Kent Men Jailed for Armed Robbery After Posing as Liverpudlians

Three men have been handed substantial prison sentences following an armed robbery at a convenience store in Gravesend, Kent. The perpetrators, two of whom were armed with machetes, forced staff to open the safe and surrender cash, having attempted to mislead their victims by feigning Liverpudlian accents.

The incident occurred on 28 December 2023 at a shop on Whitehill Road. The individuals, later identified as Charlie Smith, 26, Max Thorne, 23, and Mitchell Tillen, 22, absconded with a considerable sum of money. Kent Police subsequently apprehended the men, uncovering their residences were merely a five-minute drive from the robbery site.

Smith, of Whitehill Road, Gravesend, was sentenced to six years and four months. Thorne, from the same road, received a sentence of five years and four months. Tillen, of Northfleet High Street, was imprisoned for five years and seven months. All three had previously pleaded guilty to robbery.