The Kent criminals locked up in December including robbers, drug dealers and sex offenders

From prolific shoplifters to sex offenders, there were a lot of people who were put behind bars this month for committing crimes. This included a case that happened in the 1980s when a man indecently assaulted a girl in Broadstairs[1]. He has now been jailed, more than 30 years later.

There were also two brothers who were jailed for a total of more than 40 years, following a shooting in Greenhithe. The incident happened on March 8, 2020 in a communal car park in Cooper Close. Below we have rounded up the criminals who have been jailed in December.

Clive Tilley

Clive Tilley was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment after committing multiple thefts in Gillingham and repeatedly breaching his criminal behaviour order. He was issued the order by Medway Magistrates' Court on July 27, 2023, prohibiting from entering any Co-op, Sainsbury's or Tesco store in Kent for five years. Tilley went into Sainsbury's in Gillingham Road on November 3 where he threatened and racially abused a security guard after he was asked to leave the premises.

He then stole quantities of meat worth more than GBP200 from Tesco in Sturdee Avenue, on three separate occasions between November 23 and 26. At one of the incidents he assaulted a customer who tried to intervene. Tilley committed two further thefts at the Co-op in Canterbury Street on November 27 and 30.

Items stolen included confectionery, meat and fish, valued at more than GBP120. The 41-year-old was tracked down and arrested in the High Street. He refused to take a mandatory drug test while in custody.

Tilley, of Granville Road, Gillingham, was later charged by investigators from the Medway Victim Based Crime Team with five counts of theft, an assault, two public order offences - one racially aggravated, six breaches of a criminal behaviour order and failing to take a drug test whilst in detention. He pleaded guilty to all the indictments at Medway Magistrates' Court on Saturday, December 2.

Rebecca Lee

Rebecca Lee took items from three stores in Sittingbourne[4] on five separate occasions between November 5 and 19. Meat, cleaning items and laundry products were stolen from Morrisons in the High Street, Lidl in West Street and Asda in Mill Way.

Lee also assaulted a member of staff working at Asda, as she sought to leave the premises without paying. On November 29, Lee, of no fixed address, was tracked down and arrested. She was later charged by investigators from the Swale Victim Based Crime Team with five counts of theft, common assault and a public order offence.

The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to all the indictments at Medway Magistrates' Court on Friday, December 1. She was immediately sentenced to 120 days' imprisonment. More here[5].

Kenneth Fenton

Kenneth Fenton, of Balmoral Road, Dartford[6], was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court after he admitted being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.

The 39-year-old was jailed for four years and four months on December 4. An investigation was launched after a car owned by Fenton and driven by Matthew Smith was stopped by the police on May 31. Smith was arrested after officers searched the vehicle and seized crack cocaine and heroin hidden in hollowed out vapes.

A mobile phone was recovered from the car which was found to contain text messages from Fenton to Smith which implicated them both in the supply of drugs. Officers proved Fenton was running the 'Ash' drug line in Dartford, and he was arrested while driving the same vehicle in Keyes Road on August 10. A search recovered more crack cocaine and heroin hidden inside vapes, along with cash and a mobile phone.

Fenton was later charged and pleaded guilty at court. Smith, 34, of Lane Avenue, Greenhithe, was charged with drug and weapon offences and was sentenced to three years and nine months in jail on June 29.

Claudiu Patrascu

Claudiu Patrascu crashed into a motor-tricyclist in a stolen car and fled the scene. The 44-year-old was an unlicensed driver who admitted causing the death of Glyn Clarke in a collision in Hambledown, near Canterbury.

Patrascu has now been jailed for more than 11 years. Kent Police[7] was called at 12.55pm on Saturday, August 26, 2023, to a two-vehicle collision on the A2050 near Harbledown. Driving a blue Mazda he had taken without permission, Patrascu turned right at the junction into Faulkner's Lane. There, he collided with a motor-tricycle travelling towards the A2 from Canterbury.

The rider, Glyn Clarke, who had been visiting the area, suffered fatal injuries and was confirmed deceased at the scene. An investigation by the Serious Collision Investigation Unit found that Patrascu did not have a driving licence and was also uninsured. The car also had a false number plate.

Dashcam footage from a witness who had been following the tricycle showed that immediately after the collision, Patrascu got out of the car and ran away from the scene, not stopping to offer any form of assistance to the rider. Patrascu was charged and at Canterbury Crown Court admitted causing death by dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking without consent, failing to stop after a collision, failing to report a collision, driving without insurance and driving without a licence. On Friday, December 8, Patrascu was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison, banned from driving for over 14 years and ordered to take an extended retest before driving again.

More here[8].

Esmatullah Sharfi

Esmatullah Sharfi threatened two women with an imitation gun and carried out a robbery "traumatising" his victims in Canterbury[9]. The victims took refuge in a city centre hotel after being followed along the High Street by a man carrying what appeared to be a small gun on October 31, 2023. Afterwards, the man went to a cafe in the High Street where he intimidated a member of staff using the weapon, which was later found to be an imitation.

A customer in the cafe, who had followed the offender outside, was then forced to hand over cash after fearing for his safety when the weapon was pointed at him. Armed officers from Kent Police attended the scene and shortly afterwards arrested Sharfi, 31, of no fixed address. Sharfi was searched and found to be carrying a cigarette lighter designed to look like a genuine firearm.

He was later charged with robbery and three counts of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He was sentenced to four years in prison on December 6 at Canterbury Crown Court. More here[10].

Robert Mills

Robert Mills was jailed after raping a woman he met at a pub in Kent[11].

The 28-year-old met his victim in New Romney one evening in August 2019 before they walked back to his home in Hardy Road, Greatstone. Mills had offered to walk the woman home but instead led her through the woods to where he lived and once inside locked the door and raped her. Police said the woman was terrified after Mills had shown her he was carrying a knife, but she managed to escape from his property following the attack and ran home to safety during the early hours of the morning.

The incident was reported to Kent Police straight away and Mills was arrested the same day. Despite denying the allegations, Mills was convicted of two counts of rape following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court on August 25, 2023. He was subsequently jailed for a total of eight-and-a-half years on Friday, December 8, and will serve an additional five-and-a-half years on licence under the terms of an extended sentence.

Full story here[12].

Justin Kola

Justin Kola was arrested after officers patrolling the streets around Tunbridge Wells[13] spotted his car parked in an unusual position. Following a search, they found 23 wraps of cocaine, a mobile phone and around GBP65 in cash. Kola was taken into custody.

The drugs were analysed and found to have an estimated street value of around GBP2,000. The 28-year-old, of no fixed address, was later charged with possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and on December 7 was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment.

Eliot Dobkin

Eliot Dobkin has been jailed after he sexually abused a young girl in Canterbury[14].

He raped and sexually assaulted the girl at a property in February 2023. The victim came forward and disclosed what had happened to her and the matter was reported to Kent Police. Dobkin, 35, was arrested in London on Friday, March 3, and charged.

He denied all the allegations against him and was put before a jury at Canterbury Crown Court where on Friday, September 1, he was found guilty of two counts of rape, sexual activity with a child and attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison on Tuesday, December 12. Dobkin, from Stamford Hill in London, will serve a further three-and-a-half years on licence upon his release and is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

More here[15].

Christopher Key

A dangerous man has been handed a 24-year sentence after raping a teenage boy he targeted on a train. The brave victim was able to capture a short video of Christopher Key's face before the attack. Key, 39, of Westbourne Gardens, Folkestone[16], had previously pleaded guilty to raping a teenage boy at Canterbury Crown Court.

On December 8, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison, with an eight-year extension. The court heard that earlier this year the victim, who was 14 at the time, boarded the train alone at Margate[17] after spending time with his friends. Key also boarded the train at this station, and when the victim sat at a table seat, Key took the opportunity to sit opposite him.

Key then proceeded to question the teenager, asking him inappropriate questions, and staring at him, making him uncomfortable. The victim captured a short video of Key's face before Key proceeded to threaten and then rape him. The victim was then able to get away and get the attention of a couple on the train, who intervened and bravely confronted Key, allowing the victim to get off the train safely.

He ran home and alerted his mother to the incident, who called 999. Full story here[18].

Bray Sharpe

A shoplifter who targeted Maidstone and Medway[19] stores has been jailed following a police pursuit. Bray Sharpe was seen entering a clothing store in Week Street, Maidstone, on December 1, before picking up a coat worth nearly GBP300 and leaving without paying.

He then returned to the town four days later and stole meat products from a shop in The Mall shopping centre, police said. Days later, on December 6, Sharpe went to a supermarket in Maidstone Road, Chatham, and stole multiple alcohol products. He left by car and was pursued by a patrol across Maidstone.

He was arrested on Royal Engineers' Road and charged with three counts of theft. The 26-year-old, of Byron Road, Maidstone, appeared before Maidstone Magistrates' Court on December 7, where he pleaded guilty to all the offences. He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment.

Bradley Simmonds

Bradley Simmonds, 49, from West Kingsdown, near Sevenoaks[20], was found to have taken cocaine at some point before the waste removal lorry he was driving collided with a car, near to St Nicholas at Wade.

The incident happened on August 16, 2021. Kent Police were called to a coastbound stretch of the A299 between Herne Bay and Birchington, where a car was in a ditch at the side of the road. South East Coast Ambulance Service was in attendance and treated the driver of the car, who had sustained life-threatening injuries.

He was declared deceased at the scene a short while later. Simmonds pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving when over the prescribed limit. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison at Canterbury[21] Crown Court on December 14.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 years. Full story here[22].

Luke Wallace

A Swanley man responsible for a catalogue of repeated abuse, including multiple rapes against a child has been sentenced to 17 years in prison. Luke Wallace used threats to ensure his young victim did not tell anyone about the abuse.

Allegations of abuse were first made to Kent Police[23] on June 14, 2022, and Wallace was arrested the same day. An investigation by the West Kent Child Protection Team established he had persistently targeted the victim, over a period spanning between three and four years. Following his arrest, several devices belonging to Wallace were seized.

These included a mobile phone, which officers discovered, had a secure folder and contained illegal images of children. At Wood Green Crown Court, Wallace, 36, of no fixed address, pleaded not guilty to a total of 16 child sex offences and the case went to trial. He was found guilty of four counts of rape, four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of sexual assault.

Wallace was also convicted of four charges related to making and taking indecent images of a child. A jury returned a verdict of not guilty for a further two counts of rape. Wallace was deemed by Judge Alexander Jacobs to be a "dangerous" offender.

On Monday, December 18, he received an extended sentence of 17 years' imprisonment with an additional four years on licence. He must serve at least two-thirds of the custodial sentence before he can apply for parole. He was also added to the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

More here[24].

Joe Smith

A "violent" Dover[25] man launched an unprovoked assault on a woman at a hotel in Maidstone[26]. The victim needed 15 stitches in her lip and jaw after she was punched by Joe Smith. A court heard Smith went to the hotel in Forstal Road in an "intoxicated state" on New Year's Eve 2022.

He met the victim, who was already known to him. The pair left the premises on foot as Smith wanted to buy some alcohol from a nearby shop and he became increasingly abusive towards the woman. When they returned to a room at the hotel, he became aggressive again and punched her face "with considerable force".

The victim managed to get to the reception area where staff called the police and Smith was arrested. Smith, of Heathfield Avenue, Dover, was later convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court in June. The 28-year-old was sentenced on Tuesday, December 19 to five years and eight months in prison.

Full story here[27].

Jesse Barton

A persistent shoplifter was jailed after Ashford's[28] Victim Based Crime Team carried out enquiries into the theft of clothing, alcohol and food from shops in the town between December 1 and December 6. The investigation led to the arrest of Jesse Barton on December 6. The 35-year-old, of Austin Road in Ashford, was later charged with four counts of theft and one count of possession of cocaine.

He admitted all five offences at Folkestone[29] Magistrates' Court on December 8 and was jailed for a total of 15 weeks.

Christopher and Colin Nourse

Brothers Christopher and Colin Nourse have been jailed for a total of more than 40 years following a shooting in Greenhithe. The incident happened on March 8, 2020 in a communal car park in Cooper Close. During the evening, a group of people attempted to steal some motorcycles before fleeing empty-handed when they were disturbed by a resident.

When two of them returned to the scene, the bikes' owners, Christopher and Colin Nourse, were waiting. The brothers had armed themselves with firearms and the former shot at the pair who ran from the close. The brothers then left in separate vehicles and travelled to Christopher's home in London.

An investigation was commenced and officers recovered six 9mm calibre and nine 0.4 inch calibre ammunition casings at the scene. Two vehicles in the car park had also been damaged by the shots. When the brothers returned, while officers were still completing their enquiries, they were arrested.

A search of Christopher's address in Penge, and Colin's house in Cooper Close, led to the seizure of firearms accessories. In addition, a spent 0.4 inch calibre cartridge, a lock knife and a Taser were recovered from the two cars the brothers had used after the incident. Detectives later recovered a handgun used in the shooting that had been discarded under a car in Penge.

On March 12, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised a charge of attempted murder for both men. They pleaded not guilty at Maidstone[30] Crown Court and on July 28, 2022, Christopher was convicted of attempted murder and possession of a prohibited weapon (namely a 9mm handgun). Colin was found not guilty of attempted murder but guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

On Wednesday, December 20, Christopher, 45, was jailed for a total of 30 years' imprisonment and 42-year-old Colin was jailed for 14 years. Both men will have to serve two thirds of their jail terms before they are eligible for parole, after which they will be required to complete a further four years on licence. Full story, here[31].

Nuno Rodrigues

A violent and controlling abuser has been put behind bars after subjecting a woman to constant assaults.

During 2022, Nuno Rodrigues, 28, inflicted consistent abuse. This included an instance where Rodrigues forcefully pinned her to the ground and choked her, resulting in visible bruising. He caused the woman to permanently lose sensitivity on one side of her mouth.

Further incidents included threats with a knife, threats to disclose personal images and multiple occasions when he struck her face. On December 5 last year, Rodrigues took hold of the victim by her throat, threatened to kill her if she called the police and stopped her from leaving. When the victim was able to successfully get away, she told a work colleague what had been happening and the police were notified.

Rodrigues, of Playstool Road, Newington, near Sittingbourne[32], was arrested on the following day, charged and immediately remanded in custody. At Maidstone Crown Court, he later pleaded guilty to engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. On Tuesday, December 19, Rodrigues was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and he will have to serve half of this in prison and the remainder on licence.

He will also be subject to an indefinite restraining order.

John Morony

John Morony indecently assaulted a girl in the 1980s in Broadstairs[34] and has now been jailed more than 30 years later. East Kent's Vulnerability Investigation Team carried out enquiries, which led to Morony being arrested in Dorset in February 2020. He was later charged with indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 14.

The 71-year-old, formerly of Solihull, West Midlands, admitted one count of the offence at Canterbury Crown Court[35] in August 2023. On December 20, he was brought back before the same court and jailed for two years and nine months. An indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was also imposed on him, preventing him having unsupervised contact with children following his release.

Full story here[36].

You can see the latest crime and court news from Kent in our free newsletter here[37]

References

1. ^ Broadstairs (www.kentlive.news)
2. ^ Kent's historic village where house prices are falling faster than anywhere else (www.kentlive.news)
3. ^ Beast from the East snow could return in January (www.kentlive.news)
4. ^ Sittingbourne (www.kentlive.news)
5. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
6. ^ Dartford (www.kentlive.news)
7. ^ Kent Police (www.kentlive.news)
8. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
9. ^ Canterbury (www.kentlive.news)
10. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
11. ^ Kent (www.kentlive.news)
12. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
13. ^ Tunbridge Wells (www.kentlive.news)
14. ^ Canterbury (www.kentlive.news)
15. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
16. ^ Folkestone (www.kentlive.news)
17. ^ Margate (www.kentlive.news)
18. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
19. ^ Medway (www.kentlive.news)
20. ^ Sevenoaks (www.kentlive.news)
21. ^ Canterbury (www.kentlive.news)
22. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
23. ^ Kent Police (www.kentlive.news)
24. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
25. ^ Dover (www.kentlive.news)
26. ^ Maidstone (www.kentlive.news)
27. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
28. ^ Ashford's (www.kentlive.news)
29. ^ Folkestone (www.kentlive.news)
30. ^ Maidstone (www.kentlive.news)
31. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
32. ^ Sittingbourne (www.kentlive.news)
33. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
34. ^ Broadstairs (www.kentlive.news)
35. ^ Canterbury Crown Court (www.kentlive.news)
36. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)
37. ^ here (www.kentlive.news)