A 33-year-old man who fled to Morocco to evade prosecution for a violent armed burglary has been sentenced to eight years and four months in prison.
Zouhair Etteay, of Chatham, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday, Jan. 5, where he became the sixth and final member of an organized criminal group to be jailed for the 2023 attack. The court heard that in the early hours of Sept. 8, 2023, a group of masked men armed with bladed weapons forced entry into a residential property in the Luton Road area of Chatham.
During the home invasion, the intruders assaulted an occupant and demanded valuables. The group fled the scene with two watches and two mobile phones. While responding police patrols spotted several suspects fleeing the area, Etteay managed to avoid immediate capture.
A forensic investigation later identified a mixture of local and London-based suspects involved in the conspiracy. While five of his accomplices were quickly apprehended and charged, Etteay fled the country to Morocco. Kent Police detectives maintained an active search for the fugitive for two years. The investigation concluded in September 2025 when Etteay was tracked down and arrested in Gillingham shortly after returning to the United Kingdom. He subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated burglary.
The conclusion of Etteay’s case follows the prior sentencing of five other men involved in the conspiracy.