Maidstone Crown Court Sentencing Results

On February 14, 2025, at around 10.10pm, Ionut Bejan was driving an Iveco box van overloaded with more than 5,000 kilograms (exceeding the 3,500kg limit) coast-bound on the M20 motorway between junctions eight and nine near Charing. Between 10.06pm and 10.17pm, he sent and edited nine messages on WhatsApp, including one edited message that cannot be done hands-free, and updated a group chat picture. Meanwhile, a family in a blue Kia Carens pulled onto the hard shoulder due to a suspected mechanical defect. The 71-year-old pedestrian victim exited the vehicle and was struck at speed by Bejan's van, resulting in his death at the scene.

On March 4, 2025, Shaun Packer, of Sheerness, invited a friend to his house where they were drinking. Being on licence requiring regular drug tests and fearing failure, Packer asked the friend to provide a urine sample to falsify the test. Upon refusal, a fight ensued, and Packer smashed a bottle of vodka over the friend's head, then attempted to stab him with the broken bottle neck. The victim fled to a neighbour's house, received treatment from ambulance crew, and was hospitalized with a deep cut on his head. Packer was arrested and charged with wounding with intent. He initially pleaded not guilty at Maidstone Crown Court on April 4, 2025, but later pleaded guilty to wounding.

Andrew Cullis, 43, of Swanley, was found in possession of a USB containing explicit images of children during a routine sex offender management check in February 2025.

Between March 28 and April 24, 2025, Kevin Scarnell, aged 59 from Fellows Road in Camden, London, repeatedly messaged a young teenage boy on a dating app, bombarding him daily with sexually explicit messages, details of his sexual preferences, obscene images, and videos. He asked to meet in a car park on the outskirts of Maidstone and, once a date and time were agreed, expressed excitement and got a haircut the day before. On April 25, 2025, he travelled to the agreed location near West Park Road in Maidstone in his blue Ford Fiesta. He was spotted suspiciously circling the car park by proactive patrols, arrested unable to explain his presence, and his mobile phone was seized.

Roy Humphreys, 82, of Broadway in Gillingham, abused two boys in the 1970s and another in the 2000s.

Glenn Swanson, 63, formerly of Gravesend, committed child sex offences; another victim came forward while he was already serving a jail term.

Stuart Wenham, previously convicted in 2023 for making indecent images of children and released from prison in March 2025, breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order by using an unregistered secret phone and a laptop. The phone contained 600 ‘pseudo-cartoon’ images linked to the sexual abuse of children, including an infant under a year old. He illegally used a VPN, failed to declare the devices, and deleted internet history. He was arrested on 6 June 2025 after police suspected he was using two phones but had only notified them of one.

David Buisson carried out a premeditated burglary at the Watchfinder store in Bluewater shopping centre, Dartford, stealing 159 luxury watches worth £1.4 million. Between January and February 2025, he repeatedly travelled to the shopping centre using cloned number plates and was captured on CCTV. He used a camcorder to film staff movements and recorded a member of staff entering a safe PIN. On 7 February 2025, he accessed the roof with a telescopic ladder, cut a hole in the roof, retrieved a safe containing keys, and used those keys to open the main safe and remove the watches. He was later arrested and some stolen watches and the camcorder were recovered.

Haydon Sheard, a registered sex offender from Medway, was found with 355 illegal images of children on his mobile phone during an unannounced police visit to his home on April 25. He had previously been convicted in 2018 for possessing and distributing indecent images of children, and was required to notify police of internet-enabled devices. Officers discovered undeclared devices and images, leading to his arrest and subsequent guilty plea.

Michael Millson, 39, from Chatham, was released from prison on licence but breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order by possessing an undeclared mobile phone with banned apps and software that allowed file sharing and anonymised browsing. Officers found several indecent images on the device. He was arrested on June 26, 2024, and faced 18 charges related to these breaches and the creation of indecent images.

Eoin Nolan, residing in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, conspired to facilitate the illegal entry of ten Vietnamese nationals, including eight children, into the UK. The plan involved hiding them in a lorry loaded with used tyres, transporting them from France through Belgium, and charging each migrant £15,000. The operation was intercepted by authorities in March 2020.

Lee Drury, 35, of Wrotham, placed his iPhone in a dislodged ceiling tile to spy on a woman showering at Snap Fitness gym in Tonbridge on June 9, 2023. He was found in possession of an illegal image of a child in the most serious category. Further investigation revealed additional indecent images on another phone. In August 2024, he initiated contact with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old child, making explicit requests and sending pornographic content.

Daniel Loughran, based in Armagh, Northern Ireland, was involved in plotting to smuggle ten Vietnamese nationals, including eight children, into the UK by hiding them in a lorry with used tyres. The group planned the route from France through Belgium, charging each migrant £15,000, and communicated about hiding instructions and potential risks. The attempt was foiled by authorities.

In September 2020, Indre Bruziene and Vasile Radacanu invited the victim to their home where they consumed alcoholic drinks. Bruziene filmed Radacanu raping the intoxicated and unconscious victim. Later, in March 2021, Bruziene contacted the victim, sent footage of the rape, and demanded £5,000, threatening to send it to the victim's husband if not paid.

Matias Vega was involved in a gang that focused on older victims in Kent, including areas like Chatham, Dartford, Gravesend, and Sevenoaks, between October 2024 and February 2025. The group used distractions such as squirting mustard on clothing and placing pins on the ground to enable thefts from victims who had just left banks. In total, they stole £20,720 and attempted to steal £10,085, with operations also in Berkshire and Essex.

Miguel Perez was a member of a criminal gang that operated in Kent, targeting older people in Chatham, Dartford, Gravesend, and Sevenoaks from October 2024 to February 2025. The gang distracted victims by squirting mustard or sauces on them after they collected money from banks and by creating road hazards like nails to stop vehicles. They successfully stole £20,720 and tried to steal another £10,085, extending their activities to Berkshire and Essex.

Solomon Rondon participated in a gang's scheme to target elderly victims in Kent locations such as Chatham, Dartford, Gravesend, and Sevenoaks, between October 2024 and February 2025. The gang employed methods like squirting mustard on victims' clothing to distract them after leaving banks and placing hazards like nails on the floor. This led to the theft of £20,720 and attempted thefts of £10,085, with similar activities in Berkshire and Essex.

Jhon Ruiz was involved in a gang that targeted older people in Kent, specifically in Chatham, Dartford, Gravesend, and Sevenoaks, between October 2024 and February 2025. The gang used distraction techniques, such as squirting mustard or other sauces on victims' clothes after they withdrew large amounts of money from banks, and placing nails or pins on the floor to encourage victims to stop their vehicles. They followed victims to their cars and stole cash, resulting in £20,720 stolen and attempts to steal a further £10,085. The gang also operated in Berkshire and Essex.

Maria Carmen was part of a gang that targeted older individuals in Kent, including Chatham, Dartford, Gravesend, and Sevenoaks, from October 2024 to February 2025. The group distracted victims by squirting mustard or sauces on their clothes after bank withdrawals and by placing nails on the road to make victims stop. They stole £20,720 in total and attempted to steal an additional £10,085, with operations extending to Berkshire and Essex.

Bradley Kite, from Lydbrook Close, Sittingbourne, groomed young teenage girls by sending sexualised messages, giving them money, jewellery, and expensive presents, and then sexually assaulted them. The offences were reported in June 2024, leading to his arrest on June 27, 2024, and the identification of multiple victims.

Abiola Adenmosun, 35, of Chatham, targeted a child in Rochester in 2012, befriending her, providing alcohol and cannabis, and committing sexual offences over several months. He persisted in contacting her despite her attempts to end it, leading to a police report in 2017.

Officers seized a loaded sawn-off shotgun hidden in a garage in Tangmere Close, Gillingham on March 7, 2024, during investigations into stolen motorbikes. Forensic examination revealed Adam Green's DNA on the firearm. He was arrested on March 14, 2024, after being stopped on a motorcycle in Chatham, and the weapon was connected to him.

Haiden Tomlin attacked his neighbour in a block of flats in Maidstone during a disturbance on September 1, 2024. The altercation escalated into a fight inside another person's flat, resulting in the victim being stabbed more than 50 times, sustaining injuries including a punctured lung and a broken rib. Tomlin fled the scene but was arrested shortly after, with a lock knife and multi-tool recovered nearby. The victim survived the assault.