There were lots of people who committed offences and were jailed for their crimes last month.

Here's just some of the criminals including burglars, thugs, sex offenders, drug dealers and killers who were locked up in May.

Terry Norman, Jaydee Ashton and Ricky Norman

A 66-year-old man who believed he was in a relationship with a younger woman was shocked to see her among a gang of burglars storming his home.

The victim’s flat in Invicta House, Margate, was raided by Jaydee Ashton, 35, who lived upstairs in the tower block, and two men.

CCTV recorded Ashton, alongside Ricky Norman, 38, and Terry Norman, 37, leaving her flat while wearing face masks during the early hours of Thursday, February 9 and she then knocked on their target’s door and was invited in after she said she wished to pay back a small loan.

Canterbury Crown Court heard the victim - a painter and decorator - had believed for the past six weeks that he and Ashton were in a relationship.

But once inside, she unlocked the door and was swiftly joined by Ricky Norman, who also lives in the Millmead Road block, and Terry Norman, of South Court in Ramsgate.

The man was completely petrified and immediately sought refuge inside the kitchen where he blocked the door and the court heard he saw something shiny and metallic in the hands of one of the men, which he feared was a weapon,” said prosecutor Ali Dewji.

As he took cover for 13 minutes, one burglar meted out derogatory and unfounded allegations, and then the thieves made off with £80 cash, a debit card, driving licence, prescription medication and a mobile phone and CCTV in the tower block’s corridor recorded the moment the trio fled the home.

All three defendants pleaded guilty to burglary at an early opportunity and Judge Trimmer handed down three years’ custody to each defendant, while activating a seven-month suspended sentence for Ashton and 18-week suspended sentence for Ricky Norman.

Roger Porter

A drunk thug carjacked a terrified woman as his young son watched on traumatised, begging his dad to stop.

Roger Porter stepped in front of his frightened victim’s Ford Galaxy and screamed “get out the ******* car” in High Street, Deal.

The 37-year-old threw the woman into the road and then drove away in the car, which she had bought to help her disabled son. It was later found dumped about half-a-mile away.

Porter, from Deal, was jailed for three years at Canterbury Crown Court last month after previously admitting robbery.

A judge was told that on Monday, March 13, Porter had downed six pints of beer and double shots, having recently been released from a spell in prison and at 6pm that night, he blocked off the car’s path and repeatedly and aggressively demanded the woman get out of the vehicle, but she refused.

Porter opened the car door and grabbed hold of her seatbelt with such force it caused pain to her neck, and as the woman unclipped the belt to defend herself, Porter grabbed her arm and threw her to the pavement.

Porter’s child could be heard shouting “Dad, that’s my dad, stop it dad” as the violence unfolded, prosecutor Ben Wilde said.

As he was being jailed, Judge Simon Taylor KC told Porter: “You can only imagine being dragged from your car in the early afternoon - you can only imagine how terrifying that would be.”

Lewis Jones, Alfie Scott and Shannon Cook

A “pack of jackals” who repeatedly knifed a stranger in the face as his terrified girlfriend was forced to watch were jailed.

Alfie Scott, 33, and Lewis Jones, 27, forced Jack Bardrick into a pub doorway in Whitstable High Street before setting upon him with a blade.

Their co-defendant Shannon Cook, 26, grabbed hold of Mr Bardrick’s partner Georgina McKinnon as she begged for the gang to stop.

The trio denied wounding Mr Bardrick after rounding on him outside the Pearsons Arms in Horsebridge Road during a night out and causing deep gashes to his face and two puncture wounds to his back.

But a jury threw out their lies and convicted them of the harrowing attack following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court in November last year and they returned to be sentenced last month.

Scott, of Stodmarsh Road, Fordwich, was handed a 13 year sentence after being deemed dangerous, and had admitted an arson charge, will serve two thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole and a further three on extended licence.

Jones, previously of Brook Road, Swalecliffe, was jailed for eight years and six months and Cook, previously of Brook Road was handed two years six months after being acquitted of wounding with intent but found guilty of unlawful wounding.

Mark Green and Ruben Smith

A man who fatally punched another in the street after he commented on his friend’s dress has been jailed.

Mark Green killed Anthony Armstrong after hitting him in the face during an afternoon near Folkestone town centre last year.

The 42-year-old’s violent outburst caused Mr Armstrong to fall backwards and hit his head against tarmac, resulting in devastating brain injuries.

Green, who comes from the town, previously admitted manslaughter and was jailed for eight years at Canterbury Crown Court last month.

His co-defendant Ruben Smith, 19, also from Folkestone was cleared of manslaughter at the same court and he admitted being the first to punch Mr Armstrong, 49, but a judge ruled mid-trial he could not be safely convicted of the serious charge.

Jurors heard the pair attacked Mr Armstrong in New Street on October 6 after he commented on the length of Smith’s mother’s dress.

During the attack, Mr Armstrong fell backwards with such force he suffered devastating brain injuries when his head hit the road and died three days later from “severe traumatic brain injury”.

Green, of no fixed address, was cleared of affray but Smith, of Foord Road South, admitted the charge during his trial and was jailed for 52 weeks.

To see the criminals locked up in April, click here.

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.

Kuran Gill, Jag Singh, Gregory Blacklock and Govind Bahia

A drug-smuggling gang was jailed after officers found £1million worth of cannabis hidden in computer casings.

The drugs had been flown from Canada to Heathrow, and were due to be delivered to a business address in Dartford when they were discovered at the airport in February 2021.

Detectives linked the shipment to members of a criminal network who had been using an illegally-encrypted mobile phone platform to arrange the importation of cannabis.

Four men from Gravesend, Maidstone and south-west London were involved and sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court last month.

Kuran Gill, 32, of Sun Marsh Way, Gravesend, organised the importation and onward distribution of the cannabis, as well as facilitating the sale of a kilogram of cocaine and officers seized around £105,000 cash from his home address following his arrest in April 2021.

Gill pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import a Class B drug, conspiracy to supply cocaine and possession of criminal property, and was sentenced to seven years.

Gregory Blacklock, 32, of Buckland Hill, Maidstone, was the director of the Dartford business where the cannabis was due to be delivered and admitted to conspiracy to import a Class B drug and was sentenced to three years.

Govind Bahia, 30, of Tennyson Walk, Gravesend, assisted Gill with advice and direction on the type and quantity of cannabis to purchase and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import a Class B drug and was jailed for three years.

Jag Singh, 32, of The Boulevard in south-west London, was also involved in organising the important and distribution of the cannabis and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import a Class B drug and was jailed for four years and nine months.

Martin Emery

A former chief firefighter, who claimed he was “a looker not a toucher“, was jailed for five years for child sex offences.

Snodland man Martin Emery, 64, was convicted by a jury of indecent assaults against a victim between 1997 and 2005.

The pervert was also convicted of voyeurism and possessing hundreds of child sex images and extreme pornography, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

An investigation uncovered the abuser had secretly filmed his victim, and further offences were identified after several devices were seized from his home including a hard drive and USB stick.

So last month, Emery, of Birling Road, begun his jail sentence still protesting his innocence of the child sex offences, but Judge Douglas Moore told him: “This was a cruel offence against a young girl. She has suffered psychological damage.

“You have damaged your victim most grievously. Your own sex gratification took priority over your victim’s misery and feelings of despair.

“And you have demonstrated absolutely no remorse, no contrition or regret over your actions.”

Prosecutor Bridget Todd said Emery had committed offences against his victim when she was between 10 and 11 years old.

Kevin Carter and Louis Manning-Chamberlain

Men posing as cleaners for a ferry company in an attempt to smuggle cocaine into the UK were locked up.

Kevin Carter, 56, from Manston, and 30-year-old passenger Louis Manning-Chamberlain, from Westgate-on-Sea, were stopped in Mr Carter’s car as they left the docks at Dover in August 2018.

Sporting a hi-vis jacket, Carter presented his security pass and claimed he had been working on board a ferry as part of his legitimate industrial cleaning business and he also said he had been working alongside employee Manning-Chamberlain to clean tanks on board the boats.

But the National Crime Agency investigation was launched after Border Force officers searched Carter’s vehicle and uncovered a hide in the footwell behind the seats, buried under a mound of rubbish and hidden inside was 13 kilos of cocaine which would have been worth more than £1 million at street value.

It was later found that Carter’s security pass had been revoked earlier in the year but he had continued to use it in an attempt to evade border control.

Officers discovered that, during the period of investigation, Carter, of Manston Road, did not work as a cleaner on the ferries whilst Manning-Chamberlain, of Canterbury Road, had worked just a single shift.

Both men were charged with attempting to smuggle a Class A drug and Carter admitted the offence in December 2022 and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Manning-Chamberlain was found guilty following a trial in February and was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison at Canterbury Crown Court last month.

Graham Walters

A homeless man who tried stealing diamond rings from a jewellers was arrested after a brave shop worker chased him down.

Graham Walters targeted the high-end Iconic Jewellery Store in Canterbury high street, posing as a potential buyer.

A court was told he hoped to sell the rings to feed his drug addiction, having suffered a relapse after being set on fire in his tent next to the River Stour days before, but as the 38-year-old tried fleeing with £6,800 worth of gold and platinum jewels, he was chased down by staff and held until police arrived.

Walters, who has 22 previous convictions for 43 offences, had gone to the store in The Parade on February 27, and when he asked for a closer inspection of some diamond rings, the staff member “replied loudly to attract the attention” of her colleague in another room, the court heard.

He queried the price in an attempt to distract the staff member by drawing her attention back to the display case and Walters then lunged towards the jewellery, prompting her to grab hold of him.

Following a struggle, he ran off with two of the rings, but her colleague, Trevor Fitzgerald, leapt into action and apprehended Walters in the street minutes later, with the help of two good Samaritans.

Mr Fitzgerald was “able to bring him back to the shop”, where police were called and found Walters in possession of two chisels.

The judge, Recorder Stuart Trimmer KC, jailed Walters for three years and four months last month after he admitted robbery.

Luke Carney

A “persistent” thief was caught on the dashcam of the Jaguar he had stolen as he returned to switch its lights off.

Images of Luke Carney, from Heath Close, Swanley, were recovered by officers who located the luxury vehicle which was taken from outside an address in Bexley last year.

The car was reported stolen during the early hours of December 4 but it was recovered by police less than an hour later thanks to tracking software and the victim checked the dashcam which showed a suspect returning to the car to turn off the lights.

The images were sent to officers who immediately recognised Carney having dealt with him previously and on December 14, the 25-year-old was arrested near his home.

Searches at the property led to the discovery of quantities of cannabis, along with cash, slingshots and ball bearings, among other items.

A car key found in his possession was linked by officers to a Range Rover stolen just days earlier from outside Swanley railway station.

Carney was charged with two counts of theft of a motor vehicle and with possessing cannabis with intent to supply and he pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years.

The £360 worth of cash seized from his address was ordered by the court to go to a local charity.

Rodney Geisha

A father-of-two, who slashed the throat of a rival in a busy town centre after a row over a girlfriend, was locked up for 13-and-a-half years.

Rodney Geisha returned to Maidstone Crown Court for sentencing last month after previously being found guilty of wounding with intent and causing grievous bodily harm after an attack in Maidstone.

But Geisha began complaining the moment he was brought into court and stormed out within two minutes, when prosecutor Martin Yale had been telling the judge of the effects on the victim when the 51-year-old shouted: "I cannot listen to this...what about how I am feeling?"

He then walked out the dock and refused to return despite an appeal from his barrister and as the case re-started a note was sent to the judge reporting that Geisha now wanted to leave the building and return to prison.

Judge Julian Smith later ruled Geisha posed a danger to the public and added an extra four years which he will have to serve on licence when he is released.

Geisha - who was on bail for robbery at the time of the attack in 2021 - had disrupted the original trial which was postponed and he was eventually acquitted of attempted murder.

Maidstone Crown Court had heard how the victim Harry Cadwallader was cut with a knife in February 2021 after a bust up when Geisha also slashed the face of Harry's brother, Jack during the row.

But the jury found him not guilty of attempted murder against Harry or causing Jack GBH with intent but they convicted him of the alternative charges of wounding with intent and causing grievous bodily harm.

Alfie Ball

Two workers at a high street bakery were secretly selling cannabis alongside its fresh cakes and sausage rolls, a court has heard.

The Wake and Bakery in Cheriton, Folkestone, left customers puzzled after announcing its imminent closure in March.

But the venue had taken centre stage in a police sting after it emerged the Class B drug was being served up by two employees alongside its baked goods.

Two men were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court last month for their part in the operation, which ran from October last year until March.

Alfie Ball, 24, of Cheriton Road, Folkestone, was jailed for two years and three months.

Richard Francis, 33, of Sir John Moore Avenue, Hythe, was handed a nine-month sentence suspended for two years.

Laying down the prosecution’s case, Daniel Stevenson explained: “These two defendants were involved in the supply of cannabis from a business premises, The Wake and Bakery on Cheriton High Street in Folkestone.

“Both defendants worked either at or for the bakery and Alfie Ball was involved in the operation at a level above Francis, and Ball was responsible for receiving requests for cannabis, and for directing Francis to make supplies.

Ryan Cooney

A ‘prolific’ robber who targeted a lone woman and took cash from a McDonald’s was jailed.

Officers used data from a GPS tag on Ryan Cooney’s leg to prove he had been responsible for the two crimes in Strood over three days last year.

At 2am on August 14, Cooney approached a woman who was walking alone on Commercial Road.

He forcibly pulled a bag from her shoulder and despite the victim’s efforts, he escaped with her belongings.

Two days later, he went into McDonald’s on the same road as his previous crime and made threats towards the staff.

Fearing for their safety, they opened a cash till, and Cooney fled with a quantity of money.

Officers managed to identify Cooney as the offender, and he was arrested on August 17 and charged with two robberies after investigators used evidence provided by the GPS tag on his leg.

Cooney, of Hilltop Road, Strood, pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court, and last month, the 35-year-old was sentenced to three years and four months’ imprisonment.

Steven Palmer

A man who pushed a schoolgirl to the ground and sexually assaulted her as she walked through a park was jailed.

The victim was in Dane Park in Margate when she spotted someone following her and tried to hide behind a tree.

But as the terrified girl phoned her mum, Steven Palmer grabbed her from behind and pushed her to the ground but another girl in the park spotted the attack and also heard the victim scream.

The witness ran to a group of nearby dog walkers and told them about what was happening and one of the dog walkers shone his torch over the area and discovered the offender and victim on the ground.

Palmer was pushed away from the victim and he was confronted by the group and he tried to attack one of the men but was then stopped from leaving the scene while the police were called and he was arrested.

Palmer, of Sussex Avenue in Margate, was charged with one count of sexual touching of a girl which he admitted at Canterbury Crown Court. An additional offence of common assault against one of the witnesses will lie on file.

Palmer was sentenced last month to six years in prison and must carry out a further three years on licence once released. He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The 45-year-old tried to remove her clothing, touched her inappropriately and sexually assaulted her during the terrifying incident, which happened on December 7.

Nicolai Bogdan Lungan

A Romanian man who smuggled four Vietnamese children into Kent in a ‘coffin-like’ hide in the roof of a van was jailed.

Nicolai Bogdan Lungan, 32, accepted an offer of €6,000 in February this year to drive a van containing hidden asylum seekers from Belgium into the UK.

The Romanian-registered Renault Master driven by him travelled by ferry from Dunkirk to Dover with children bolted shut inside.

But he was stopped by Border Force officers at the Kent port who noticed the roof above the driver was covered with padded material and was unusually hot.

When this material was removed, officers found a hatch in the van roof which led to a hide in which they found four 17-year-old children.

The migrants were found lying on bare metal in the cramped and insufficiently ventilated roof hatch, which had been bolted shut using power tools and the children had no way of escaping from the hide without assistance.

When questioned by officers, Lungan claimed he was travelling to Glasgow to collect furniture which he intended to take back to Romania to open a barber shop.

Last month, he was jailed for three years at Canterbury Crown Court for assisting unlawful immigration into the UK.

Paul Clark

A former Kent MP caught with almost 1,500 illegal indecent child images described as "ghastly, unpleasant and horrific", was locked up for more than two years.

Paul Clark, 66, was caught during a raid on his home and told police: "I kept telling myself to stop."

He is the ex-parliamentary private secretary to major Labour Party figures deputy PM John Prescott and education secretary Ed Balls.

The judge told him he had suffered a "tragic fall, ignominy and public humiliation", adding: "But these are the gravest offences.”

He was jailed for a total of 28 months and he will be on the Sex Offenders’ List for 10 years and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention for the same period.

Judge Philip Statman told him the children pictured are victims – some one of them were "clearly disturbed” and he’d done it for his "sexual gratification".

Maidstone Crown Court heard how Clark – who represented Gillingham from 1997 to 2010 – also distributed vile sex images of children on October 4, 2020, October 31, 2020, and again on December 4, 2020.

The politician pleaded guilty to nine charges of possessing and distributing indecent images of children as young as three and prosecutor Daniel Stevenson said officers from the National Crime Agency raided Clark's Gillingham home in First Avenue on May 12 2021.

Charlie Spice

A violent man who abused a woman and punished her for not complying with his demands was locked up.

Charlie Spice, from Maidstone, entered a relationship with the victim and over a period of time sought to have influence over every aspect of her daily life, including what clothes she was allowed to wear and threatening her if she worked late.

He also interrogated her male friends and his actions caused the victim’s health to deteriorate significantly, and after some months she ended the relationship.

Last May, he threatened one of her relatives with a kitchen knife when they went with the victim to collect some of her belongings.

In the following month, Spice assaulted one of the victim’s friends in a Maidstone nightclub in an unprovoked but targeted attack, leaving them with a broken jaw.

Spice, of Wallis Avenue, Maidstone, was arrested on June 29 and later charged with coercive and controlling behaviour, inflicting grievous bodily harm, and threatening a person while in possession of a knife.

The 20-year-old pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court last month and was sentenced to two years and two months’ imprisonment.

After sentencing, PC Alex Bagnall said: “Spice is a violent bully who sought to control a woman and used threats if she did not meet his expectations and the victim has shown enormous courage in ending the relationship and then reporting his appalling behaviour to the police.”

Amanda Farr

A finance worker who fleeced her grandmother out of thousands of pounds while intercepting her mail and phone calls was jailed.

Amanda Farr, 48, redirected savings the victim, Joyce Hutchings, transferred to pay for the costs of running her own home in Whitstable into her own bank account.

An electronic device owned by Farr was also found to have a calendar showing the dates on which the victim's pension was paid into her account.

Farr argued during her trial earlier this year that her grandmother, who is in her 90s, consented to handing over £24,069 while she cared for her.

But the jury saw through her lies after hearing how the ill-gotten gains were hidden and then wasted on sites like JustEat, McDonald’s, iTunes and the Playstation Store.

She was found guilty in February and jailed last month for 18 months.

Farr claimed the financial arrangement was above-board, with much of the money spent on her grandmother who “liked her food" during the period of offending, between December 2017 and September 2019.

Trying to explain where unaccounted money had gone, she pointed the finger at Ms Hutchings, claiming she was a “big eater” of oriental cuisine and could spend up to £20 a week on sugary treats, £180 sending her pet to “dog school” and would shell out £35 a time to have the animal walked.

Eduard, Lucian and Rinaldo Nicolaie

A group of phone thieves who were caught within an hour of robbing a shop were jailed for nearly 10 years.

The balaclava-clad gang stole £30,000 worth of of phones and tablets after targeting the EE store in Bligh’s Walk, Sevenoaks, at around 4pm on November 3.

Lucian Nicolaie, Eduard Nicolaie and Rinaldo Nicolaie and Marian Petre entered the shop and ordered staff to sit and remain silent, while an internal door was kicked open and the stock room ransacked.

The men then fled in a getaway car but were seen by witnesses who called 999 and were able to provide details to police including the car’s registration plate.

The Audi A5 was quickly identified and tracked by patrols to the M25, where it was travelling in the direction of the Dartford Crossing.

It was stopped at around 4.30pm on the Essex side and all four men were arrested.

Searches of the Audi led to the recovery of the stolen items. The criminals’ balaclavas were also seized.

Eduard Nicolaie, 36, and Lucian Nicolaie, 21, both of St Awdry’s Road, Barking, Essex pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to counts of robbery and burglary.

Last month they were each jailed for three years while Rinaldo Nicolaie, 20, of St Awdry’s Road, Barking, admitted the same offences and was sentenced to three years and three months at a young offender institution.

Marian Petre, 23, of Hall Road, East Ham, London, admitted to the robbery and received a 22-month sentence, which was suspended.

Alex Batista

A cocaine-fuelled barman who plotted to kill a pub landlord in jealousy and rage was jailed for 27 years.

Alex Batista, 30, was convicted of attempting to murder David Brown in revenge for losing his job at the Cricketers Inn in Meopham on Bonfire Night last year.

Last month he refused to leave his prison cell and was sentenced in his absence at Maidstone Crown Court.

Mr Justice Jay said Batista's defence that he struck the South African pub boss with a spade in self defence was ridiculous.

This was an offence born out of jealousy and rage,” he said.

The judge said the Portuguese barman had been married for a year and worked at the pub with his wife but there was a dark side to their volatile relationship.

The jury heard how during one episode he pushed his wife Cara downstairs but she was caught by the general manager who prevented injury.

Another incident led to the break-up of their marriage and Mr Brown then sacked Batista on October 30 last year.

Karn Martin

A thug who stabbed a man in the stomach outside a cocktail bar was later arrested after footage of the attack was posted on Snapchat.

Karn Martin lunged at Karl Duff with a blade as two groups clashed outside Captain Jack’s on Herne Bay seafront.

Martin, of Whitstable, ran from the scene but was traced after a video of the stabbing emerged on the popular social media app.

Last month, the 34-year-old was jailed at Canterbury Crown Court for four years after previously admitting wounding with intent.

The court heard Mr Duff was treated at a specialist London hospital after suffering a wound that penetrated his abdomen muscle.

A judge told Martin it was “a mercy” that Mr Duff did not sustain more serious injuries on that fateful night.

The court heard that Martin had been thrown out of the venue after throwing things towards a table where Mr Duff and his family were celebrating a stag do.

Peter Forbes, prosecuting, explained: “Martin and the group he was with made threats to the victim and his family, including threats to stab them and cut them up.”

Kane McLeod

A banned driver took police on a high-speed chase where he reached up to 140mph before trying to ram his way out.

When officers caught Kane McLeod they also discovered he had been carrying a loaded 9mm pistol with him as he raced along the M20 towards Maidstone.

The 32-year-old was jailed for seven years and nine months after admitting a string of motoring, drugs and firearms offences and Maidstone Crown Court heard how he had also committed similar offences in Harrow in 2018 when he again rammed police cars trying to escape.

Driving a black Mini, McLeod smashed into three cars and a moped and was tasered before his arrest, when officers discovered a knife and drugs after patrols spotted him driving an Audi A7 with cloned number plates reaching speeds between 110 and 140mph on the M25 near the Darenth Interchange in Dartford.

Prosecutor Matthew Kirk told how as officers attempted to slow him down, the Audi appeared to stop in a layby "to draw police vehicles in" before ramming the cars and following another high-speed pursuit, he appeared to be taking the exit at Junction 5 for Aylesford, before driving back onto the road and then making a sharp turn.

The court heard how the Audi struck a kerb when airbags inflated and Mcleod lost control and had to stop at a roundabout before attempting to escape while carrying a rucksack – but was again tasered and Mr Kirk said the rucksack contained a 9mm automatic pistol, loaded with six bullets.

McLeod, of Wordsworth Avenue in Derby, would later claim he was taking the weapon "under direction" to someone in Canterbury but admitted possessing a firearm when prohibited for life, disqualified driving, driving without insurance, and two counts of possession of Class B drugs.

He was also disqualified from driving for 94 months.

Jimmy Devlin

A 21-year-old was sent to prison for six years and two months for the "ugly, unprovoked" knife attack on "a friend."

Jimmy Devlin launched his attack on Tommy Mucrow on January 18 last year in a block of flats in Rochester.

Judge Philip Statman said Devlin had taken the view that the victim had been "discourteous" and punched him in the head.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that after escaping the flat, Mr Mucrow returned to collect his e-scooter and then saw Devlin running towards him holding a lock knife.

He then plunged the knife into his right forearm, neck and three times his chest which had punctured the lung.

Mr Mulcrow was taken to Kings College Hospital in London and spent days in the ICU - leaving him with "constant nightmares", the court heard.

The judge added: "He also has scars to his body which will remind him for the rest of his life of what you did, to your victim who you describe as a friend.

Devlin, of Stock Close, Rochester, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and a pre-sentence report said he had an "excessively violent background" with "many criminals in his family."

Tyrone Davies

A thug broke his sister’s eye socket while repeatedly punching her in the face after she threatened to sell his fishing rods.

Tyrone Davies, from Ashford, punched her with such force she fell backwards into a chair, then continued to rain down blows on her.

Terrified Haley Davies described feeling as if “her face caved in” during the assault, and how she has since moved away because her “life has been shattered”.

The 44-year-old was jailed for a year-and-a-half at Canterbury Crown Court, after pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent earlier this year.

The court heard Davies flew into a rage following a row over cash at another family member’s home last year.

After Ms Davies threatened to sell his fishing equipment to recuperate money owed, he turned up at her home on August 1.

Prosecutor Stacey Lee-Holland said Davies suddenly flew into a rage and repeatedly lashed out.

She explained: “He punched her and hit her several times which caused her to fall backwards into a chair. Once in the chair he continued to hit her and she fell into some laundry.”

Ricky Wells

A thug who discovered his partner “with another man” punched her in the face before stabbing her guest with a screwdriver, puncturing a lung.

Ricky Wells was banging on her front door in Ashford when he spied a half-naked man through the letterbox and began screaming abuse.

After kicking down the back gate, the enraged 52-year-old barged into Emma Venamore’s home, ran upstairs and punched her in the face.

Wells, who lives in the town, then grabbed a nearby flat-head screwdriver and stabbed Daniel Cooper in the chest and armpit.

He was jailed for five years at Canterbury Crown Court last month following a trial and jurors heard Ms Venamore sustained a black eye while Mr Cooper suffered a punctured lung and spent four days in intensive care.

The jury unanimously found him guilty of wounding with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Wells, of Chart Road, was also handed a 10-year restraining order following the attack in July last year.

He must not contact either of his victims or go to their addresses or place of work.

Gareth Hall

A paedophile who thought he was asking a 12-year-old girl to send him indecent images online was in fact communicating with an undercover police officer.

Gareth Hall from Ashford was last month given an extended jail term and detectives hope it “protects children from him in future”.

The former Lynsted Close resident sent the messages through a chat site in January – despite being subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order imposed in 2021 after he was found with indecent images on his mobile phones.

The court order banned him from accessing the internet without informing the authorities, using devices without specific monitoring software on them and a range of other online activities.

The 32-year-old was arrested in February and charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, making indecent photographs and breach of the order.

Hall admitted those charges and was jailed for nine years last month, at Canterbury Crown Court.

The court heard how analysis of his computer found he had been attempting to find teen chatrooms online.

He had also been using a phone not disclosed to monitoring officers.

Gordon Curtis

A controlling and violent “bully” who threw scissors at his partner and didn’t let her leave the house without him was jailed.

Abuser Gordon Curtis, from Gravesend, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after admitting a string of offences at Woolwich Crown Court last month.

The 44-year-old also received a 10-year restraining order after the court heard how he would lock his victim in their flat and prevent her from leaving their home without him.

He also refused to allow the victim to have a mobile phone and would smash it if he found her to have one.

Police were called to the property on November 26, 2020, after neighbours reported hearing a disturbance, and the victim told officers Curtis had thrown items including a pair of scissors at her.

An investigation revealed further abuse and Curtis was arrested before being released on bail with conditions not the contact the victim.

He repeatedly broke these conditions and was arrested in February 2021, and later charged with several offences.

He admitted coercive and controlling behaviour, assault and possession of a controlled drug last month.

Lewis Spratt and Tom Ambler

A man involved in the supply of illegal drugs using an encrypted phone network was jailed for 11 years and three months.

Tom Ambler, of Glebe Lane, Barming, near Maidstone, admitted two charges of conspiring to supply cannabis and cocaine.

He was arrested after police found a VW van he was travelling with his child in also had a stash of cannabis and his pal, Lewis Spratt, of Repton Avenue, Ashford, was also jailed for three years and seven months on one charge.

They were arrested following an investigation by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate and Maidstone Crown Court heard how the dealers used an Encrochat network to carry out their dealing.

Prosecutor Eleanor Scott‑Davies told the court: "An encrypted platform used by those involved in organised crime to co-ordinate, plan and execute their nefarious activities, undetected and the platform has no legitimate use and is exclusively used in organised crime in an effort to evade the authorities."

In early to mid 2020 French and Dutch authorities were able to obtain messages that had been sent and received on the Encrochat network.

The court heard that there was a number attributed to the usernames of “gravecheetah” and “sacredboar” – believed to be Ambler and Spratt and Ambler 25, later admitted conspiring to supply cocaine and conspiring to supply cannabis and amphetamine.

Spratt, 27, admitted one conspiracy charge and was expected to be released as he has served time in custody and on tagged curfew.

Bradley Pogmore

A “relentless” thief who emptied shop tills across Kent and the home counties using a pair of scissors was locked up for nearly three years.

Bradley Pogmore brazenly walked into stores and supermarkets and opened unattended checkouts using the special tool – sometimes returning up to three times in a day.

The 41-year-old, whose criminal record contains more than 100 offences, raided premises in Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Aylesford and Broadstairs in 2022.

Pogmore is said to have targeted retailers including Next, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

Prosecutor Rio Pahlavanpour told Maidstone Crown Court last month how Pogmore stole more than £1,600 by using his specially adapted pair of scissors to open tills.

This included on March 26 when he stole £350 from Sainsburys at Sevenoaks and three days later carried out a similar attack on a store in Tunbridge Wells.

He was was remanded in prison for more than a year awaiting sentence "which he believes has saved his his life because he was in the depth of despair at the time”.

Pogmore, of Foxlands Road, Dagenham, admitted 13 burglaries, conspiracy to carry out 11 more burglaries, and breach of a criminal behaviour order and was locked up for 33 months.

Sidrit Musallari, Nuhi Duraku and Besim Saraci

Three county line dealers from London who were supplying a town with more than £30,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis were jailed.

In 2022, detectives identified an organised crime group who were using a specific phone number to target drug users in Maidstone.

Following a complex investigation, on March 30 last year, a raid was carried out at an address in Enfield where it’s thought the dealers were living and officers forced entry in the early hours through some patio doors and Sidrit Musallari was arrested in a downstairs bedroom.

Officers then went upstairs where they found a bathroom had been locked and the door was forced and the occupant, Besim Saraci, was detained.

A third suspect, Nuhi Duraku, was also arrested in an upstairs bedroom and a search of the property was completed and officers seized 33 separate wraps of cocaine and a solid block of the drug weighing 222 grams.

Quantities of cutting agent, digital scales, mobile phones, around 1.8 kilograms of cannabis bud and £9,495 in cash were also recovered and two Mercedes parked outside the address were seized and the three men were taken into custody and the cannabis and cocaine was later estimated to be valued at £34,380.

Musallari and Duraku, both of Hadley Way, Enfield, and Saraci, of Station Road, Enfield, were later charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis and Saraci, 34, and Duraku, 32, pleaded guilty to both counts at Maidstone Crown Court.

Musallari, 37, pleaded not guilty but was convicted of both charges on September 30, and last month, he was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison. Both Saraci and Duraku were also jailed for five years and six months.

Luke La-Fon and Jake Hall

Two prolific burglars, one of whom broke into nine houses, were jailed.

Over four weeks during November and December last year, police received reports that nine properties in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks had been burgled, with jewellery stolen from some.

On December 6, a hire car was spotted by a patrol on the A2 near Gravesend and the officers attempted to stop the driver but the vehicle did not stop and was driven dangerously and at high speeds before it was abandoned in Freeman Road.

The occupants escaped on foot and officers seized a phone from inside the vehicle, which was later identified to be that of Luke La-Fon of Suffolk Road, Gravesend and the officers also found a pillowcase containing jewellery that had been thrown from the car during the chase, which had been stolen from a house in Southborough.

The hire car had been rented by one of his associates and a tracker in the vehicle showed it travelling to the scene of the Southborough burglary.

The 34-year-old was arrested on December 15 by investigators from the Kent Crime Squad and Automatic Number Plate Recognition and his phone connected him to the other break-ins and he was later charged with conspiracy to commit burglaries, aggravated vehicle taking and driving without insurance.

Jake Hall of Tunstall Road in Brixton was then identified as being present at six of the break-ins with La-Fon at Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, with his car shown to have travelled to each of the scenes and the 33-year-old was detained on December 29 and charged with conspiracy to commit burglary.

Both men pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court, and last month, May 22, La-Fon was sentenced to three years and 10 months’ imprisonment, and Hall was jailed for two years and six months.