Two men have been charged following reports of robberies involving two women in separate incidents in Maidstone and Sittingbourne on Thursday, 3 October 2024.
In the first incident, a woman at her home near Hart Street, Maidstone, answered her door to find two men who allegedly entered her property and threatened her before stealing a mobile phone, cash, and jewellery.
Later that same day, another woman staying at a hotel in Sittingbourne reported that two men had entered her room and threatened her, stealing cash, bank cards, and mobile phones. One of the stolen bank cards was allegedly used in an attempted fraud.
An investigation led to the arrest of one suspect on Friday, 4 October, following a brief vehicle pursuit, and the second suspect on Tuesday, 8 October.
Darren Porter, 45, of Gravesend, and Aaron Charlery, 24, of Gatland Lane, Maidstone, have been charged with two counts of robbery. Porter faces an additional charge of dangerous driving, while Charlery has been charged with fraudulent use of a bank card.
Porter has appeared before Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court and has been remanded in custody until a hearing at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday, 4 November. Charlery is set to appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 10 October.
The investigation remains ongoing.