Swift justice for Folkestone pub plunderer

A burglar has been arrested, charged and sentenced in less than 48 hours following a Folkestone break-in.

Kent Police was called at 2.50am on Tuesday 4 November 2025 to reports of a burglary in progress inside a pub on Rendezvous Street.

Officers arrived on scene quickly and located a man with a large bag of stolen alcohol including wine, beer and cider. The total value of the stolen goods was estimated to be around £350.

Arrested

He was arrested on suspicion of burglary only eight minutes after the first call came in.

An open bottle of beer was also found close to the point of forced entry, suggesting it may have been opened during or shortly after the break-in.

Barry Martin, 41, of Risborough Lane, Folkestone, was later charged with burglary.

Sentenced

He was remanded in custody and appeared before Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 5 November 2025 where he was sentenced to six months in prison. Martin was also recalled to prison as a result, so will additionally serve the remainder of a previous sentence.

Inspector Pete Woodridge said:

‘Thanks to the quick and decisive actions of our attending officers and investigation team , we have been able to secure a jail sentence for this opportunistic criminal. I’m pleased that a repeat offender has been removed from the Folkestone community. ‘Theft not only impacts businesses but the wider public they serve, and we urge business owners to keep reporting incidents to us.’