JAMIE STEVENS FROM ALLINGTON JAILED AFTER SEXUAL ASSAULT AT POUNDSTRETCHER IN AYLESFORD

In a recent development in a series of troubling incidents, Jamie Stevens, a resident of Allington, has been sentenced to prison following a disturbing sexual assault that took place at a Poundstretcher store in Aylesford. The incident occurred last month when Stevens, aged 30 and a father of one, was accused of groping a female shopper inside the discount retail outlet. The assault was serious enough to warrant a trial at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court, where Stevens was found guilty and subsequently sentenced to 180 days in jail.

Adding to his penalties, Stevens received an additional 40 days behind bars for breaching a previously imposed suspended sentence. This breach was related to his failure to adhere to court-mandated conditions. Furthermore, he was sentenced to a week, to run concurrently, for damaging his police cell during his arrest, an act that demonstrated a pattern of defiance and misconduct.

Stevens’s criminal history is extensive and troubling. Over the past two years, he has appeared repeatedly in court, often for violations of court orders designed to control his behavior. His troubles began in 2015 when he was convicted of performing a sex act in front of a police cell’s CCTV camera for a duration of 55 minutes. This act led to a four-month jail sentence, and he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for seven years. Additionally, he was subjected to a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

Details of his past offenses reveal a pattern of inappropriate and illegal conduct dating back to 2012. During that year, he was convicted of an offense related to public decency after performing a sex act while watching a woman near Archbishop’s Palace. The SOPO, which remains in effect, imposes strict conditions on Stevens’s behavior. He is required to wear at least one layer of clothing over his pants at all times, except when in a swimming pool where trunks are mandatory. He is prohibited from urinating in public or in private places visible to passersby, loitering in alleyways, or entering private residences without permission.

Despite these restrictions, Stevens breached the SOPO twice in May of the previous year by lurking in alleyways near his residence in Allington. As a consequence, he was handed a two-year suspended sentence and was ordered to participate in the Thames Valley Sex Offender Treatment Programme for 24 months. His recent sentencing means he will remain on the sex offenders’ register until 2024, reflecting the serious and ongoing nature of his offenses. The court’s decision underscores the importance of community safety and the consequences of repeated violations of court orders designed to prevent further offending.