A man who robbed victims in alleyways in Ashford has been given a six year jail sentence.
Donte Charles-Lauder, 25, appeared at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday 2nd December 2022 where he admitted to two counts of robbery, two counts of attempted robbery, two counts of possession of a bladed article and one count of burglary at previous hearings.
Three of the offences took place on the morning Friday 3rd December 2021. A woman was walking along an alleyway near Canterbury Road when Charles-Lauder ran up behind her and attempted to steal her bag. When a schoolboy approached on a bike, he ran off.
Around 15 minutes later, he attempted to steal the bag of another woman in Cemetery Lane. Again, he left the scene after being disturbed by a member of the public.
Two hours after that, Charles-Lauder pulled the hood of a woman in her 70s over her head and stole her bag. Her bank card was later used to buy a ticket for a concert.
The following week, on Tuesday 2nd December, a man was walking along Riversdale Road when Charles-Lauder approached him with a knife and stole his wallet. He attempted to use the man’s bank card at a takeaway.
We will protect the people of Ashford from any further offences by this man
The final offence took place the following day, Wednesday 8th December, when Charles-Lauder entered a house near Heathfield Road. He fled when disturbed by a resident.
Detectives from Kent Police’s Chief Constable’s Crime Squad gathered CCTV from the scenes of the offences and Charles-Lauder, formerly of Bloomsbury Way, Ashford, was identified as a suspect. He was arrested on Tuesday 14th December and charged with multiple offences.
He was also sentenced for an incident on Thursday 14th October 2021, when he was seen with a knife in Beecholme Drive.
Detective Sergeant Jay Robinson, of the Chief Constable’s Crime Squad, said ‘Charles-Lauder targeted the vulnerable in robberies and a burglary which would have left victims shaken and upset’.
Nobody could answer why it has taken a whole year before this man appeared at court.
