Burglar Joe Scott Caught After Raiding Canterbury Home and Racking Up £400 Fraud Spend
Joe Scott pulled off a brazen burglary in Canterbury on 19 July 2022 – then used stolen bank cards to splash out nearly £400 on cigarettes, booze, and scratchcards. But his spree came to an abrupt end when Kent Police nabbed him, and now he’s behind bars for over three years.
Crime Spree Includes Burglary, Shoplifting, and Multiple Frauds
The 33-year-old broke into a Linden Grove home under cover of darkness, snatching a laptop and a purse stuffed with bank cards while the owners slept. The victim spotted her laptop dumped outside the next morning, but the purse was gone. That’s when Scott had already hit local shops four times, using the cards for a quick fire £400 shopping spree.
Scott’s theft didn’t stop there. He shoplifted more than £130 of meat and other goods from a store the same morning and had history too – caught for stealing razors, booze, hanging baskets, and hefty amounts of meat in the weeks prior. He even used a previously reported stolen bank card for another fraud on 27 June.
Police Catch Scott Red-Handed with Damning Evidence
Kent Police arrested Scott later that day, finding a text on his phone bragging about having “three working bank cards.” The confession sealed his fate as he admitted to burglary, multiple thefts, and fraud at Canterbury Crown Court on 21 September.
Jailed for 3 Years and 7 Months: No Mercy for Repeat Offender
Already walking on thin ice with a suspended sentence, Scott’s new offences triggered immediate custody. He was locked up for three years and seven months.
Detective Sergeant Jay Robinson said: “Joe Scott has shown little consideration for his victims. Creeping around a house while people sleep, stealing through fraud, and walking out with armfuls of goods – his actions are invasive and have real lasting impacts. Offending while on a suspended sentence shows blatant disrespect for the law. I’m pleased he’s been sent to prison.”
