Between Saturday 31 December 2022 and Sunday 1 January 2023, a house in Dornden Drive, Langton Green was targeted by Christopher Grinham, while the occupants were away.
He forced entry to the premises and completed an untidy search before stealing property including jewellery, a television and a Mercedes E250 that was parked on the driveway.
Detectives from the Kent Crime Squad identified that the victim’s stolen car had been driven from Tunbridge Wells towards Croydon, accompanied by a hire car.
The hire car had been rented by one of Grinham’s associates and further investigation proved he had travelled to the scene of the crime before returning home.
The stolen Mercedes was later recovered from a road in Addington, Surrey.
On Wednesday 11 January, Grinham, of Kings Walk, South Croydon, Greater London was arrested at his home address.
He was later charged with burglary, theft of a car, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.
Grinham pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court. On Wednesday 29 March, at the same court, the 43-year-old was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment.
Detective Constable Josh Littley said: ‘Criminals from London think they can travel into Kent anonymously and commit crime without being arrested.
‘This latest conviction is one of a number that show our diligent investigations will relentlessly pursue every line of enquiry to ensure offenders experience an early morning visit from our officers. They are then swiftly brought to justice.’
