A man has been arrested following the theft of power tools from a van in Faversham, with the stolen items returned to their rightful owner just hours after the crime was reported.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, 29 January 2025, at around 4pm, when a quantity of power tools was taken from the rear of a parked van on Arden Road. Within 90 minutes of the theft being reported, officers from Kent Police’s Rural Task Force, working alongside local constables, responded to a suspicious person seen in Crescent Road.
During their response, a man was arrested on suspicion of the theft. It is alleged that an officer was assaulted while the suspect was being detained. The officers also recovered a toolbox and a number of power tools from inside a wheelie bin nearby.
The suspect, 41-year-old Lee Kennelly of Glencoe Road, Chatham, was later charged with two counts of theft and assaulting an emergency worker. He was remanded in custody and appeared before Medway Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 31 January.
The stolen power tools were returned to the victim, who confirmed that the items were his property. However, several tools remain unaccounted for, and investigators are appealing to the public for information. Anyone in the Faversham area who may have been offered power tools for sale at a cheap price is urged to contact the appeal line.
Anyone with information should call 01795 419119, quoting reference 46/16512/25.
