Folkestone Magistrates' Court Sentencing Results

Explore 14 verdicts at Folkestone Magistrates' Court (Folkestone). Updated with the latest court outcomes.

February 2026 4 cases

Andrew Ball

Breach of non-molestation order and assault *

Sentence

12 weeks imprisonment suspended for 18 months

Andrew Ball, 33, of Harold Street, Dover, made seven breaches of a non-molestation order by attempting to contact his former partner Alana Phippen and their one-year-old child between August and October 2023, using withheld calls, new Facebook and TikTok accounts, and persistent messages urging her to stop 'playing silly games'. This left Ms Phippen fearful, traumatised, and reluctant to leave her home. While awaiting sentencing for these offences, in January 2026, Ball, intoxicated, stormed into a property in Dover with friends upon learning of his other ex-girlfriend's new relationship with Christopher Lapsky. He assaulted Mr Lapsky by pinning him down and attacking him, an incident filmed by his friends, which the victim described as making him fear for his life. Ball disputed the severity in a probation report, claiming it involved a few slaps or punches while on a sofa.

Pleaded not guilty to breaches but convicted after trial. Ordered to pay £837 in costs and £100 compensation to victim Christopher Lapsky for the assault. Has 14 previous convictions, including for robbery and drug offences. Diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. Not deemed fit for unpaid work due to difficulties in group situations.

27 Feb 2026

Kendal Carpenter

Night poaching *

Sentence

Community order with 100 hours unpaid work

Owen Curtis, 19, of Dover, and Kendal Carpenter, 18, of Beaufoy Terrace, Dover, were involved in night poaching near Woolage Village, between Canterbury and Dover. On September 23, 2026, at about 10pm, police detained occupants of a Ford Fiesta parked near farmland in Pie Factory Road, Barfrestone. The search uncovered six deceased pheasants and one badly injured pheasant that was euthanised, four catapults, 200 ball bearings, three head torches, and a large lamp. The pheasants were killed inhumanely with catapults.

Pleaded guilty to trespassing on land at night and taking and destroying game. Ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge. Poaching equipment ordered to be destroyed.

13 Feb 2026

Owen Curtis

Night poaching *

Sentence

Community order with 100 hours unpaid work

Pleaded guilty to trespassing on land at night and taking and destroying game. Ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge. Poaching equipment ordered to be destroyed.

13 Feb 2026

Rhiannon Thomas

Shoplifting *

Sentence

7 days imprisonment

Rhiannon Thomas, 36, of no fixed address, stole chocolate and coffee worth £27.83 from a Tesco store in Folkestone on January 26, 2026, less than a week after her release from prison on January 20, 2026. Officers witnessed her passing a bag containing the stolen items to an associate on Canterbury Road, Folkestone. She was arrested, charged with shoplifting, and admitted the offence. This incident occurred while she was wanted on recall to prison for breaching licence conditions. Items were recovered, so no compensation was sought.

Sentenced concurrently to 14-day recall to prison for breaching licence conditions. Long history of convictions including shoplifting, assaults, and possession of offensive weapons. Previously jailed for 16 weeks in November for multiple offences and 14.5 months in 2020 for threats with razor and actual bodily harm. Fined £50 for breaching two-year conditional discharge and £75 each for two assaults on emergency workers, deemed paid by time in custody. Ordered to pay £114 victim surcharge.

7 Feb 2026

January 2026 2 cases

Sharon Parry

Sending communications of an offensive nature *

Sentence

3 months custody suspended for 18 months

Sharon Parry, aged 53, from Dorset Gardens, Walmer, harassed PC Lauren Eyre-Jackson, the police officer who investigated her previous stalking of a therapist, by sending defamatory emails, abusive texts, and making offensive phone calls and voicemails between March 20 and April 29, 2025. The harassment began with an email asking if the officer had slept with the therapist and escalated to insults and threats. Parry was arrested on May 1, 2025, after attempting to hide her phone, which contained searches for the officer. She admitted the offence of sending communications of an offensive nature. Parry has a history of similar behaviour, including a three-year jail sentence in 2018 for stalking her therapist involving threats, fake social media accounts, property damage, and false allegations, followed by further imprisonment for breaching the indefinite restraining order.

Ordered to complete a 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement, 10 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions, pay £154 victim surcharge and £85 court costs. Five-year restraining order banning contact with PC Lauren Eyre-Jackson. Aggravated by previous convictions for harassment and stalking, and breaches of restraining order. Passed custody threshold but suspended due to mental health issues and alcohol use.

30 Jan 2026

Jessie Barton

Theft and Breach of Court Order *

Sentence

3 months imprisonment

On January 1, 2026, Barton entered the Puma store at Ashford Designer Outlet and stole clothing worth £124. On January 2, he targeted the Tommy Hilfiger store, taking items valued at £361. CCTV showed him leaving hastily with goods concealed in a bag. He was arrested later that day.

Pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and two breaches of Criminal Behaviour Order.

5 Jan 2026

November 2025 1 case

Barry Martin

Burglary *

Sentence

6 months imprisonment

Barry Martin, 41, of Risborough Lane, Folkestone, broke into a pub on Rendezvous Street in Folkestone at 2.50am on November 4, 2025. He was caught in the act by police arriving eight minutes after the call, with a large bag of stolen alcohol including wine, beer, and cider valued at £350. An open bottle of beer was found near the point of forced entry.

Recalled to prison to serve remainder of previous sentence. Repeat offender.

5 Nov 2025

October 2025 2 cases

Howard Sargent

Drink driving *

Sentence

24-month community order and 28-month driving ban

Howard Sargent, 52, from Romney Marsh, crashed a red Toyota Yaris into the wall of The Pilot Inn in Dungeness just after midnight on August 10, 2025, causing £60,000 worth of damage to the family-owned pub. Shocking CCTV footage captured the vehicle smashing through the restaurant area.

Pleaded guilty to drink driving.

13 Oct 2025

Jesse Barton

Shoplifting and breach of Criminal Behaviour Order *

Sentence

5 months imprisonment

Jesse Barton, 37, of no fixed address, breached a Criminal Behaviour Order issued in August 2024 that banned him from multiple retailers including Ashford Designer Outlet and Co-op stores. On October 5, 2025, he visited the Co-op at Brookfield Court, stealing food, alcohol, and household goods, and returned twice on October 6. He also stole £180 worth of items from the Loudon Way Co-op branch. On October 7, he stole clothes valued at £650 from a retailer at Ashford Designer Outlet on Kimberley Way. He was arrested later that day and charged.

Pleaded guilty to five counts of shoplifting and four breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order. Inspector Sarah Williams noted blatant disregard for the court order.

9 Oct 2025

June 2025 1 case

Joseph Clarke

Theft *

Sentence

180 days imprisonment

Joseph Clarke entered Morrisons in Milton Regis High Street on April 2, 2025, and stole cleaning products worth almost £50. Later that day, he returned to the same supermarket and stole laundry items worth around £45, threatening a shop worker who attempted to intervene. He was identified via CCTV, arrested on June 2, 2025, in East Street, Sittingbourne, where cannabis was also seized from his possession.

Pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, a public order offence, and possession of a class B drug. Ordered to compensate Morrisons in full. Investigating officer commented that thieves who threaten or assault shop staff are a priority and that local officers will monitor him upon release.

4 Jun 2025

January 2025 1 case

Robbie Smith

Attempt to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity *

Sentence

9 months imprisonment suspended for 2 years

Robbie Smith, aged 31, of Campus Court, Ashford, was arrested in 2022 after being caught by online paedophile hunters. Between February and April 2022, he engaged in online conversations with two decoy accounts he believed were girls aged 13, encouraging them to engage in sexual acts on themselves. He sent messages describing his own actions and calling them terms like 'babe' and 'gorgeous', with elements of grooming. He blocked one account after realising potential trouble. No actual underage victims were involved; the accounts were operated by adults. Smith was diagnosed with psychiatric disorders and was socially isolated and depressed at the time.

Placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years. Pleaded not guilty initially but changed pleas and was convicted. No SHPO imposed as not necessary or proportionate.

12 Jan 2025

July 2024 1 case

Dean Hawes

Aggravated vehicle taking and property damage *

Sentence

Banned from driving for 1 year and ordered to pay £500 compensation

Dean Hawes took a vehicle for his own use or another's on January 15, 2023, after which it was involved in a crash that damaged a Range Rover Velar.

Admitted aggravated vehicle taking and property damage.

9 Jul 2024

May 2024 1 case

Louise Rowlands

Drink driving *

Sentence

Disqualified from driving for 23 months and 40 hours unpaid work

On 28 March 2024, at about 10.30pm, Louise Rowlands, 54, of Seabrook Vale, Hythe, Kent, drove a Volkswagen Polo through a coned road closure on the A1307 between Spittals and Alconbury in Cambridgeshire, colliding with the back of a police car that was assisting with a broken-down vehicle. She was three times over the drink drive limit, blowing 109 microgrammes at the roadside and 96 in custody.

Pleaded guilty to drink driving and driving without due care and attention.

1 May 2024

February 2024 1 case

Vincent Hart

Animal Welfare Act 2006 offences *

Sentence

12-month community sentence with 150 hours unpaid work and 10-year ban from owning animals

Vincent Hart, 61, of Chestnut Wood Lane in Borden, allowed his elderly toy poodle, Dancer, to suffer in the final months of his life. On November 23, 2023, Hart took the dog to a vet in Sittingbourne for euthanasia. The dog was extremely thin, scoring one out of nine on the Body Condition Score, unable to stand, suffering from an eye condition, and heavily matted with fur so close to the skin it was red raw and smelled awful. A veterinary nurse described it as the worst state she had ever seen, noting the dog's hip bones and ribs were palpable through the matted fur. The RSPCA investigated after receiving images from the nurse before the dog died.

Admitted two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Ordered to pay £1,200 prosecution costs. In mitigation, reflected on his conduct and wished he had done differently.

18 Feb 2024

Disclaimer: The information on this page is compiled from publicly available court records and published media reports. It is provided strictly for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as a definitive record of any individual's criminal history or legal status.

Offence names marked with an asterisk (*) reflect descriptions used in media reporting and may not correspond to the formal legal charge or indictment. Sentencing details are as reported and may be subject to subsequent appeal, variation, or correction by the courts.

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Magistrates Court

Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, Folkestone, CT20 2DH, United Kingdom

+441303227800

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About Folkestone Magistrates' Court

Folkestone Magistrates' Court, located in Folkestone, is a Magistrates' Court that deals with summary offences, some either-way offences, and preliminary hearings for more serious cases. With 14 sentencing records in our database, it serves the Folkestone area and surrounding communities. Magistrates' Courts handle the majority of criminal cases in England and Wales, with cases heard by a bench of magistrates or a district judge.

The court can be found at Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, CT20 2DH.

For enquiries about cases heard at this court, you can contact the court by telephone on +441303227800 or visit the official court website for further information.

All sentencing information published on this page has been sourced from publicly-available records and verified by our editorial team. If you believe any information is inaccurate or should be removed, you can submit a removal request directly from the relevant listing above.