A robber who carried out a string of burglaries in Gravesend, including pushing an elderly woman to the floor for her handbag, has been jailed for five years.

Stephan Adi was 23 when he pushed the elderly victim to the floor, and kicked her in the face, after he saw her walking alone in Gravesend town centre.

He was also responsible for several burglaries that took place in the same area across January and February 2020, say Kent Police.

Adi, now 24, of Suffolk Road, Gravesend, was found guilty of robbery, three counts of burglary, theft of motor vehicle and fraud by false representation following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.

Stephan Adi - Kent Police

Stephan Adi - Kent Police

He was sentenced at the same court on Tuesday 27 April 2021 to five years in jail.

Detective Constable Rebecca Ward, Kent Police’s investigating officer for the case, described Adi as a "prolific offender who presents a clear and obvious danger to the public."

"His willingness to use violence on an elderly woman demonstrates the abhorrent lengths he is prepared to go to while committing an offence.

"He caused a significant amount of distress to numerous victims and I am pleased that he is no longer able to target innocent members of the public."

The robbery took place in Commercial Place at around 7.15pm on 29 December 2019.

Commercial Place, Gravesend

Commercial Place, Gravesend

Adi approached the victim, who is in her 70s, from behind and grabbed her bag.

During her attempts to resist, she was pushed to the floor and kicked in the face before Adi took her bag and ran away.

Less than 20 minutes later, he used her bank card to buy a mobile phone top up from a shop in Norfolk Road.

Adi was also convicted of burgling a home in Darnley Street, which saw two televisions and a quantity of foreign currency stolen. He was identified as the offender after his fingerprints were found on a window frame which had been forced open.

He also burgled a home in Brunswick Walk at around 2.55am on 1 February.

On this occasion, the victim was sitting in their living room when they heard rustling in the kitchen. Upon going to investigate, she saw Adi reversing her car off the drive.

Officers stopped the vehicle in Rochester Road a short time later and arrested Adi on suspicion of the offence. Due to the need for further enquiries to be carried out, it was not possible to secure an immediate charge, so it was necessary to release him on bail with strict conditions.

Despite being on bail, Adi burgled a home in Suffolk Road at around 8.50pm on 4 February. He was caught inside by the victim, who chased him into a bedroom before he climbed out of a window and ran away. Numerous fingerprints were taken from the property and these confirmed he was the offender.

He was arrested a short time later and has been held on remand since.