STRATFORD — A man who stole luxury shoes worth nearly £23,000 from a lorry in Kent has been jailed after a police chase led to his arrest in Stratford, East London.
Michael Tremarco, 35, of St Agnes Drive, Canvey Island, Essex, was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison after pleading guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to charges of theft, driving without insurance, and driving without a valid license.
The incident began on April 11, when a security guard at Medway Services on the M2 noticed suspicious activity near a curtain-sided lorry. Moments later, a man was seen running toward another lorry, which then sped off. The original lorry was found to have been broken into, and its sleeping driver confirmed the theft.
Thanks to the quick alert by the security guard, Kent Police immediately deployed patrols toward London. Officers tracked down the suspect vehicle and intercepted it in Cadogan Terrace, Stratford. Tremarco, who had switched to the passenger seat, was arrested at the scene.
Inside the lorry, officers recovered 23 boxes of stolen shoes valued at nearly £23,000.
PC Natalie Newfield, the investigating officer, described the act as a “clearly organised crime executed swiftly during the hours of darkness.”
She added, “This should serve as a warning to those who decide to travel into this county to commit crime. You will be pursued back across the border, tracked down, and ultimately brought to justice.”
