The charges were filed over the course of a month and are all related to cases investigated by the town’s Victim Based Crime Team (VBCT), which is dedicated to deterring repeat offenders and reducing the negative impact crime can have on local communities and businesses.
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One of the issues that VBCT constables continue to focus on is assisting retailers in combating thieves and related crimes such as abuse and threats made to shop employees. Dave O’Connell is accused of stealing alcohol from a Co-op in Loose Road on November 25, 2022. He is also accused of punching an employee in the face and yelling racial slurs at him. Mr O’Connell, 34, of Meadowbank Road, Chatham, now faces charges of racially aggravated assault, public order offences, and shoplifting. He is scheduled to appear in Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on February 27, 2023.
