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Herne Bay: Park Pharmacy burglars jailed after being found in hedge and cupboard

Two bungling raiders smashed their way through the roof of a Herne Bay pharmacy before stealing drugs.

But Jamie Collings and pal Kenneth Glover crashed into the bathroom – flooding the premises in Kings Road and triggering alarms.

Then Collings cut his hand on smashed glass, leaving a blood trail for police to find, as they piled prescription drugs into bins on top of the roof - but not before scoffing some of them.

CCTV footage shows the pair in the pharmacy
CCTV footage shows the pair in the pharmacy

And all the while they were being watched by an operator on CCTV who directed police officers to Park Pharmacy where the thieves were caught and needed hospital treatment.

Canterbury Crown Court was told that Collings’ first words to police were: “Have you found Kenny yet?”

Now the two have been jailed for a total of 46 months after admitting the burglary in December last year.

Father-of-three Glover, 39, of King’s Road, Herne Bay, was given a two year sentence and Collings, also 39, of no fixed address, was sent to prison for 22 months.

Kenneth Glover
Kenneth Glover

Both men each have criminal records containing in excess of 160 previous offences.

Prosecutor Keith Yardy told how Collings was found trying to hide in a cupboard inside the pharmacy.

The CCTV operator was then able to guide officers to a nearby bush where Glover was hiding with a packet of Diazepam in his pockets.

Mr Yardy added that two plastic bins were found on the roof full of prescription drugs and more than £7,000 worth of damage was caused to the pharmacy, which had to close for a while.

Jamie Collings has been jailed
Jamie Collings has been jailed

Kerry Waitt, defending, said drugs had “blighted and destroyed” his Glover's life – despite efforts to quit his addiction.

Judge Rupert Lowe told them: “This was no opportunistic theft – you deliberately targeted this pharmacy. This was a premeditated burglary.

“And when you were caught both of you were full of drugs which you had stolen.”

Collings had written two letters to the judge claiming he felt he had been let down by the system.

Police were called to Park Pharmacy in December
Police were called to Park Pharmacy in December

But the judge told him: “The first thing you need to accept is that you are failing yourself - it’s not others failing you!”

Investigating officer Detective Constable Maria Goodwin said later: "This was essentially a drugs shopping list, which suggested the pair were stealing to order.

"However they were also believed to have sampled the goods first, as they both had to be taken to hospital suffering from the ill-effects of drug use."

Both men were also ordered to pay a £140 victim surcharge.

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