sex offender, targeted his victim Mr Mitchell shortly after midnight.

The pair knew each other but Mr Mitchell had not seen his assailant for several years and after being followed by Dunn from various cashpoints and eventually withdrawing £150 - he was robbed and then attacked.

Despite being handed £20, Dunn continued to pursue his victim and by the time violence erupted, he was brandishing a knife and Mr Mitchell was then stabbed multiple times, with the assault continuing even as he lay prone and defenceless on the ground.

Dunn, of Christchurch Way, was arrested but initially denied he had even been out that night, but later pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, robbery and threatening another with a bladed article.

Passing a nine-year extended sentence for public protection in light of Dunn being considered a dangerous offender, Judge Simon James jailed Dunn for six years - of which he will have to serve at least two-thirds before he can apply for parole and when released, he will have a further three years added to any licence period.

Stuart McAllister

A loft insulation surveyor stole highly valuable jewellery from the homes of elderly and vulnerable customers out of "heartless greed".

Stuart McAllister, a former Para and Falklands War veteran, was branded a "disgrace" by a judge for his "mean and callous" crimes committed over three months last year.

He was told that while thieving he had given "not one ounce of consideration" to his victims as he was "only interested in "ounces of gold", Canterbury Crown Court heard that under the guise of his professional job, the 61-year-old gained the trust of his customers before "rapidly identifying" items to steal.

They included rings, bracelets and a necklace, with much of his loot holding both high monetary and sentimental worth and on his eventual arrest, police found two pieces of jewellery stuffed in a chewing gum packet, £4k cash in his partner's handbag, and multiple phone messages referring to selling gold and transferring money from bank accounts.

There was also evidence that he pocketed around £9,000 in cash from his dealings with pawnbrokers and retailers and on one occasion, he had left a property, only to return, ask to use the toilet and then steal a gold chain and attached coin worth £3,700.

McAllister, of Strand Street, Sandwich, admitted three offences of burglary committed on April 23 last year, between May 19 and 31, and between June 11 and June 26.

He stood with his head bowed in the dock as he was jailed for three years and a confiscation hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act will be held later this year.

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Stuart McAllister and has yet to come forward should report it through the Kent Police website, quoting 'Op Chedworth'.

Wayne Traill

A child rapist who subjected his victims to “depraved and sickening” abuse was jailed.

Wayne Traill, of Stonebridge Road, Northfleet, was convicted of 21 separate offences after repeatedly abusing multiple victims for more than a decade.

The 52-year-old targeted one of his victims during the 1990s and went on to later exploit a further two children, warning them they would not be believed if they reported his crimes.

Police officers were told of the abuse in March 2022 and Traill was arrested.

He refused to comment during interviews and initially denied any wrongdoing at court.

However, he eventually pleaded guilty shortly before a trial at Woolwich Crown Court, admitting charges including rape, attempted rape, sexual assaults and gross indecency.

Traill was jailed for 21 years after the judge branded him “a dangerous sexual offender” who had “groomed and abused” his victims.

Upon his release from prison, Traill will be subject to an extended licence period of eight years and will be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Adrian Badea

A dealer who pretended he was a tourist visiting a town when in fact he was part of a criminal gang supplying drugs was jailed.

Adrian Badea claimed he had made the 223-mile journey from Crewe to Tunbridge Wells to “visit the city” when he was stopped by officers in the Fountains Retail Park.

Bodyworn footage showed the moment the 27-year-old admitted he was staying in his car and was in possession of cocaine and cannabis as officers spoke to him on March 23 as he sat in the driving seat of a black BMW, which was linked to suspicious activity.

They heard how Badea had plans for day trips and holidays to discover new towns and cities, but admitted he was without accommodation and was sleeping in his car and after being detained for a search, six bags of cocaine were seized from his shoe along with cannabis and £130 in cash.

Badea, of Hankins Heys Lane in Crewe was charged with possessing cocaine with intent to supply, possessing cannabis and driving without insurance.

He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.

Sergeant Ed Kavanagh said: “It’s always pleasing to hear from genuine tourists who are keen to visit and enjoy the many delights of Tunbridge Wells.

“Sadly, Badea wasn’t one of them and checks to his phone showed he was being directed by a third party to multiple locations across west Kent to deal drugs.”

Shelley Earnshaw

A shoplifter who stole from a supermarket more than 10 times - despite being banned from the store - was locked up.

Shelley Earnshaw, from Sittingbourne, had previously been told she could not enter certain shops in the area with a bag unless it was clear, in a bid to prevent her thieving.

But the 31-year-old targeted Morrisons in Milton Regis High Street on more than 10 occasions between Sunday, December 29 and Saturday, January 11 when she stole meat, cheese and alcohol, as well as household and hygiene products worth more than £850.

In September, a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) was issued after she was sentenced to 100 days’ imprisonment and she had previously taken laundry, toiletry items and meat products totalling £264 from the Morrisons branch and Co-op in Aspen Drive, Sheerness.

The CBO prevented her from entering several specific shops in Swale for three years.

It required her not to act in a way that caused distress to staff or the public and forbid her from entering a store with a bag unless it was clear, or a small clutch handbag.

Earnshaw was arrested earlier this month and faced 22 charges related to theft and breaches of her CBO and she pleaded guilty to all the offences.

On Monday, January 13, she was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment.

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.

To see who was locked up in December, click here.

Robert Fletcher

A thug “gratuitously” stamped on a prone and defenceless man’s head twice for allegedly spitting blood at him.

The victim was said to be already injured with a bleeding nose and mouth when Robert Fletcher violently attacked him outside a Maidstone block of flats in the early hours of August 18 last year.

The two stamps were landed 22 minutes apart, leaving the man “completely out of it” and with bruising around his eye, eye socket and cheek and although there were only photographs of the man’s face available at Fletcher's sentencing hearing and no medical evidence or victim impact statement, a judge said his “dangerous and thuggish” behaviour had worsened any pre-existing injuries and could have led to the man’s death.

Fletcher, 40, and the victim, who was not named during proceedings at Maidstone Crown Court, were with Fletcher’s girlfriend and another woman outside Miller Heights when violence flared and fuelled by drink and drugs, the heroin addict was captured on CCTV striking the man with his trainer-shod foot on two occasions as he lay on a raised flower bed.

Fletcher, of Broadway Heights, Broadway, Maidstone, was arrested at the scene and found in possession of a small amount of cocaine for personal use and one of his trainers was also stained with blood and at the time, he was on bail awaiting sentence for nine shoplifting offences in respect of stealing goods worth a total of £1,210.

Fletcher, has 25 previous convictions for 54 offences, including possessing a firearm, robbery, battery and burglary.

He was originally charged with causing grievous bodily harm in relation to the attack in August last year, but a guilty plea to the alternative, less serious offence of assault causing actual bodily harm was later accepted by the prosecution.

Fletcher, who also admitted possessing cocaine and nine shoplifting charges, was jailed for two years and four months.

Brandon Mathews

A manipulative thug who filmed himself throwing his ex-girlfriend’s cat across a room and then sent the horrifying video to her was jailed.

The disturbing attack was carried out by Brandon Mathews, from Canterbury, in an effort to convince his former partner to come home from a women’s refuge.

But instead she passed the footage to police and her 25-year-old tormentor was arrested and charged with animal cruelty and in the shocking video, which was sent via Facebook Messenger, Mathews can be heard abusing his ex-girlfriend and demanding she return home to collect her cat.

He then picks the animal up by its neck and throws it off-screen, with a thud heard as it hits the wall or floor and the 19-second clip - shared with KentOnline without sound at the victim’s request - ends with Mathews smirking.

But the smile was wiped off his face as he was put behind bars at Margate Magistrates’ Court this month when prosecutor Julie Farbrace told the court the horrific incident happened on December 5, 2023.

Mathews was arrested and charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and sending an offensive message.

He admitted both offences in court in September last year and on January 7 appeared for sentencing, where he also pleaded guilty to two counts of shoplifting.

The court heard Mathews has previous convictions but before the incident with the cat had not offended since 2018 and magistrates told him his crimes passed the custody threshold and jailed him for 10 weeks for all the offences.

Robert Onicala

A row between farm workers over music led to one dying and his killer being locked up.

Romanian Ion Niculae suffered a traumatic brain haemorrhage from a single "powerful" punch delivered by 20-year-old fellow compatriot Robert Onicala.

The men were among transient workers at Mansfields fruit farm off Nickle Lane in Chartham when violence erupted on May 5 last year and Canterbury Crown Court heard celebrations were being held to mark Orthodox Easter Sunday in their static caravan accommodation when Onicala struck 51-year-old Mr Niculae to the side of his head.

He knocked him to the ground in an unconscious state from which he never recovered.

Prosecutor Edward Franklin said a row over the volume flared between Onicala's brother, Alexandru - also a farm worker - and Mr Niculae at about 8pm as they were gathered around one of the tables placed outside the many caravans on the site.

They began to argue about the music being played through the speaker and there came a point when Alexandru Onicala stood and slapped Mr Niculae to the “side of the face”, explained the barrister who said the violent act took those present by surprise and caused Mr Niculae to fall to the ground before he got up.

He added: “Robert Onicala then proceeded to punch him forcefully to the side of the head and Mr Niculae fell to the floor, but he got up and took a few steps towards Onicala, at which point he was hit again.”

Mr Niculae, who came to the UK seven years ago to live and work, was found by paramedics unconscious on the ground, laying on his side, covered in blankets and not breathing and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Onicala, of Ashford Road, Chartham, was charged with murder which he denied, but he later pleaded guilty to manslaughter which was accepted by the prosecution and he was jailed for four years and is likely to be deported on his release.

Leon Jeffers

A drug dealer who made an unsuccessful get-away from police while handcuffed was jailed.

Body-worn footage captured the moment Dartford dealer Leon Jeffers attempted to escape police officers after he was found with wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.

It came after a police investigation identified the 26-year-old had been in contact with class A drug users – including known users in the town – via mobile phone in July and on October 9, officers attended his home address in Eltham, south London and he was detained for a search.

There, heroin and crack cocaine were seized, along with two mobile phones and more than £2400 in cash and after being arrested footage showed that despite being handcuffed, Jeffers attempted to run from officers while being walked to a police car.

But his escape didn’t last long, moments later he was secured by officers and later charged with multiple drug offences.

On Monday, January 13, he was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to two years in prison, after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.

DC Lydia Edwards said: “Dealers are responsible for wreaking havoc and causing misery in the lives of drug users and in their communities.

“We will always strive to bring criminals before the courts so that they can be held accountable for their actions, and to stamp out supply lines so that drugs are removed from the streets of Kent.”

James Anderson

A convicted killer is back behind bars after he headbutted and repeatedly stamped on a man's head during a night out enjoying birthday celebrations.

James Anderson, jailed for life in 2005 and released 13 years later, had not met his victim Leonard James before the alcohol-fuelled attack in Maidstone town centre in August last year.

Just seconds prior to violence erupting, the two men had been chatting and shaking hands in the street outside a pub, but Maidstone Crown Court heard any "warmth" being displayed between them suddenly erupted into chilling violence.

Mr James, who was celebrating his 50th birthday, was left unconscious on the ground with wounds to his head and his assailant fled - just as he did when, as a 21-year-old, he stabbed a man to death in Cricklewood, north west London, in August 2000.

Later he handed himself in but as a result, the now businessman, of Grainger Walk, Tonbridge, was recalled to prison on life licence and, having subsequently pleaded guilty to wounding Mr James with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm when he appeared for sentencing this month.

The offence of wounding with intent also carries a maximum life sentence but the judge was urged when deciding the appropriate punishment not to give "excess weight" to his murder conviction, adding it was "of some age".

But passing sentence, Judge Philip Statman told Anderson that although the time spent on recall, he still posed a danger and therefore an extended sentence for public protection was necessary and he was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Under the extended sentence imposed, Anderson will have to serve at least two-thirds of the jail term before he can apply for parole and will only be released if the parole board considers it safe to do so and once free, he will have three years added to any licence period.

Jayren Kadamen

A paedophile who attempted to meet a child for sex was locked up.

Jayren Kadamen, 33, sent a series of sexual messages in the hope of arranging a meeting with the child in Gravesend.

But when Kadamen arrived to meet the girl on October 23 last year, he instead found police waiting to arrest him and when they searched his car, officers found a mobile phone containing multiple indecent images of children.

Following an investigation by Kent Police’s paedophile online investigation team, Kadamen later admitted a series of charges including arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and making indecent photographs of children.

Kadamen, previously of Kingfisher Drive, Maidenhead, was jailed for six years and four months at Maidstone Crown Court earlier this month.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for 15 years.

DC Jess Meadway, of Kent Police's paedophile online investigation team, said: “Investigations like this one are designed to protect vulnerable children by tracking down those who would exploit them via the internet.

“We do everything in our power to proactively target people like Kadamen, who seek to commit sexual offences against children, and ensure they can no longer pose a threat to public safety.”

Candi-Rose Hall

A woman banned from contacting her mother after trying to stab her in the chest was jailed after sending menacing messages to her.

Candi-Rose Hall, from Medway, sent a series of chilling messages threatening her mum by saying, “I’ll burn you,” with another stating ‘“I hope you die”.

The 34-year-old had previously been banned from contacting her mother by way of a restraining order issued by the courts after an incident last year when she was suffering from a mental health breakdown at the time and her mother had to wrestle the knife out of her daughter’s hands.

She was later charged with threatening to harm her mother with a weapon and issued a 12-month restraining order not to contact or go near her address in Rochester after admitting the charges last April.

However, she was charged with harassment by breach of a restraining order after she messaged her mum several times on January 12 while she was high on cannabis.

Hall, of Trinity Road, Gillingham, admitted the offence when she appeared before magistrates in Medway on January 15 and magistrates said they had no option but to send Hall to custody.

They jailed her for eight months for the breach and told her she would serve 40% of that term.

They also issued a new two-year restraining order which bans Hall from contacting her mother or going near her address.

Michael Numan

A paedophile who sexually abused a young girl and told her they were in a “special relationship”, in an attempt to avoid his crime being reported was jailed.

Michael Numan abused his young victim over the course of several hours in April 2023 before trying to prevent her from reporting the ordeal.

But the brave youngster confided in relatives about what had happened and Numan, of Seymour Drive, Marden, was arrested days later and an investigation revealed the child was repeatedly targeted and warned they were in a private relationship which shouldn’t be divulged to anyone.

Numan, 58, was charged with four offences relating to the sexual abuse of a child and pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and Judge Catherine Moore told the 58-year-old his actions had caused “devastation” to the victim’s family.

She sentenced him to seven years and two months’ imprisonment.

DC Emma Coghlan said: “Michael Numan abused trust shown in him in the worst possible way, in order to exploit a child for his own gratification.

“Sex offenders like Numan cause incalculable damage, stealing their victim’s innocence and childhood.

“He now has to pay the price and hopefully this prison sentence will give him time to fully comprehend the devastating impact of his abhorrent behaviour.”

Bryan Gregory

A sex offender who hid storage devices from police officers, breaching a court order, was locked up.

Bryan Gregory, from Minster on Sheppey, pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court in 2014 to making and possessing indecent images of children.

As a result, he was given an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and this placed strict conditions on his behaviour, including how he uses digital storage devices and mobile phones, as well as how he accesses the internet.

The 76-year-old was ordered to make devices available for inspection on request and as part of the management of those on the sex offenders’ register, Gregory was subject to regular visits by police to ensure his compliance with the court order.

During a visit last January, officers became suspicious that he had used a mobile phone inappropriately and the phone was seized and further inquiries led to Gregory being arrested.

Additional digital storage devices were recovered following a search of his address and on Saturday, September 14 he was charged.

Gregory pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children and breaching a SOPO.

He was sentenced on Tuesday, January 21, to four years in prison and will spend a further four years on licence upon release.

Jayden Stewart

A drug dealer who subjected a vulnerable woman to violence, sinister threats and repeated rape after he took over her home for his illicit enterprise was jailed.

Jayden Stewart was said to have "exploited and controlled" his victim so he could trade in crack cocaine and heroin.

As well as sexually abusing and assaulting her, the "aggressive and dominant" 24-year-old threatened to throw acid over her face, but despite her genuine fear, the woman plucked up enough courage to alert the police and he was arrested.

This led to the discovery of his drugs haul in a toilet cistern and his eventual conviction at trial on four charges of rape, two of assault by beating and one of criminal damage to a phone, but he was acquitted of possessing a bladed article - a machete - and a charge of holding a person in slavery was left on the court file.

Stewart, from Canning Town in east London, had previously admitted two offences of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

However, at his sentencing hearing, Maidstone Crown Court was told that since his trial in February last year, he had chillingly expressed his desire for revenge on his victim and had also threatened to "make real" his acid attack on his release from prison.

On sentencing, Judge Julian Smith said he accepted Stewart was "a young man from a troubled and troubling background", but describing his criminal conduct as "controlling, aggressive and manipulative", he added it was necessary to impose a 16-year extended sentence that would protect the public from a significant risk of harm.

This comprises of 12 years' imprisonment, of which he will have to serve at least two-thirds before he can apply for parole and will only be freed if it is deemed safe to do so and once he is released he will then have four years added to his licence period, and will also be subject to an indefinite restraining order.

Frazer Higgins

Dramatic footage showed a police officer running to safety just moments before a truck driver rammed into his motorbike.

The incident happened on September 23, last year and followed a pursuit of the flat-bed vehicle near the M2 in Faversham.

Frazer Higgins, from Margate, was asked to stop by a police motorcyclist near junction 7 as it was suspected he was driving a flatbed van unlawfully, but the 31-year-old continued driving and a chase ensued.

On a rural road, Higgins braked his vehicle before reversing at speed straight into the bike and the officer was forced to jump off and run to safety in woodland next to the road, the hair-raising moment was captured on bodycam footage.

A patrol car was then targeted by Higgins, who swerved his van along the road before again reversing it into the police vehicle and causing significant damage and he abandoned his van a short while later near a residential property and fled the scene.

The chase continued on foot, and Higgins was arrested outside an address in Egbert Road, Faversham and later charged.

On January 22 at Canterbury Crown Court, Higgins from Canterbury Road was jailed for two-and-a-half-years after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, he also admitted to driving whilst disqualified and without insurance.

He will face a driving ban upon his release from prison.

Matthew Smith

A “depraved” paedophile who sexually abused vulnerable children was jailed for 23 years.

Matthew Smith, from Sittingbourne, was charged with multiple offences against children including rape, sexual touching and sexual communication with a child after contacting another victim online.

The 39-year-old was convicted of 32 charges following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, January 24, after he had denied the charges.

During the case, it was revealed Smith’s offending started in 2008 and he went on to target four victims over subsequent years.

In 2020, one of his victims disclosed their ordeal to a trusted third party and then contacted the police.

Further victims were later identified as the investigation progressed and Smith was arrested on March 1, 2020.

He was given an extended sentence of 31 years for his crimes and this includes a custodial period of 23 years of which he will have to serve two-thirds before he is eligible for parole.

On his release, Smith, will have to serve a further eight years on licence and he will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

James Dye

A dad sent disturbing self-harm photos to his girlfriend in a warped attempt to control and manipulate her.

James Dye, once convicted of killing a teenage motorcyclist in a hit-and-run in Chatham, also monitored his partner's calls and texts, checked her device while she slept and blocked her contacts.

He even criticised her if he thought she wore too much make-up and made comments about the way she dressed and she was left so traumatised by the 29-year-old's behaviour that she no longer felt life was worth living, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

But although he was jailed for what a judge described as "particularly insidious and unpleasant" conduct, Dye was expected to be almost immediately released from custody due to time already served on remand.

The woman and Dye had been in a relationship since 2019, but following a row at her home in which he pushed her against a wall, causing reddening to her neck, Dye's controlling and coercive behaviour came to light during a subsequent police investigation.

Dye, of College Road, Maidstone, was later charged and admitted engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour between May 14 and June 18 last year.

His 17 convictions for 32 offences include one in 2018 of causing the death of 19-year-old Ismael Brittain by careless driving and for which he was jailed for two years and four months.

Jailing Dye for 15 months for the latest offence, Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring told him: "This was, in essence, a prolonged period of controlling and coercive behaviour against your partner”, and he also made Dye subject to a five-year restraining order.

Gareth Owen

A serial thief was back behind bars after being described by a judge as "a menace and a threat" to society.

Gareth Owen was banned from Co-op and Sainsbury's stores in Herne Bay and Whitstable and so pilfered from shops and homes in a third town instead.

He stole a little under £6,000 worth of supermarket products as well as a laptop, tools and a bicycle over a three-month period last year and in October 2021.

Owen was handed a three-year criminal behaviour order by magistrates prohibiting him from four branches of the two supermarkets in Herne Bay and Whitstable.

But five months before that ban's expiry date, Owen was back to his old tricks, this time embarking on a prolific crime spree in Faversham.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that between May 8 and August 11 last year he stole from the town's branches of Co-op, Boots, Poundland, Tesco's, Morrisons Daily and Sainsbury's, as well as Upstairs Downstairs Antiques and Collectables.

Owen, who has been in custody on remand since his arrest, later pleaded guilty to 31 offences of theft and appeared for sentencing on January 28 and the court heard that the crook, who has 38 convictions for 90 offences dating back 30 years, was now drug-free and had gained enhanced prisoner status.

Jailing Owen, formerly from Whitstable but now of no fixed address, for two years and eight months, Recorder John Gallagher spoke of the detrimental impact of his conduct on homeowners, businesses, staff and customers alike.

Owen was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228 within days of his release.

Lewis Blake

A fraudster salesman swindled dozens of customers out of tens of thousands of pounds – only to blow his ill-gotten gains on porn and gambling.

Lewis Blake, of Whitstable, was a window shutter installer who often took deposits from clients before disappearing without completing the work while offering made-up excuses.

Between August 2020 and May 2021, the 43-year-old’s crime spree saw him take funds worth £64,774 from 89 victims across the county and those affected by Blake came from a range of places such as Canterbury, Herne Bay, Romney Marsh, Thanet, Medway, Deal, Faversham, Tunbridge Wells and Sandwich.

Presenting as a polite and well-presented tradesman, customers told police they were happy to pay him half the cost of the window shutters in advance.

However, Blake never returned to carry out the work and gave various excuses including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and problems with the shipping of the products from overseas.

Between 2019 and 2022, it was found Blake had ordered just 14 shutters while splashing out more than £100,000 gambling and £14,000 on adult websites and victims later joined together to create a social media group to share their experiences.

He pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on January 16 to 18 months’ imprisonment.

Blake, of Gladstone Road, was also banned from being a company director for seven years.

Jamie Hopkins

A shoplifter banned from entering any Co-op store in Kent was jailed after “brazenly” flouting the ban.

Jamie Hopkins repeatedly targeted a branch in Oldfield Place, Dartford, next to the Langley Square new homes development.

The 40-year-old was subject to a three-year court order issued in February 2023 that forbade him from going into several retail outlets in the town without permission from store staff.

He was also prohibited from going into any Co-op across the county unless the manager approved.

Despite this, Hopkins brazenly stole food and confectionery items from the store in Oldfield Place on three occasions between Wednesday, January 1 and Saturday, January 11.

Officers arrested Hopkins on Monday, January 13 and he was charged the same day with theft and breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

Hopkins pleaded guilty before Margate Magistrates’ Court two days later and was immediately sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment.

Inspector Lee Cheesman said: “The CBO to which Hopkins is subject is in place to protect local businesses and the community and now that he is behind bars, I hope it serves to remind would-be thieves that we take shoplifting very seriously and will always strive to bring them before the courts to face justice.”

Leutrim Bardhoshi, Mehmed Mola, Sabre Arnaut, Georgi Dimitrov, Sait Arnaut and Cosmin Vlas

A criminal gang which made £7,000 a week supplying class A drugs were jailed for 20 years between them.

The group's supply chain spanned from the south-west of England and included several properties in Tunbridge Wells.

During the stop of a vehicle in February in Tonbridge, a search revealed cocaine and phones, leading to the arrest of Cosmin Vlas and Georgi Dimitrov was also stopped in March with officers recovering a further 10 bags of the same drug.

Then in May at an address linked to three other suspects in Tunbridge Wells Mehmed Mola, was detained after throwing a further 10 bags from a window and nearby properties connected to Sabre Arnaut and Sait Arnaut were also searched, leading to their arrests and the recovery of more drugs and cash.

At around the same time, a search warrant was also executed in Wiltshire, where Leutrim Bardhoshi lived and he was also arrested and officers linked him to two phones which controlled the drugs line and all six men were charged and went on to plead guilty to being concerned in the supply cocaine at Maidstone Crown Court.

Bardhoshi, 24, was jailed five years and nine months, Vlas, 34, of London Road, Grays, Essex and Mola, 22, of Jackwood Way, Tunbridge Wells, were each sentenced to three years and five months while Sabre Arnaut, 27, of Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells was jailed for two years and nine months.

Sait Arnaut, 24, of Goods Station Road, Tunbridge Wells, and Dimitrov, 25, of Maidstone Road, north London, each received two years and seven months.

DS Rob Hemsley said: “This latest result is another example of our ongoing work to ensure drug networks are disrupted and dismantled.”