Violent Belt Attack Lands Canterbury Man Behind Bars
Belt-Wielding Chase Through Canterbury High Street
Charlie Golding and his mates clashed with a rival gang inside a department store on St George’s Street on September 1, 2021. The confrontation spilled out onto the High Street, where Golding led a chase towards Westgate Towers.
CCTV footage captured Golding swinging a belt and striking one rival square in the face. Others in the pursuit were seen wielding chair parts and bottles, but Golding was the only one caught on camera landing a blow.
Quick Arrest and Harsh Sentence
Police swooped on Golding the next day. He was charged with violent disorder – a charge he later owned up to in court. On February 3, 2022, Canterbury Crown Court sentenced the former Kemsing Gardens resident to 20 months in a young offenders’ institution.
Past Violence Adds to Sentence
The judge also scrapped a previous Youth Rehabilitation Order from 2019, replacing it with a 12-month detention order to run consecutively. That pushed Golding’s total jail time to two years and eight months.
The earlier incident involved a brutal fight in Rose Lane where a 17-year-old suffered life-changing injuries. Golding admitted he was part of the events leading up to the attack but denied striking the victim.
Kent Police Cracks Down on Street Violence
PC Georgia England, lead investigator, said: “There is absolutely no place for this kind of mindless violence in Canterbury, or anywhere else in Kent. Kent Police takes assaults and anti-social behaviour very seriously and will always work to bring those responsible before the courts. I am pleased this violent offender has now been jailed and is no longer able to bring such shameful scenes to the streets of the city.”
