This is the moment a gang of burglars caused thousands of pounds’ worth of damage during a ‘planned, professional and determined’ four-hour crime spree.
Liam Scott and two others went on a rampage, stealing a Land Rover Defender and breaking into shops near Canterbury, causing more than £30,000 worth of damage.
Footage shows the trio attempting to pry open a cash machine using a crowbar before trying to drag it out of Alberta Holiday Caravan Park in Seasalter, Whitstable.
After the rope they are using snaps, the thieves move on to robbing a nearby Co-op.
They reverse into the doors of the supermarket with the stolen Land Rover Defender, smashing the glass before running in behind the counter and stealing bottles of alcohol and a large amount of cash.
Liam Scott, who had been out of prison less than a year, and his accomplices went on four-hour crime spree
The gang of thieves attempted to pry open a cash machine from the clubhouse of Alberta Holiday Caravan Park in Seasalter, Whitstable
Dressed in dark, hooded clothing, face coverings and gloves, they ransacked the shop, stealing £1,500 in cash from the tills and damaging the building
Bodycam footage from police officers then shows the moment when Scott’s house is swarmed and he is arrested in his bedroom.
Scott and two accomplices stole a Land Rover from an address in Faversham shortly before 2am on 30 December 2023 before driving it into the clubhouse of Alberta Holiday Caravan Park in Seasalter, Whitstable less than ten miles away.
The group attempted to pry open a cash machine using crowbars before attempting to drag it out of the building, but a harness they had attached to the towbar of the car snapped.
The thieves then stole two bottles of alcohol and a cigarette machine from the clubhouse before driving off.
Scott, who had been out of prison less than a year, and his accomplices then reversed the £10,000 Land Rover into the doors of a Co-op supermarket in Teynham.
Dressed in dark, hooded clothing, face coverings and gloves, they ransacked the shop, stealing £1,500 in cash from the tills and damaging the building as they went.
The rare Land Rover Defender was later found abandoned.
Detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate investigated and linked the vehicle to the theft of fuel at a petrol station on the A299 in Thanet on the same night.
The trio then attempted to drag the ATM out but the rope they were using snapped and the group moved on to ransack a nearby Co-op
Scott and his two accomplices stole a large amount of cash from the tills and damaged the shop before dumping the rare Land Rover
Bodycam footage from police officers then shows the moment when Scott’s house is swarmed
Scott, 24, was arrested in his bed by police who stormed his house
Examination of the CCTV footage from the petrol station led police to Liam Scott who had been seen filling up the vehicle with fuel but left without paying the £30 for the diesel.
He was arrested at his home in Faversham on 5 January 2024 and later charged with two counts of burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and making off without payment.
The 24-year-old, of Lower Road, admitted the charges at Canterbury Crown Court on 5 February and was jailed for 31 months at the same court on 9 February.
Detective Constable Aaron Chapman, Kent Police’s investigating officer, said: ‘Scott’s reckless behaviour on the night of these offences caused huge damage and loss to the vehicle owner and the businesses involved.
‘I am pleased our swift investigation has seen him identified as a suspect, arrested, charged and now jailed less than six weeks after the offences took place.
‘I hope the case sends out a message to anyone considering such criminal activity: We will track you down and hold you accountable for your actions.’
Prosecutor Caroline Knight said: ‘A car, said to be worth £10,000, had £10,000 worth of damage.
‘While there is likely to be an insurance payment, the loser doesn’t yet know how much that will be and, in any event, because of the nature of the vehicle he is unlikely to be able to replace it.’
She added: ‘These are clearly professional burglaries, stealing for profit and targeting premises where they know there will be cash.’
The caravan park was left with a bill of more than £14,000 as a fence, bespoke doors and a doorframe, the AM and a wall had all been severely damaged.
The reckless behavior of the gang resulted in damage to the Co-op shop of more than £7,000.
Phil Rowley, defending, said cocaine and alcohol abuse has contributed to Scott’s actions and he had bee affected by the death of his father and losing his job as a roofer.
Mr Rowley added that Scott had nine-year-old twins and another child on the way and was now ‘focusing a good deal on how to conduct himself’ once released from custody.
