Nine years jail for Edenbridge man after litany of vicious offences in Medway

Six acts of serious violence have led to an Edenbridge man being jailed for nine years.

Between 2019 and 2021, Enrico Tenaglia committed a series of vicious offences across Medway and his hometown, including stabbing a man with a broken bottle, robbing a woman of her car and assaulting four Kent Police officers.

The 37-year-old, formerly of Moles Mead in Edenbridge, also twice breached a restraining order against a woman who is known to him and will be the subject of an extended three-year licence when he completes his custodial term.

Stabbing

The victim of the stabbing was approached by Tenaglia inside a Gillingham pub on the afternoon of 10 August 2019. Tenaglia told him that they were old acquaintances and they drank together for around four hours.

When the victim decided to leave, it was agreed the offender could accompany him to a home in Livingstone Road so they could continue socialising. At the property, however, the victim became uncomfortable with the way Tenaglia spoke to a woman and told him to leave.

An argument then took place in the street, during which Tenaglia stabbed the victim in the arm with a broken glass bottle, causing a deep wound. He then kicked the front door of the address off its hinges before leaving the scene.

Robbery

Tenaglia further offended on 20 September 2019, when he visited an address in Rochester which belonged to a man who was known to him.

After being refused entry to the block of flats, he threw a paving slab through the vicitm’s window, stuck his head through the broken glass and demanded the man meet with him.

At a similar time, a woman walked out of the building and immediately had her car keys snatched from her.

Assault on police officers

On the night of 24/ 25 September 2021, Kent Police was called to a report of an altercation between Tenaglia and a woman at a property in Edenbridge.

The offender, who was in possession of a knife, should not have been at the address due to conditions imposed on him by a restraining order. Despite this, he pulled cupboards off a kitchen wall after he found a shoe belonging to a different man.

When he learned police were en-route, he fled to an associate’s nearby home and was located in an upstairs bedroom. He initially appeared to be compliant with the arresting officer but, without warning, suddenly lashed out.

Three officers came to their colleague’s assistance and they were all assaulted, with one officer bitten with such force it caused their skin to split. A taser had to be discharged to bring him under control.

Dangerous offender

Tenaglia was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 4 March 2022, having admitted grievous bodily harm, robbery, wounding a police officer with intent, two counts of actual bodily harm against a police officer, assaulting a police officer, two counts of breaching a restraining order, four counts of criminal damage, possessing a bladed article and failing to surrender to custody.

Detective Constable Amy Jeffrey, Kent Police’s investigating officer for the stabbing and robbery investigations, said: ‘There can be little doubt that Tenaglia has an excessive propensity for violence which makes him a serious danger to members of the public.

‘He has caused an incredible amount of harm to his victims and continued to show no sign of remorse during our enquiries.

‘I am pleased that he is now off our streets for a considerable period of time. The public are undoubtedly safer with him in prison and I sincerely hope that everyone he targeted can feel a sense of justice from this outcome.’

Police Constable Callum Tuckett, who investigated the other crimes, added: ‘The violence Tenaglia showed towards our police officers is completely unacceptable, as is any assault committed against them while they lawfully complete their duties.

‘I am pleased he has been held to account and robustly dealt with.’