A man has been jailed for the thefts of more than £55,000 worth of agricultural equipment from farms across Kent.
Jamie Broadmore, of Elaine Avenue, Strood, admitted to five burglaries, two thefts and two frauds and was sentenced to two years and four months in prison at Canterbury Crown Court.
Broadmore stole plant equipment from farms and businesses in Allhallows, Shorne, Sandling, Gravesend, Southfleet and West Malling between July 14, 2022, and March 6, 2023.
He used recovery trucks to steal the vehicles before selling them on.
Items stolen by Broadmore, and their locations, include:
- A Ritchie Cattle Handling System worth £20,000 – Allhallows;
- A Spearhead Topper worth £19,000 – Gravesend;
- A Pottinger hay tedder, four 200L barrels of Adblue and 10 orange ratchet straps worth a total of £16,000 – Gravesend;
- 20 cattle hurdles and a post knocker totalling around £10,000 – Southfleet.
‘He fooled victims’
Officers took statements from people who had purchased the equipment after Broadmore claimed his uncle had died and he was selling it on behalf of the family farm.
Investigating officer DC Paul Marsh of the Kent Crime Squad said: “Broadmore was brazen in his criminality.
“He went to great lengths to conceal his actions and even fooled victims by telling them a false story in order to gain their trust and to encourage them to buy the stolen items.
“These items were integral to these farms and businesses and his theft of the equipment caused them significant disruption.”
Investigation
When officers from the Kent rural task force began investigating the thefts, they used automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to identify a recovery truck, which was seen on the M25 loaded with the stolen Spearhead Topper from Gravesend.
Further checks also revealed the same truck had been used to transport the other stolen items.
The truck was traced to a site in Gloucestershire and when the truck returned to Kent each time it was loaded with straw bales. Officers visited the site and although no stolen equipment was found, there were several large bales of straw.
Officers from the Kent rural task force carried out further investigation and Broadmore was linked to the burglaries and thefts.
Photos were found on a mobile phone belonging to him, which showed images of stolen agricultural equipment and his phone was also traced as being in the location as to where the burglaries and thefts happened.
Broadmore was subsequently arrested by officers and he was later charged with six burglaries, three thefts, two frauds, acquiring criminal property and failing to provide a sample for a drug test.
DC Marsh said he was pleased that the force has been able to return the stolen items to the victims and that Broadmore has been sentenced “accordingly” for his offending.
