Kent Crime Squad secures prison sentences of 23 years in July

A team of officers dedicated to tackling burglary and theft offences has secured more than 23 years in prison sentences in one month.

The Chief Constable’s Crime Squad also made 21 arrests and had 85 charges authorised in July as part of their work to tackle the crimes.

Among those sentenced was a violent robber who targeted a Strood shopkeeper.

Dedawan Kakel entered the store in Darnley Road in March 2021 with the intention of robbing the shop. He, along with others, struck a staff member who was working alone with a cricket bat. He was again assaulted, and they left the scene with a quantity of cash from the till.

CCTV enquiries placed Kakel at the scene and he was jailed for four years after being convicted by a jury of robbery.

Gabriel Zaharia and Valentin Ciobotaru are starting prison sentences after they targeted jewellery at addresses in north and west Kent.

Along with Gheorghe Ciobotaru, who will be sentenced at a later date, they entered various properties, taking jewellery following untidy searches. They were charged with six burglaries and pleaded guilty to the offences.

Zaharia and Ciobotaru both received five years and three months’ imprisonment.

Detective Inspector Danielle Driscoll, who leads the team said: ‘These criminals give no thought for the impact their heartless actions would have on their victims.

‘Victims and witnesses are at the heart of everything we do. Using violence of any kind, or breaking into a person’s home or place of work, is deplorable and when reports of such incidents occur, we do everything in our power to support victims and pursue justice.

‘I am pleased the quality of our investigations is helping the courts enforce considerable prison sentences and there will be no let-up in our efforts to remove more dangerous individuals from our street, also protecting those who are most vulnerable.’

Charged

Several people will now face court proceedings after being arrested and charged.

They include:

• Joe Scott, 33 from Canterbury who was charged with multiple counts of theft and fraud in Canterbury.
• Stephen Cole, 35 from Ashford is to face court after being charged with thefts from vehicles in the town.
• Clifford Vincent, 46 from Great Chart was charged with burglary after he reportedly stole money from an elderly man.

DI Driscoll added: ‘The arrests made in July, coupled with the 85 new charges, shows that we are continuing to target those who we believe pose a substantial risk to our communities and sends out a strong message that anyone with ambitions of committing crime in Kent can expect to be detained and put before the courts.’