Maidstone Crown Court Image: SCOPIX
MAIDSTONE – Three members of an organized crime gang have been sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court after carrying out a series of high-value vehicle thefts across Kent. The group targeted residential driveways throughout December 2024 and January 2025, focusing on locations in Maidstone, Medway, Swale, and Ashford.
Mason James, 25, from Essex and Malcolm Royden, 55, from Gillingham were each sentenced to two years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal vehicles. A third man, 20-year-old Fred Wreden, from Sittingbourne received a suspended sentence of one year and 10 months for his involvement in the operation.
The convictions follow a concentrated investigation into a spree where the men, disguised in dark clothing and balaclavas, stole four premium vehicles and attempted to take three others. The breakthrough in the case occurred in the early hours of January 24, when east Kent residents reported attempted thefts. Kent Police patrols tracked a Kia Sportage linked to the crimes and intercepted the trio at a petrol station near Lenham.
Upon searching the vehicle, officers recovered tools used in the thefts and clothing that matched descriptions from CCTV footage. Detective Constable Harry Groves, the investigating officer, described the thefts as “blatant and well-organized,” noting that the group’s overconfidence led to their capture.
DC Groves credited local residents for their cooperation, stating that home CCTV footage was instrumental in securing the convictions and dismantling the gang’s operations.