A violent burglar who wielded a machete during a terrifying home invasion in Chatham has been jailed for 11 years, marking the culmination of a lengthy investigation by determined detectives.
Gheorghe-Hagi Constantin, 24, from Chatham, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday, March 27, 2025, after being found guilty of aggravated burglary. The court heard how Constantin played a key role in the early morning raid on September 8, 2023, where a group of masked men, armed with bladed weapons, stormed a property near Luton Road. The gang, who had travelled from London and the local area, woke the occupants, assaulted one of them, and demanded valuables. They made off with two watches and two mobile phones.
Police patrols, alerted to the disturbance, spotted men fleeing the scene. A meticulous investigation, involving forensic analysis, led to multiple arrests. Several offenders pleaded guilty, while others, including Constantin, faced trial and were convicted. Ion Vasile, 22, of Maidstone, was previously sentenced to eight years and five months, Robert Maytum, 36, of Chatham, received seven years and two months, and Denis Calin, 20, of Chatham, was jailed for seven years. Rogel Dumitru, 20, of Bexleyheath, was also sentenced to seven and a half years.
Constantin’s arrest on August 29, 2024, followed persistent inquiries that revealed his central involvement in the violent crime. The judge, in handing down the 11-year sentence, acknowledged the severity of the offence and the terror inflicted upon the victims.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Dan Bister, said:
‘Constantin played a significant part in this appalling crime and is now joining the four other offenders in prison. This was a premeditated crime which terrorised a family in their own home, and those responsible should be ashamed of their actions.
‘Having convicted the majority of this gang, our investigators were determined to track down the others. Constantin must have thought he had avoided being arrested and he can now reflect on this misjudgement over several years. The final member of the gang should be constantly looking over his shoulder as our pursuit of him will be relentless and his arrest inevitable.’