Between Friday 17 November 2023 and Sunday 7 January 2024, Lewis O’Brian stole bottles of spirits, food and confectionary from stores in Queenborough, Chatham and Rainham. Businesses targeted included Tesco, the Co-op and B&M, and on 7 January he was tracked down and arrested. O’Brian, of High Street, Sittingbourne, was taken into custody where he assaulted two police officers.
He was later charged by investigators from the North Kent Victim Based Crime Team, with seven counts of theft and two counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker. The 33-year-old appeared before Medway Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to all the indictments. O’Brian was immediately jailed for a total of 130 days.