A man from Colchester has been jailed for more than three years for his role in a series of burglaries where high-value cars were targeted. 

Aaron Martin, 20, of Triumph Close, Colchester, was sentenced alongside co-defendant Joshua Bragg, 22, of Bell Farm Avenue, Dagenham, after the two were involved in several break-ins in Kent. 

Between April 1 and May 17, the two men were part of a criminal gang stealing BMWs and Mercedes parked outside of seven addresses in Dartford and Gravesend. 

After forcing the front doors of the houses open in the middle of the night, Martin and Bragg took the car keys, along with other portable valuables such as jewellery, phones and computer tablets. 

Bragg was arrested on June 7 and Martin the following week, and both men were charged with conspiracy to commit burglary. 

The men admitted the charges at Maidstone Crown Court and were both sentenced to imprisonment of three years and nine months on October 12. 

Investigating officer, DC Dan Bister, said: “The Kent Crime Squad is a blend of uniformed officers and detectives that was established to deal with this type of cross-border criminality. These burglars travelled into Kent and broke into homes while the occupants were often asleep upstairs.  

“They thought they could leave the county and avoid being arrested but this was a misjudgement. We tracked them down and gained sufficient evidence to bring them to justice and place them behind bars. 

“Our team has successfully convicted numerous crime gangs over the last five years and any burglars thinking of following their example, can expect a prompt and robust response from our officers.”