DNA on tools links burglar to breaks-in Maidstone Road, Tunbridge Wells and Oast Gardens and Lower Green Road, Pembury

A thief has been jailed after his DNA was found on tools including shears, a handsaw and a garden fork found at the site of a number of burglaries.

Gary Bentley, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to three break-ins near Tunbridge Wells and to handling stolen property.

On August 7, Bentley went to a house in Lower Green Road, Pembury, and stole food items along with a knife, after damaging a door and window.

A garden fork was recovered by officers in the rear garden and Bentley’s DNA was found on the handle.

At about the same time, he also broke into a residence in Maidstone Road using some garden shears and stole some jewellery. He was also forensically linked to this burglary.

He was then later found to have taken a necklace to a business in Tonbridge which had been stolen during a break-in earlier in the year in Tunbridge Wells.

On December 18, Bentley used a handsaw to damage a door and stole cash from a building in Stone Court Lane. His DNA was found on the handsaw.

He also admitted committing criminal damage at a property in Oast Gardens, Pembury, during November 2023.

The 46-year-old appeared before Maidstone Crown Court on July 15 and was sentenced to three years and three months’ imprisonment.

Two further burglaries and two attempted burglaries were ordered to lie on file.

Detective Constable Celia King said: “Bentley is a prolific criminal who has shown a complete disregard for the impact his crimes would have on the victims. Burglary can leave residents fearful in their own homes and he should be ashamed of his actions.

“Our investigators will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to track down these offenders and, once we had linked Bentley forensically to some of the crime scenes, it was only a matter of time before we located him and brought him before the court.”