A dozy thief who admitted he was “not the full ticket” joined a gang stealing quad bikes despite being on a tag which could pinpoint his whereabouts, a court heard.

Robert Maytum – who has 16 previous convictions for 27 offences – had been released from a jail sentence for burglary on home detention curfew when he offended again.

The 27-year-old and others first stole a quad bike worth £15,000 from Aylesford on February 1 and another worth £2,500 from Detling eight days later.

Both times fences were damaged to gain access to the bikes. Neither have been recovered. The other thieves have not been caught.

Prosecutor Anthony Heaton-Armstrong said Maytum, of Tumin House, Fairmeadow, Maidstone, claimed he was the lookout.

An “intensive” police investigation revealed that Maytum had been released from prison on December 3 last year having been sentenced in December 2012 to four years imprisonment.

“He had been released on home detention leave and was wearing a tag,” Mr Heaton-Armstrong told Maidstone Crown Court. “The offences were committed during the hours he should have been at home.”

Keith Middleton, defending, said police were able to check tags for people in the area and Maytum was found to be in the vicinity for both thefts. He agreed to take part because he had a £400 drug debt.

“He said he was the lookout,” said Mr Middleton. “He didn’t take part in cutting the fencing. He said he got told what to do. He said: ‘I am not the full ticket. I am easily led.’

“These people are professional drug suppliers and exploited him. He is not exactly the brightest person in the world.”

Maytum, who admitted two charges of theft and two of criminal damage, was recalled to serve the remainder of the four-year sentence with a release date at the end of next year.

Jailing him for two-and-a-half years, Judge Martin Joy said: “This was serious criminality. It is made more serious by virtue of the fact you have a bad record. There must be significant punishment.”

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