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

Here are just some of the criminals including burglars, drug smugglers, benefit fraudsters, rapists, sex offenders and thugs who committed crimes and were locked up in June.

Yvonne Stewart, Kevin Filkins and Robert Hamilton

Kent-based international drug traffickers were jailed after £4.3million worth of crystal meth was intercepted on its way to Australia.

Kevin Filkins, from Sevenoaks, and Robert Hamilton, of Orpington, were sent to prison for their roles in the operation.

Yvonne Stewart, 55, from Croydon, has also been locked up after 24kg of crystal meth was seized by officers from the Australian Border Force and police who established that the shipment had come from the UK.

An investigation launched in January last year by the Organised Crime Partnership (OCP) – a joint National Crime Agency and a Met Police unit discovered the drugs had been sent from Croydon on June 25, 2021 and CCTV images identified Stewart, 55, who was working in the cargo sector at the time.

He was responsible for the security inspection of the item and the images also captured Filkins, 54, sending a shipment labelled ‘two glass Buddhas’ to New South Wales, Australia and this package only contained drugs which were not concealed and this proved Stewart had not checked the contents.

Phone records showed that, at key times, Stewart had been on the phone with Hamilton, 53, who in turn had been in touch with Filkins and Hamilton acted as the middle man putting Filkins in touch with Stewart who could facilitate the exportation of the drugs as a corrupt insider and Filkins’ phone and vehicle were also found to have travelled from his home address to the vicinity of the cargo centre the same morning.

Officers also identified that the trio had previously sent two other shipments to Australia on June 2 and 24, 2021 and all three shipments were named with individuals who had had their passports stolen, one of which was paid for using a card registered to one of those individuals.

This card, along with one of the stolen passports, were found in a search of Filkins’ home and all three were found guilty of drug trafficking and were sentenced at Croydon Crown Court where Filkins, of Deerleap Lane, Knockholt, Sevenoaks, and Stewart, of York Road, South Croydon, were jailed for 12-years and Hamilton, of Doveney Close, Orpington, was jailed for 13-and-a-half years.

Paul Goodwin

An “obsessed” arsonist caused at least £10,000 worth of damage when he set fire to his ex-girlfriend’s stables in a revenge attack.

Paul Goodwin, from Dover, used petrol to start the blaze on land off The Street in Worth, near Deal, on October 29 last year.

A court heard that although no animals were hurt, two horses had to be pulled to safety as the blaze took hold shortly after 5.30pm and the stable owner, who had previously been in a relationship with Goodwin, was said to have been left “upset, frustrated and terrified” by his actions.

She also feared that the 33-year-old had started the fire in the belief she was present and prosecutor Kieran Brand told Canterbury Crown Court that Goodwin, of Alkham village, had a “continued obsession” with the victim following their break-up.

He sent her abusive messages and then, 11 days before starting the fire, threatened her he would “do something”, making a reference to horses and Kent Fire and Rescue Service, who were alerted by a member of the public, found the hay barn and three stalls inside the stable block alight, and that the fire had been started intentionally with an accelerant.

As well as causing £7,000 worth of damage to the building, a further £3,000 worth of property, including head collars, lead ropes, treatments and more than 200 brushes collected over the years, were destroyed and Goodwin was arrested the following day but denied arson.

However, police found his car six days later in a car park at the Royal Oak in Folkestone and inside it was a green fuel can and CCTV footage also revealed Goodwin had filled the same container with petrol from a garage in Wingham just half-an-hour before he set the stables alight.

The court heard Goodwin has five previous convictions for seven offences, including two for criminal damage and one for sending a malicious communication and he later admitted arson and was jailed for two-and-a-half years and was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order.

Stephen Palmer

A drug dealer involved in the supply of more than £150,000 worth of cocaine and ketamine who boasted “business is good” was jailed.

Stephen Palmer used the handle ‘Palm Beach’ in illicit EncroChat phone conversations with six individuals detailing the buying, selling and quality of kilo-size quantities of the class A and class B drugs.

He was identified after images of him holding a fish and selling a vehicle were sent out by the user and further evidence linking Palmer to his distinctive EncroChat handle was discovered from paperwork relating to a property in France and this included a UK correspondence address in Palm Beach Avenue, Hythe.

EncroChat was a military-grade and expensive encrypted phone system extensively used by organised crime groups trading in drugs and guns throughout Europe, but in 2020 it was shut down after being infiltrated - and the conversations consequently cracked - by international law enforcement agencies.

In one of his own phone exchanges, 41-year-old Palmer even warned another user that SIM cards should be discarded on a weekly basis to avoid detection, Maidstone Crown Court heard and he also exchanged photographs of drugs in the messages as he brokered deals for cocaine at around £36,500 per kilo and for ketamine at some £7,500.

Prosecutor Sarah Morris contended Palmer, already a convicted drug dealer, played a leading role in a commercial-scale supply operation, but the sentencing judge decided that much of what Palmer said was “advertising bluff”, and that it was accepted by the courts that not all offers of drugs in such cases come to fruition.

Palmer, of Oslin Walk, Kings Hill, West Malling, pleaded guilty to two offences of being concerned in the supply of four kilos of cocaine and one of ketamine between March and June 2020 and the court heard in 2014 he had been jailed for six years for a cocaine supply conspiracy.

Jailing Palmer for 10-and-a-half years, Judge Philip St.John-Stevens told him that by reason of his previous conviction 10 years ago, he would have been “fully aware” of the seriousness of his criminality in 2020.

Alfie Murray

A registered sex offender who continued to target young girls online was jailed.

Police were alerted to Alfie Murray’s reoffending after receiving a report from a girl last October about indecent messages she had received from a man online.

Investigators identified Murray, who is from Medway, as the offender with the usernames KLOWN.7010 and ALFIEMILWALL85 and he had asked for indecent images, made threats and caused the victim considerable distress until she blocked him from contacting her.

Murray was convicted on June 1, 2022, of sex offences involving children and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and as a result, had a number of conditions which included notifying the police if he took possession of an internet-enabled device or had any unsupervised communication with a child aged under 16.

He also had to make his devices available for inspection by a police officer and allow monitoring software to be installed, but Murray was arrested on January 4 this year and when officers searched his house they recovered undeclared internet-enabled devices and proof he had been contacting many other children.

Murray, of Queens Road, Gillingham, was charged and pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to six counts of breaching his SHPO, one count of breaching his sex offender notification requirements and one count of communicating sexually with a child.

The 32-year-old was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.

This included the activation of a suspended sentence and he will have to serve 18 months in prison with the remainder to be completed on licence.

Sean Gaskin

A prolific shoplifter was jailed for almost a year following a spate of more than 20 thefts in one Kent town.

Sean Gaskin relentlessly targeted several stores in Sheerness during a crime spree which also included several weeks when he was serving a suspended sentence.

Gaskin mainly stole from high street businesses, including Holland and Barrett, Boots, Savers, Superdrug and New Look and the haul he stole was valued at more than £2,500 and included toiletries, tanning creams and clothing, as well as meat and cheese products.

The 41-year-old initially pleaded guilty at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on April 29, to 10 thefts which were carried out from February this year and Gaskin, of Jefferson Road, Sheerness, received a suspended sentence for these crimes.

However, he chose to ignore and over the following weeks went on to commit further offences.

He was arrested again on May 31 and remanded in custody and on June 3, Gaskin pleaded guilty to a further 13 shoplifting offences at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court.

He was jailed for a total of 330 days, which included the activation of the suspended sentence for the previous offences.

Gaskin was also ordered to pay compensation to the stores he stole from, which amounted to a sum of almost £1,700.

Samuel Dunne and Keenan Hall-Shelton

Drug dealers involved in smuggling “premium” cannabis products worth at least £10 million from the US into the UK hidden in children’s toys and clothing were jailed for a combined total of more than 14 years.

A court heard Samuel Dunne ran a “well-organised and extensively planned” operation over a 14-month period, with Keenan Hall-Shelton as a “trusted, top-end” member.

In fact, 30-year-old Dunne was so efficient in his business dealings that his own Google spreadsheets detailing addresses, stock lists, prices, unique parcel tracking codes and monies owed provided the authorities with what was described as a “clear audit trail”.

The cannabis, advertised as “California’s finest”, was offered for supply in various forms, including herbal, edible sweets, vapes and pre-rolled cigarettes and once in the UK, the parcel would be delivered to a recipient’s address, where it would then be collected by a courier for onward distribution and the recipient paid about £200 for their involvement.

The international drugs ring first came to police attention in February 2022 after Border Force officers had seized a large number of packages all sent from California and destined for addresses in north Kent and stashed among the parcel contents was cannabis and Dunne, of Belmont Road, Whitstable, was eventually linked to 355kg of the Class B drug although it is believed that unknown cannabis quantities slipped through the net to reach their intended destinations.

Hall-Shelton’s involvement in the illicit enterprise was limited to six months, with no more than 100kg passing through his hands and he was arrested at Ebbsfleet International Station and he had a key to the container which, when searched, revealed a total of two kilos of cocaine shared between supermarket carrier bags, empty packaging which had held a further three kilos, as well as quantities of cannabis and MDMA and at his home, police found drug-associated equipment, £20,000 cash, a machete, knuckleduster and several phones.

Dunne, who has 18 previous convictions for 32 offences, including three related to drugs, and was jailed for 12 months in July 2020, later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cannabis between February 1, 2022, and April 21 last year, and possessing cannabis with intent to supply and was jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Hall-Shelton, of Ash Road, Sevenoaks has four previous convictions for five offences, including one related to cocaine for which he was jailed for 26 months in December 2019, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cannabis and possessing cannabis with intent to supply, as well as possessing cocaine with intent to supply, possessing criminal property - namely £20,000, possessing an offensive weapon - the knuckleduster, and an unrelated theft of a bicycle and was locked up for seven years.

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 May, click here.

Stephen Clark

Video footage captured the moment police officers arrested a burglar in the midst of a break-in.

Stephen Clark was caught hiding behind the counter at Budare Venezuelan restaurant, in Sevenoaks, after kicking in the door.

The 49-year-old targeted the eatery in The Shambles and another venue in Dorset Street between 10.30pm and 11pm on Friday, May 31 when he forced the doors at both premises, damaging glass panels, frames, and locks in the process.

Officers attended the scene and found Clark hiding behind the counter in the Venezuelan restaurant before he tried to make a run for it.

However, he was arrested and later charged with two counts of burglary before being sentenced to 12 months in jail at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court.

Sergeant James Page, of the West Division Victim Based Crime Team, said: “Clark caused considerable damage to both premises and stole cash from local business owners, causing them inconvenience and placing them under undue financial stress.

“I am thankful to the officers who responded quickly to the initial emergency call and arrested Clark swiftly.

“It is down to their teamwork that Clark, a repeat offender, did not avoid arrest.”

Ahmad Hassan

A terrified boy came face-to-face with the horror of Halloween when he discovered a night-time burglar hiding under his bed and naked apart from the child’s own pants.

Dubbed a real-life Bogeyman by police, Ahmad Hassan left the youngster in fear of going to his bedroom alone, while his brother was so traumatised he vomited.

A court heard the shocking discovery was made after they had returned home with their mum from trick or treating and despite finding doors and windows open at the Folkestone property and the interior ransacked, the family believed the intruder had left.

But then one of the boys was greeted by the “mortifying” sight under his bed and police were alerted and found Hassan, by now in another bedroom, lying on the floor stretched out in a starfish position and still wearing the boy’s orange pants.

The 28-year-old later denied burglary with intent to steal but was found guilty after a jury deliberated for just 40 minutes and although he did not give evidence at his trial - where a police officer described him to jurors as the Bogeyman - Canterbury Crown Court heard he had been under the influence of drugs at the time.

On being jailed, a judge told him she could not “begin to imagine” how his young victim must have felt at what confronted him on October 31 last year and Hassan, who has no previous convictions, was said to have lived in the UK for 11 years but was homeless at the time of the offence and leading a “chaotic” life and was said to have put the boy’s pants on as his own clothes were wet.

Jailing him for two-and-a-half years, Recorder Christine Wilson said the intrusion into the family’s “safe space” and his subsequent behaviour had resulted in significant psychological harm to all three victims.

Hassan, who is of no fixed address, was also handed a 10-year restraining order.

Martiy Baxter

An abusive man who viciously kicked his ex-partner while she lay on the floor wept in court as he was sent back to prison.

Martiy Baxter turned up at his former girlfriend’s address in the middle of the night despite being banned from her home following a “toxic relationship”.

The 29-year-old had ignored a court order which had been issued to him earlier this year after a vicious attack on his ex and a court heard Baxter, also a convicted shoplifter, had a poor record of complying with other orders and despite being on two community-based ones, he had not engaged with probation officers.

The domestic abuser had been charged with a number of offences after turning up at the woman’s home in Fox Street, Gillingham, during the early hours of February 25.

It happened just 24 days after he’d been slapped with a restraining order for the earlier assault at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on February 1 and during a hearing at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on June 4, District Judge Paul Booty heard Baxter, of Station Road, Herne Bay, had originally been charged with three offences, assault and criminal damage and breaching the restraining order, after going to her home.

But when he appeared in court on February 27, he had denied the allegation and was remanded, but later entered a guilty plea to breaching the restraining order and then the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence on the other charges and he was granted bail until his sentencing.

The judge also heard he had not attended the pre-sentencing report appointment which had been arranged for him before his sentencing hearing and he told Baxter he was going to jail because he had a history of breaching court orders and he revoked the two community orders Baxter was on and resentenced him over those matters and jailed him for a total of 18 weeks for all the offences.

At this point, Baxter cried and desperately said to the judge: “What? I am going to prison now? and the judge replied “yes” and also extended the restraining order preventing Baxter from going to the woman’s address, or her street until June 3, 2026.

Gareth Davies

A Border Force officer who moonlighted as a drug dealer was jailed after being caught trying to sell 5,000 MDMA pills.

Gareth Davies, 44, of Cleves Way, Ashford, was arrested in January 2020 by officers from the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) anti-corruption unit.

The 44-year-old was working as a field intelligence officer for Border Force in Folkestone when he became the subject of an investigation after the NCA was tipped off he may be involved in drug supply and he was put under surveillance in late 2019, with the probe including a range of undercover tactics.

Over the following weeks, he had a number of meetings with a contact he arranged to sell drugs to and in January 2020, Davies supplied four pills to the ‘customer’ as a taster – with a promise of 5,000 more to follow.

Following the illegal trade, Davies was arrested and searches of his car and home led to the recovery of a lock knife, rambo knife, a machete, two knuckle dusters and a baton that should have been returned when he left a previous job with the prison service.

Davies was subsequently charged with two counts of supplying class A drugs and dismissed from his role at Border Force and when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court he pleaded guilty to both counts and was jailed for five years and 11 months.

Dave Rock, from the NCA’s anti-corruption unit, said: “It is a priority for the NCA to tackle insider threat and corruption at the border, and we work extremely closely with our colleagues at Border Force every day to prevent illegal drugs entering the UK and Davies thought he was beyond the reach of the law, willingly disclosing information that revealed his criminality.

“The class A drugs trade has a devastating impact on communities across the country, and Davies’ conviction today is a reminder to anyone involved that all those who play a part in it, however large or small, will face justice.”

Brandon Chalcroft and Daniel Cook

Two county-lines dealers were jailed for supplying heroin and crack cocaine through a phone network known as the ‘Ice Line’.

Brandon Chalcroft and Daniel Cook were jailed for their roles supplying class-A drugs throughout the Medway Towns.

The pair were arrested after investigators identified bulk messages were being sent to local users, offering heroin and cocaine for sale in September and the phone being used was known as the ‘Ice line’ and detectives discovered that four separate numbers were being deployed by the criminal gang.

Chalcroft, of no fixed address, was identified as the co-ordinator while Cook, of Frindsbury Road, Rochester, was found to have a key role in the network.

In December, Chalcroft, 22, was arrested and officers seized a mobile phone and £1,475 in cash.

A simultaneous search warrant at Cook’s house saw a mobile phone, along with crack cocaine and heroin deals, seized and he was arrested as well.

The dealers were later charged with being concerned in the supply of heroin and being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine.

Both men admitted the offences at Maidstone Crown Court and Chalcroft was jailed for three years and two months, while Cook, 32, received two years and three months’ imprisonment.

Gerard McGuiness

A shoplifter who repeatedly stole from stores despite being banned from entering the town centre was sent back to jail after he was found with a carpet knife.

Gerard McGuiness, of no fixed address, had been issued with a Community Protection Notice (CPN) on January 26 after repeated reports of antisocial behaviour in Whitstable and being drunk in public.

The notice issued by the police prohibited him from entering the town centre or causing a nuisance, but despite this, McGuiness continued to steal from shops in the town and was arrested, charged and jailed for 150 days in February this year.

Shortly after his release on April 30, police spotted the 30-year-old on Whitstable High Street with an open bottle of beer – breaching two terms of the CPN and following a stop and search, he was found to have a carpet knife in his pocket and was arrested for possession of a knife.

While being transported to custody, McGuiness repeatedly kicked and tried to bite a police officer and as a result, he was later charged with breaching the CPN, possession of a knife and assaulting an emergency worker.

McGuiness admitted those offences and was jailed for 328 days at Canterbury Crown Court.

Inspector Paul Barrell, of Canterbury district's Victim Based Crime Team, said: “Kent Police will not tolerate people who make life a misery for residents and businesses in our towns and city.

“The two jail terms handed down during the course of this CPN show we will take robust action against those who steal from shops and cause problems in town centres.”

Billy Ward

A child rapist was locked up for 22 years.

Paedophile Billy Ward was found guilty of 12 sexual offence charges relating to a young victim under the age of 13 between January 2016 and October 2022.

The 40-year-old, of Castle Road, Chatham, had denied the charges after he was arrested last year but was found guilty by a jury.

He was sentenced to 22 years behind bars at Maidstone Crown Court and once he is released will have to serve an extended licence period of five years in the community.

Ward was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will remain in place for 35 years.

Investigating officer DC Emma Othen, of Kent Police’s Vulnerability Investigation Team, said: “Ward carried out pre-planned and sustained offending over a six-year period against a vulnerable young child.

“His crimes are some of the worst I have come across while working as part of this team, and I really want to commend the bravery of the victim and not only did the child report his offending, but they were present in court and personally read out their victim impact statement, a step which took great courage.

“I hope that the outcome of this case allows them to come to terms with their past and gives the closure needed in order to move forward.”

Simon Brown

The killer of a child rapist beaten to death in an "uncontrollable rage" was jailed for 13 years.

Family and friends of Simon Brown, who had admitted the manslaughter of paedophile William Rowe, packed the public gallery at Maidstone Crown Court for his sentencing hearing.

Their presence was in stark contrast to the non-appearance of anyone on behalf of Mr Rowe, as well as the non-existence of the customary impact statements usually prepared by victims or their loved ones for such legal proceedings.

Mr Rowe, who was known as Bill, was 71-years-old and less than a year out of prison when he was killed in what was described as a violent and persistent assault in the early hours of September 4 last year.

Brown, described as a "dedicated and devoted" dad of two, said he lost his temper when the pensioner "bragged and boasted" about his deviant past, having been confronted with a KentOnline article from 2012 reporting his two convictions for multiple offences of sexual abuse on two young children.

Using his fists and feet, he then inflicted multiple injuries with "sheer ferocity" to Mr Rowe's head, neck and torso, including as many as 27 fractures to 17 ribs, before leaving him to die on the floor of a mutual friend's home in Borstal, Rochester, and the grim discovery of his lifeless body was made by police more than 27 hours later following a 999 call from Brown's distraught mum.

Brown, 28, subsequently went on trial in March accused of murder, with the jury taking just under 12 hours to find him not guilty at the end of the almost month-long hearing, he had, however admitted responsibility for his victim's death by pleading guilty to manslaughter during proceedings, but on jailing him, Judge Julian Smith said not only did the attack carry a "high risk of death" but the reasons for it "flew in the face of common sense".

He also concluded that what is known as an extended sentence was required as Brown was considered to be a dangerous offender and of high risk of harm to the public and this means he will have to serve at least two-thirds of the 13-year jail term before he can be considered for release, and will then have four years added to any licence period.

Ashley Horgan

A drunk thug left a man with a broken wrist and shattered kneecap simply for showing concern for his welfare.

Ashley Horgan's excessive reaction came after his victim had asked if he was OK having seen him stumbling around outside a Folkestone pub and repeatedly lying on the ground.

Horgan not only pushed and punched the man, who had been backing away, but also threw him over a wall and onto a road where up to 12 others then joined in the unprovoked violence.

Canterbury Crown Court heard the victim was left needing emergency surgery, with his mental health in "tatters" and livelihood as a tiler in jeopardy and Horgan, 33, later apologised indirectly for his actions, committed as he described when he was "hammered", and, once charged, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The court also heard he did not know any of those who had meted out their own stamps, kicks and punches, or had encouraged them to do so.

But appearing for sentence, Horgan, of Wood Avenue, Folkestone, was told jail was unavoidable as there was a need to "punish and deter" so people could "go out for a drink without risk of attack".

On sentencing Horgan, Recorder Christine Wilson told him she had thought "long and hard" about the appropriate penalty, however, explaining her decision to jail Horgan for two years and six weeks, she said: "The court doesn't impose a sentence of imprisonment lightly, particularly when taking into account a number of mitigating factors.

"But the court must have regard to the need to punish the offending and to deter others so people know they can go out for a drink without being at risk of attack in an unprovoked way."

Purnoor Bawa

A physiotherapist who sexually assaulted several of his female patients during treatment was jailed for six years.

Purnoor Bawa, 44, took advantage of the women between 2013 and 2018 at his private practice, Riverview Therapies, in Gravesend.

On each occasion, he persuaded victims to remove items of clothing so he could touch areas of their bodies which didn’t require treatment – including their breasts – insisting it was part of their recovery, but in December 2018, police were called to the business following a report he had carried out an inappropriate massage on a woman during treatment for an ankle injury.

At this time, the 44-year-old was not supposed to be working without a chaperone because his conduct was being investigated by the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service and the tribunal service later banned him from practice in 2019, after he massaged a patient’s bare breasts without her consent.

Following the police investigation, Bawa, also from Gravesend, was arrested and released pending further inquiries, but by April 2023, five women had come forward which provided sufficient evidence for police to charge him.

Following these charges, two further victims came forward to report offences committed against them.

Bawa was convicted of eight counts of sexual assault following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.

Investigating officer DC Peter Hylands said: ”Purnoor Bawa manipulated and groomed his victims, making them think his actions were justified when in reality he was taking advantage of them for his own depraved ends.

Paul Richardson

A serial flasher who exposed his genitals and buttocks to a woman told arresting officers he would "vaporise" them and "blow up” a police station.

Paul Richardson had already greeted two constables saying he was "just out of prison and having a w***" as they called up to him from the communal entrance of his Margate flat block.

The 56-year-old, who later claimed to have been in the SAS, then began to throw an array of objects out of a window, including a glass ashtray, golf clubs and even chewed food.

But a court heard after police reinforcements arrived Richardson made his threats while brandishing what was described as a "rudimentary device" with a battery attached and his bizarre antics continued once under arrest when, in full view of a CCTV camera monitoring his movements in his cell at Canterbury police station, he performed a sex act on himself.

Then, once admitted to a psychiatric unit in Maidstone, he wrapped himself in water-soaked sheets and towels and set fire to his room and later claimed he had done so because staff had "disrespected" him by not giving him food on request.

Richardson, of Glencoe Road, also tried to blame "women drivers" for the damage he caused to a parked car during his stand-off with police and neighbours, who were subjected to homophobic harassment from Richardson in a separate incident, later told police his behaviour had become "beyond acceptable" and left them feeling "trapped in a living hell".

But at Richardson's sentencing hearing for a total of 10 offences, Maidstone Crown Court was told "drugs, alcohol and anger" were the root cause of his criminal behaviour and the court heard the former bricklayer, who has 22 previous convictions for 37 offences, had also spat at a police officer in an another unrelated incident.

Richardson was jailed for a total of four years for three offences of exposure, two of common assault on police, affray, arson being reckless, criminal damage, harassment and assault on an emergency worker and was also handed a three-year restraining order in respect of his neighbours, and ordered to sign on the sex offender register for seven years.

Grant Venamore

A “dangerous offender” was locked up for 16 years for a series of “depraved and sickening” sex offences and rapes against children as young as four-years-old.

Grant Venamore was sentenced after he raped and abused two victims in Tunbridge Wells and Paddock Wood in incidents which began in the 1990s, when one of the victims was only four.

Sentencing Venamore at Maidstone Crown Court, Judge Philip Statman branded him “a dangerous offender, who had been responsible for “persistent, violent sexual abuse”.

The 48-year-old was told he will have to serve at least two-thirds of his prison sentence before he can be considered for parole and upon his eventual release, he will be the subject of an extended licence period of three years and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

He was arrested in August 2020, when reports of abuse were first made to Kent Police and a subsequent investigation revealed he was responsible for a catalogue of offences spanning more than 15 years.

Venamore, of London Road, Croydon, had denied any wrongdoing and the case went to trial at the same court where he was found guilty, by a unanimous verdict, of 11 counts relating to the sexual abuse of children which included multiple rapes.

DC Tania Muller, of the West Kent Child Protection Team, said: “Venamore repeatedly subjected his young victims to depraved and sickening abuse, causing incalculable damage upon their young lives.

“His actions have not only had a destructive effect upon their childhoods but will have sadly left a damaging and lasting impact on their adult lives.”

Ion Vasile, Denis Calin and Robert Maytum

Burglars who threatened residents with bladed weapons while wearing masks and balaclavas were jailed.

Three men received a total of 22 years and seven months in prison after they admitted to aggravated burglary after stealing from a property in Luton Road, Chatham.

The criminals had gained entry to the premises wearing gloves and with their faces obscured and woke up the occupants before assaulting one of them while demanding to know where their valuables were.

They stole two watches and two mobile phones during their planned break-in before fleeing the scene, but officers had been alerted to the incident, which took place on Septemeber 8 last year, saw men running from the area.

During the investigation of the crime scene, a mask was recovered and forensic examinations found DNA belonging to 20-year-old Rogel Dumitru and officers were then able to show that Dumitru and his car had travelled from Bexleyheath to Chatham accompanied by the occupants of a van, before and after the incident.

They also proved he’d been in contact with his accomplices Denis Calin, 20, and Ion Vasile, 22, before the crime and the probe also showed that the men had all been in the vicinity of the incident when it happened with further inquiries proving Robert Maytum had also been present.

Dumitru, of Mayplace Road East, Bexleyheath, Calin, of Albany Road, Chatham, Maytum, of Great South Avenue, Chatham, and Vasile, of Boxley Road, Maidstone, were arrested by detectives from the Kent Crime Squad.

Vasile, Maytum and Dumitru admitted to aggravated burglary at Woolwich Crown Court while Calin was convicted of burglary following a trial and Vasile was sentenced to eight years and five months, while Maytum, 36, was jailed for seven years and two months and Calin, 20, was jailed for seven years and Dumitru, 20, will be sentenced at a later date.

Sam Hawkins

A burglar who led officers to his front door after stealing AirPods and other items from people’s homes was jailed for two years.

Sam Hawkins was caught after the electronic earbuds were tracked to his home address.

In the early hours of April 17, the 37-year-old broke into a family home in Hall Road, Dartford, and stole a bag containing children’s passports, a laptop and an iPhone X.

He also took an iPad and some AirPods and he then walked to Joyce Green Lane where he committed a second break-in just three minutes after the first where CCTV showed Hawkins approaching the property where he stole the keys to a car and a number of electrical items.

He then fled the property with the victim’s vehicle which was later recovered in St John’s Road, Erith, and a friend of the first victim tracked the AirPods to an address in Pembroke Road, in the town.

They confronted Hawkins, recovered the AirPods and called the police and officers seized the other stolen items from inside his property and he was immediately arrested and taken into custody and later charged with two counts of burglary.

He pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court and was jailed for two years.

DC Daniel Bister said: “Hawkins not only brazenly committed one burglary, but was not satisfied with his first haul and went straight to another property to steal further items, but his greed was his downfall and, by stealing expensive AirPods which could be tracked electronically, he incriminated himself and led officers straight to his front door.”

James Camier

A pensioner just four days out of prison strangled a prostitute after he woke up in her bedroom and mistook her for a man.

James Camier, the father of former British Superbike champion Leon, was so drunk that he had passed out while engaged in the services of a sex worker.

But Canterbury Crown Court heard that as the woman was performing a sex act on him, the 72-year-old from Ashford awoke and "overreacted" violently, leaving her fearing for her life, and despite having earlier professed his love for the woman, a "possessed-looking" Camier grabbed her by the throat, squeezing it with one hand while making a fist with the other.

He eventually released his grip and the terrified victim was able to phone police, who arrived to find the retired mechanical engineer still with his trousers around his ankles and Camier, of Green Lane, Bethersden, was arrested and, although he admitted pushing the woman because he thought she was a man, he denied the offence of intentional strangulation.

However, having been due to stand trial he pleaded guilty before a jury had been sworn in and the court was told Camier had been released from prison on January 7 this year, following a spell behind bars for driving while disqualified, but just four days later he phoned the sex worker and, despite his "rather incoherent" state, arranged to meet her and paid her £150 for 45 minutes of her time.

But as the woman then began to perform sex acts on him, he became fidgety and kept jumping up and down so she told him to stay still, but he suddenly jumped up and started referring to her as a man and she asked him to leave but he placed one of his hands around her neck and started to squeeze.

Camier, who has eight previous convictions for 16 offences, including sexual offences on a child in 2007 and causing serious injury by dangerous driving in 2018, was said to be remorseful for his actions and was jailed for 14 months.

He was also handed a five-year restraining order and a charge of common assault against the victim was ordered to be left on file at the end of his sentencing hearing.

Daniel Wray

Two teenagers stabbed in the early hours of New Year's Day had been told by their attacker to "speak f***ing English".

The boys, aged 18 and 15, were knifed in Gravesend town centre by Daniel Wray as he was heading home from a celebratory night out with his girlfriend.

The 31-year-old, who was on licence from prison at the time, lashed out with the blade – said to have been found on the ground – in what was described as a "fast-moving" incident, and caused wounds to their abdomen and back and both teenagers had to be taken to a London hospital for treatment and were said to have also suffered psychological harm.

But at Wray's sentencing hearing, it was accepted by the prosecution he had acted in "excessive" self-defence after he and his partner Ella Coppock were said to have been subjected to "aggressive and untoward remarks" by the youths and then chased down an alleyway.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Ms Coppock was herself still traumatised by events on January 1, having feared "something unspeakable" would happen to her and Wray had been due to stand trial accused of two offences of wounding with intent but before a jury was sworn in he pleaded guilty to the less serious and alternative charges of unlawful wounding.

The court heard Wray, of Winchester Road, Orpington, was on licence at the time for an offence of controlling and coercive behaviour towards a former partner and his previous convictions also include ones for battery, affray and threatening with an offensive weapon.

Jailing Wray for a total of two-and-a-half years, Recorder James Lofthouse said although it was not "precisely clear" what had sparked the incident, he accepted there was "an element of provocation".

At the end of the hearing, the judge formally imposed not guilty verdicts in respect of the two wounding with intent charges, and ordered that an offence of having a bladed article be left on file.

Andrew Maloney

A thug who brandished a knife in a high street pub on a night out was jailed for more than two years.

Andrew Maloney, 55, was out for the evening in Lydd on April 28 last year when he became aggressive towards a man at The George Hotel on the High Street.

The punter, who was not known to Maloney, had intervened in a conversation between the offender and a third man.

Maloney then became agitated, and pulled out a knife.

Members of the public attempted to calm the situation and the weapon was moved to a place of safety.

Despite this, Maloney then climbed over the counter at the pub to retrieve it before fleeing and an investigation led to his arrest and he was later charged in connection with the incident.

After pleading guilty to affray and making threats with an offensive weapon, Maloney, formerly of The Derings, Lydd, was given a two year, three-month prison sentence at Canterbury Crown Court.

He was also given a 10 year restraining order.

Tommy Presley

A convicted killer once told by a judge he “lied, lied and lied again” was back behind bars after drunkenly complaining staff at a Gillingham shop owed him money.

Tommy Presley was just 19 when he stabbed a father-of-five to death at his Northfleet home in June 2012.

The teenager was subsequently cleared of murder by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court but found guilty of manslaughter, for which he was locked up for 11 years.

Now aged 30, he appeared at the same court to be sentenced for offences of robbery and assault by beating after going into the shop in Canterbury Street after a drinking session on February 2 this year.

In a bizarre sequence of events, he went into the store to remonstrate with staff, claiming its ATM had not dispensed his cash and demanded his money back and, on being told it had nothing to do with them, he assaulted one shop worker before grabbing bottles of whiskey.

However, another member of staff came to his colleague’s aid, hitting Presley with a spanner and snatching back the alcohol and he then left, only to return a few minutes later looking for his phone before bursting into a bout of shadow boxing.

Presley, of Coopers Road, Gravesend, was arrested later that evening and subsequently pleaded guilty to both offences, for which he was handed a seven-year extended prison sentence.

The sentence consists of a jail term of four years, with an additional three years on any licence period once released.

Darren Rogers

A serial burglar on a one-man crime spree stole a firefighter’s scooter and bank card from their station – then used it in a nearby shop.

Darren Rogers, of Sittingbourne, entered Sheerness Fire Station on Sunday 21 January, amid a series of break-ins in Whitstable and the Isle of Sheppey.

The 45-year-old admitted two counts of burglary, one of attempted burglary, fraud and handling stolen goods at Canterbury Crown Court earlier this year and Rogers, formerly of Cavell Way, was jailed for three years at the same court earlier this month.

East Kent CID investigated after a Whitstable resident saw Rogers approaching her home on doorbell footage on Friday 19 January this year and saw him looking through her windows and confronted him.

This caused him to leave the area and just two days later Rogers entered Sheerness Fire Station and stole a scooter and a bank card belonging to a firefighter and later used the card at a nearby shop and another offence was committed on Monday, January 22, when Rogers broke into a house in Minster-on-Sea through a kitchen window.

He searched a bedroom before leaving after an alarm was activated and officers identified Rogers from a CCTV image and he was arrested that evening.

The stolen scooter and jewellery taken during another burglary in Whitstable were found at his home.

DC Matthew Burridge, Kent Police's investigating officer, said: 'Rogers is a persistent offender who committed these five offences in the space of just four days and I am pleased our investigation has seen him brought to justice, that stolen items have been returned to their owners and Rogers has been removed from the streets of Kent.”

Rhys Cheal

A woman who woke up to find herself being raped by a man she knew after a night out with friends saw her attacker jailed.

The victim had been socialising in Gravesend when she met Rhys Cheal on August 21.

She had planned to go to a female friend’s home at the end of the evening but Cheal, who she had known previously, had been following her around and offered to take her to get a taxi.

When the woman’s friend asked to join them Cheal said he would get her home as she was feeling ill, but instead, he took her to an address in Longfield where she went to sleep and woke up to find him raping her.

Cheal admitted to his crime over the phone and the victim later reported her ordeal to police and the 26-year-old, of Weird Wood, Longfield, was arrested on December 3 and charged with rape.

He had pleaded not guilty at Woolwich Crown Court but was convicted following a trial and was jailed for four years and six months and will be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

DC Stephanie Wilson said: “This man has committed an appalling crime by taking advantage of a vulnerable young woman.

“Pretending to be concerned for her welfare, he prevented her friends from accompanying her and then took her to an address where he raped her.”

Wiktoria Packowska and Wojciech Kowalski

A couple involved in a £720,000 benefits fraud scam splurged their ill-gotten riches on a luxury lifestyle of designer clothing, bags and jewellery, including a £12,500 Rolex watch.

Investigators found cash receipts for the items, as well as iPhones, sunglasses, and a spa hotel visit, when they searched the homes of Wojciech Kowalski and his girlfriend Wiktoria Packowska.

The Polish nationals came to the attention of the authorities in June 2020 when they were stopped trying to leave the UK via the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone and a court heard that after they claimed they were only taking £1,000 each on their journey to mainland Europe, Border Force officers found approximately £62,000 in cash, much of which was stuffed down Packowska's leggings.

But it was at their two Essex homes - one searched at the time of their initial arrest and a second 14 months later - that a "treasure trove of tools" demonstrating the true extent of their criminality was discovered, which included fake Polish identity cards, numerous mobile phones, sandwich bags filled with SIMs, multiple bank cards, benefit claim documents, utility bills, passports and birth certificates.

Notebooks were also found with handwritten details of hundreds of names, addresses, dates of birth, bank account and national insurance numbers, answers to security questions and landlord details and further evidence of the scam in the form of images of passports, cash, and false tenancy agreements, as well as screenshots of internet banking details, was discovered on Kowalski's phone.

The crooks were also undeterred by their arrests in June 2020, choosing to continue with their deceitful roles as "day-to-day managers" of the fraud until they were arrested for a second time in August 2021 and on that occasion, Packowska was even brazen enough to strap the expensive Rolex to her wrist.

But she could be heard whimpering as she and her partner were led from the dock at Canterbury Crown Court to start their jail terms of four years each for what judge Recorder Daniel Stevenson said was "commercial scale benefit fraud" of the Department of Work and Pensions.

Kowalski and Packowska, both 28, admitted two offences of conspiracy to commit fraud by making false claims for Universal Credit (UC) and housing benefit between May 1, 2019, and August 12, 2021, they also pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing articles for use in frauds, namely documents pertaining to the personal details of third parties for use in fraudulent UC claims and in relation to the £62,290 cash found on them when stopped at the Channel Tunnel, Kowalski and Packowska also admitted an offence of possessing criminal property.

James Golding

A rapist with a history of violence against women was jailed for almost two decades after a judge said the risk he posed was "as clear as day".

James Golding stood impassively in the dock at Canterbury Crown Court as he was sentenced for attacks on two victims, including a teenager, that were committed just months apart.

During his trial, jurors heard - and watched - how the 43-year-old monster from Broadstairs even filmed some of his depravity and one rape victim could be seen crying and pleading with him repeatedly to stop, while the second was subjected to further "degradation and humiliation" after being locked in a room, forced to strip naked, plied with alcohol and drugs and told she was his "subordinate".

At one point during her ordeal, a debauched Golding even phoned a friend to invite him to join in, but he denied two charges of rape, one of false imprisonment, one of assault by penetration and three of assault causing actual bodily harm (ABH) but was found unanimously guilty of all but one offence of ABH.

A haunting statement from one rape victim detailed what prosecutor Hannah Llewelyn-Waters said was the "level of destruction" and "life-changing" impact Golding had inflicted upon her as she had been left in fear of being alone, could not sleep and struggled with even the most basic day-to-day activities such as getting out of bed and dressing.

The rape of his younger victim in November 2021 only came to light following his arrest for the attack in March 2022 and although the teenager was said to have since "disengaged" with court proceedings, her initial account to police coupled with Golding's recording provided the proof of his attack on her.

The court heard that among his 14 previous convictions spanning 17 years are offences of assault, arson, harassment and breaches of non-molestation orders, all committed within the context of relationships and he was also said to have cautions for assaulting his mum.

Golding, of Queens Road, was said to pose a "significant risk" to the public and was therefore handed a 23-year extended sentence and this comprises 19 years' imprisonment, of which he will have to serve at least two-thirds before he can apply for parole, and then once released, a further four years will be added to any licence period and he must sign on the sex offender register indefinitely.

Patrick Moloney

A burglar who stole sentimental jewellery in the hope of “making a quick profit” was jailed.

Patrick Moloney targeted homes in Tonbridge and Dartford between October 24 and November 2.

The 21-year-old travelled by car into Kent with criminal associates and broke into several houses while the residents were not home and the addresses, which were situated in the outskirts of the towns, were ransacked and jewellery, mobile phones and computers were stolen.

Police forensically examined the scenes and CCTV footage in the area was reviewed and officers identified the vehicle that was being used by the gang and on November 2 it was recovered in Wickford, Essex.

Inside the vehicle, they found suspected stolen jewellery along with Moloney’s DNA and investigators then proved he had been in the vicinity of the burglaries when they were committed and he was arrested on December 6.

Moloney, of Old Maidstone Road, Sidcup, was later charged with eight burglaries and he pleaded guilty to the indictments at Woolwich Crown Court and he was sentenced to three years and four months’ imprisonment.

Investigating officer DC Josh Littley said: “Moloney and his partners-in-crime broke into houses without considering the impact this would have on the victims, thinking only of stealing portable property to make a quick profit.

“Much of the jewellery was of sentimental value and Moloney should be thoroughly ashamed of his actions.”

Ashley Morris

A crack cocaine drug dealer was jailed after police discovered a large knife and a phone number being used to sell the Class A drugs.

Ashley Morris, of Stoke Road, Allhallows, was sentenced to seven years in prison following a week-long trial at Winchester Crown Court.

He had denied charges of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin but was found guilty by a jury and was convicted following a lengthy investigation by police.

In November 2022, officers became aware of a mobile phone number being used to sell crack cocaine and heroin across the Medway Towns and Morris, 35, was identified as being in control of the “Danny” line, and on Wednesday, March 2, last year officers executed a drugs warrant at an address in Stirling Close, Rochester.

Morris wasn’t at the address but police did find £5,000 in cash, a large knife and a mobile phone which was believed to be linked to the drug dealing.

Duane Stevenson, 24, of Imperial Road, Gillingham, was arrested inside the property and charged with being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, acquiring criminal property and possession of cannabis, he admitted the charges and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court last year, and was handed a 20-month jail term which was suspended for two years.

As part of the investigation officers stopped a vehicle on March 17 last year in Cuxton Road, Strood and inside the vehicle was George Bradley, 30, who was arrested and officers also found the mobile phone linked to the drugs line and he was charged with one count of being concerned in the supply of heroin, one count of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and he also admitted the charges last year and was jailed for two years and six months.

Officers continued to try to locate Morris who was evading police, and on Tuesday, September 5, last year he was arrested at a property in Tonbridge Road, Maidstone.

Graham Robinson

A registered sex offender who breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) multiple times was jailed.

Graham Robinson, from Faversham, was convicted at Canterbury Crown Court in 2018 of possessing indecent images of children and was made subject to strict conditions on his behaviour.

These included restrictions around his access to mobile phones or computers and his use of the internet and was also required to notify the police of any devices and bank accounts he possessed and allow his devices to be examined whenever it was requested.

The SHPO also required Robinson to install monitoring software on his phone and other internet-enabled devices, to allow officers to check he was not committing further offences or breaching the conditions imposed by the court and between 2020 and 2022, investigators completed unannounced visits to Robinson’s home and discovered multiple breaches and on one occasion, a smartphone was recovered at his property that he claimed belonged to a friend.

When the officers called the number they had had for Robinson the phone rang and it was seized and two phones and two internet-enabled devices that he hadn’t declared were recovered during a further inspection and investigators found Robinson had been using software to wipe his phone and computer.

In February 2022, Robinson, 66, was arrested and officers located a tablet, multiple USB drives and other storage devices at his home and also found he had several bank cards and accounts he had not disclosed and during the search, the constables seized a flick knife and a credit card that concealed three blades.

The devices seized were forensically examined and officers discovered 138 indecent images of children, eight were of the most serious category and there was also evidence of 23 extreme pornographic images.

Robinson, of Beech Close, was charged and, at Maidstone Crown Court pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child, three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images, seven counts of breaching his sexual harm prevention order, three counts of failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders register and having an offensive weapon in a private place and was sentenced to three years in jail and was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will remain in place for 15 years and was also added to the Sex Offender’s Register indefinitely.

Kriston Marshal and Charlie Bright

A drug dealer got a rude awakening when police caught up with him asleep on the sofa with footage released showing officers bursting into Kriston Marshall’s home.

Officers smashed into the property with a battering ram shouting: “Police, show your hands”, they then handcuffed the bewildered dealer as he still lay on the sofa and told him his rights as he seemed wide-eyed in the shock of the raid taking place.

Marshall was one of two drug dealers jailed and their supply in Ashford dismantled following an investigation by Kent Police’s County Lines and Gangs Team.

Marshall, 31, and Charlie Bright, 23, were sentenced to five years and six months and three years and two months imprisonment respectively after digital forensic analysts identified three telephone numbers being used to send bulk messages to known drug users between June 25 and October 12, last year.

Detectives identified that Marshall was in control of the phones and carried out search warrants at a number of addresses and seized quantities of cocaine and heroin, as well as a number of burner phones, drug paraphernalia and a knuckleduster.

Marshall and Bright were consequently arrested for being involved in the supply of class A drugs and later examination of the confiscated mobile phones identified coded communications between Marshall and consumers, relating to drugs orders and the network mainly served Ashford but stretched to Canterbury and as far as London.

On October 18 last year, Marshall, of Arlington, Ashford, was charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and being concerned in the supply of heroin and Bright, of Nine Acres, Ashford, was charged with possession with the intent to supply heroin and possession with the intent to supply cocaine.

Bright pleaded guilty to the charges, but Marshall denied the allegations, but was later convicted following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court.

Allan Beacham

A carer was sentenced to more than three years in prison after stealing £75,000 from an Emmy award-winning film writer to fund his addiction to playing the lottery.

Allan Beacham, of Wootton, near Dover, stole tens of thousands of pounds from the man he was meant to be caring for.

The 66-year-old, who also worked as a personal trainer in Herne Bay, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court after pleading guilty at a previous hearing when the court heard in May 2016 Beacham worked for a care company and was sent to care for his victim, Alan Pattillo, a successful film-writer living in Scotland.

Mr Pattillo, who worked on the Thunderbirds television series, was registered blind, in a wheelchair and had Parkinson’s and the following year he moved to Salisbury, in Wiltshire, and continued to employ Beacham and solicitors appointed a paralegal to manage Mr Pattillo’s overall finances and portfolio while Beacham managed his day-to-day finances, his care needs and would liaise with the paralegal when funds needed to be transferred into the current account.

During the spring of 2019 the paralegal left the solicitors, and a solicitor was appointed and Mr Pattillo moved into a local care home and, after concerns were raised about large amounts of cash being removed from his bank account, a report was made to Wiltshire Police.

It was established that Beacham would request money from the attorney for goods or services which should have been for the benefit of his patient but as soon as the money arrived in his account Beacham would withdraw the cash for his own benefit and his addiction to the National Lottery.

MailOnline reported that the court previously heard how “controlling and coercive” Beacham, had spent £25,000 on lottery tickets and would regularly steal cash from the “vulnerable pensioner” to fuel his addiction.

His victim died during the investigation but it was deemed in the public interest to continue with the investigation, which culminated in Beacham being charged with theft of approximately £75,000 from October 2017 to May 2019, and he was jailed for three years and 10 months.

John Hazelgrove and Patrick Holmes

Two mob-handed thugs behaved like "feral animals" when they attacked a brother and sister, striking them with almost 100 blows in just 90 seconds.

John Hazelgrove and Patrick Holmes left Michael Elson with a fractured skull and his sibling Lara Elson with cuts and bruises following what was described as a "savage, vicious and cowardly" assault in Herne Bay.

Fuelled by alcohol, the two men were said to have deliberately targeted their victims to exact "petty revenge" for having been caught with a missing handbag and after leaving Vivid nightclub where an earlier row had broken out in the street outside, the pair loitered around before spotting Mr Elson, who was then dealt as many as 89 kicks, punches and stamps to the head as he lay on the ground in the foetal position desperately trying to protect himself.

His sister was also set upon as she bravely came to his rescue and shockingly, just seconds before the brutal assault by Holmes and Hazelgrove, a Vauxhall Vivaro van had driven at speed at Mr Elson, mounted the kerb and clipped him with a wing mirror.

Several occupants then decamped and began to attack him, with the defendants caught on CCTV running towards the fracas to pile in with dad-of-two Holmes said to have played a leading role in the unprovoked attack, jumping up and down on Mr Elson's head as well as landing the final "swinging kick" as he tried to sit up.

Canterbury Crown Court heard he was knocked unconscious and, once at hospital, had to be put in an induced coma and Ms Elson was punched so hard in the face by Holmes, she immediately fell to the ground and also needed medical treatment for injuries to her head.

But although it was said their 29-year-old assailants were usually "decent and working family men" who had behaved out of character when heavily intoxicated, a judge decided the need to punish them and deter others from engaging in such violence could only be met by immediate prison sentences.

Holmes, of Clarendon Street, Herne Bay, and Hazelgrove, of Rowland Drive, Herne Bay, both admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Michael Elson and assault causing actual bodily harm to Lara Elson and both were sentenced to four years each.

Sean Green

A violent abuser who slapped and strangled his ex partner and accused her of hacking his phone was jailed.

Foul-mouthed Sean Green repeatedly targeted his former partner over a three-month period in which he subjected her to several threats and even headbutted her on one occasion.

The 36-year-old, of Banksview Drive, Hempstead, near Gillingham, was sentenced after he admitted controlling and coercive behaviour and intentional strangulation when he appeared before Maidstone Crown Court last week.

He was also found guilty of actual bodily harm following a three-day trial.

The court heard how the violent thug targeted his former partner several times between September 1 and November 19, last year and during one argument, Green headbutted the victim and grabbed her around her neck, causing her to struggle for breath and he only stopped when a child in the property walked into the room.

In another attack he slapped her around her face and the police were called and he was arrested and later bailed with conditions not to contact the victim, however he ignored these conditions and continued to contact her and on November 18 he accused her of hacking his phone and bugging it and then left her eight foul-mouthed voice messages threatening to hurt her before turning up at her address and shouting threats.

He was later arrested and following a subsequent investigation charged and earlier this month he was jailed for two years and four months.

Green also has a seven-year restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex partner.