Two prolific shop thieves have been jailed after a foot chase in Maidstone led officers to capture one of them by the River Medway.
Police were alerted at 3.50pm on Sunday 29 December 2024, after the pair were seen running from JD Sports carrying several stolen coats. Ransome was pursued to a section of a towpath near Fremlin Walk and successfully detained. Plant managed to flee but was arrested on the following day. Most of the stolen goods were recovered.
Luke Ransome, 53, from Sutton Valence and Lee Plant, 44, from, Maidstone were both charged with theft and were remanded to Medway Magistrates’ Court on 31 December, and after pleading guilty were instantly jailed. Ransome was sentenced to 31 weeks’ imprisonment and Plant received 15 weeks.
Chief Inspector Steve Kent said:
‘Ransome and Plant are repeat and prolific thieves, the likes of whom cause significant harm to retailers and who can also cause distress to staff forced to endure abuse, threats and sometimes violence, simply for doing their job.
‘I do hope, however, that the response of our officers and subsequent swift justice will again demonstrate our resolute commitment to protecting businesses from the small minority of people whose actions cause a disproportionally large volume of crime.’