Three men who were pursued by patrols following a ram raid at an Isle of Grain shop are starting a prison sentences.
At around 3am on 21 June 2021, Clint Londors (below left) drove to Grain High Street in his silver BMW X5, accompanied by Bradley Pearce (below right) and Jamie Turner.
Damage
Once there, Londors reversed his car into the front of the Co-op twice, causing considerable damage to the entrance.
Pearce and Turner got out of the vehicle carrying bags and entered the shop where they stole large quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, razor blades and football cards. Londors joined them to take crates of lager and over four minutes the trio stole items valued at approximately £1,500.
CCTV of the offence taking place.
Londors drove his accomplices from the scene and headed towards Rochester. Officers on patrol in Grain Road, who had been alerted to an alarm sounding at the Co-op, saw the BMW speed past them. Suspecting the occupants were responsible for the alarm, they gave chase and activated their blue lights.
The pursuit continued across the Isle of Grain with Londors attempting to reverse into the police vehicle several times, making contact on one occasion. At one point, Londers drove the wrong way along a dual carriageway causing approaching vehicles to swerve out of the way to avoid a collision.
Search
The officers lost sight of the BMW near Frinsbury and patrols continued to search the area with the assistance of the police helicopter. After around half an hour, Turner was located hiding in some woodland.
Officers had found a number of the stolen items as they made their way towards him and, when he was searched, cigarettes and razor blades were discovered hidden in his clothing.
A short while later the BMW was located unattended on a footpath near Four Elms Hill. It had suffered damage from driving through a hedgerow and contained much of the stolen property. The police helicopter then detected movement next to a nearby treeline and patrols attended the location and arrested Pearce.
Video from an officer’s body camera which captures the pursuit and the arrest of one of the offenders.
Charges
Enquiries were made into the ownership of the BMW and Londors was detained on 29 June. CCTV from the Co-op along with other evidence confirmed the arrested men to be the offenders and they were all charged with burglary. Londors was also charged with dangerous driving.
Subsequently, Pearce was further charged with a second count of burglary at a shop in Rochester High Street. The break-in had happened on Thursday 17 June, when bridal accessories had been stolen.
Pearce and Turner, both of no fixed address, and Londors, of High Street, Rochester pleaded guilty to the indictments at Maidstone Crown Court.
Sentenced
On Friday 15 October, 48-year-old Londors was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison. He was also disqualified for three years and six months and will be required to take an extended test. On the same date 39-year-old Turner, who was also on probation at the time of the incident, was jailed for a total of three years and four months.
On Monday 1 November at the same court, 39-year-old Pearce was sentenced to two years and eight months’ imprisonment. This included a concurrent sentence of three months in relation to the burglary in Rochester High Street.
Investigating officer, PC Rebecca Howlett of the Chief Constable’s Crime Squad, said: ‘The damage caused by these criminals caused the shop to close for three days while repairs costing £35,000 were completed. The only post office in the area was situated inside the premises and the closure caused considerable inconvenience to local residents, particularly the elderly and those unable to travel.
‘These small local shops are vital to communities and this type of crime can affect the financial viability of the business and its ability to continue. These offenders showed no consideration for the impact of their crime thinking only of making a quick profit from selling the stolen property.
‘The manner of the driving as they sought to avoid arrest was reckless in the extreme and these men thoroughly deserve some time in prison.’