Thief jailed two days after targeting cars in Ashford

A thief has been promptly jailed two days after he targeted 11 cars in one morning thanks to swift work from officers in Ashford.

Aaron Spendley, 40, of Bloomsbury Way, pleaded guilty to a total of 15 offences before Folkestone magistrates.

Kent Police was alerted to a series of vehicle break-ins in Kennington in the early hours of Saturday 27 June 2026.

Spendley had approached several addresses in Sandyhurst Lane and tampered with cars before proceeding to other streets in the area, where he targeted further vehicles.

After breaking into a van in Friesian Way, the offender stole tools totalling a value of around £4,000. He then took bank cards and other personal items from a Mercedes in Guernsey Way.

Swift arrest

Initial enquiries were completed by officers and Spendley was swiftly arrested later that morning. Following searches, a number of stolen items were recovered.

The next day, Spendley was charged with 11 counts of vehicle interference and two counts of theft. He was also charged with fraud, in relation to two purchases he made with bank cards not belonging to him at the beginning of June.

Offender jailed

After admitting his guilt before court on Monday 29 June, Spendley was immediately sentenced to 9 months’ imprisonment.

Ashford Community Safety Unit Inspector Simon Johnson said: ‘The impact of vehicle crime on a community is significant, whether it involves the theft of valuable tools needed for people’s livelihoods or the intrusion into personal property, and we are determined to prosecute offenders.‘This case demonstrates the swift results of officers working collaboratively to identify and detain a thief, to secure key evidence and to recover stolen property. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, Spendley, whose offending caused considerable distress and inconvenience to local residents, was charged within a day, and is now rightly serving a prison sentence for his crimes.’