Aaron Stillwell, 41, was sentenced to three years in prison after he and accomplice Stephen Liddell pleaded guilty to burglaries in Gillingham, Chatham and Goudhurst, with Stillwell also pleading guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, having no insurance and failing to stop for police.
A London man has been jailed for three years after breaking into three shops across Medway and west Kent on consecutive nights in March 2026 — stealing cash and cigarettes, then leading police on a chase at speeds of up to 130mph. Aaron Stillwell, 41, of Brownhill Road, Catford, and his accomplice Stephen Liddell, 44, of Ravens Way, Eltham, both pleaded guilty to all charges at Maidstone Crown Court on 12 August.
Shortly after midnight on 26 March, Stillwell crowbarred the shutters at a store on Canterbury Street, Gillingham, took the till, and came back for cigarettes. The pair then used the same method at a business on Magpie Hall Road, Chatham — walking away with tobacco and a till containing £4,750. The following night they drove out to Goudhurst High Street and smashed a shop window to steal a large quantity of cigarettes.
CCTV footage from the Medway break-ins led detectives to a suspicious grey Nissan Qashqai. A shop owner in Goudhurst alerted police, and officers located the car on the A21 travelling at top speeds of 130mph. Stillwell failed to stop and the vehicle crashed into a roundabout following a pursuit. Both men made off on foot and were swiftly detained.
Stillwell also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, having no insurance and failing to stop for police. He was banned from driving for two years and seven months on top of his prison term. Liddell received a 12-month suspended sentence.
Detective Constable Daniel Bister said the pair caused around £11,500 in financial costs across the three businesses, with owners facing further losses through disruption while repairs were completed at the premises.