Machete‑Waving Drug Dealer Jailed for Manslaughter in Kent

Published: 27 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

A drug dealer armed with a machete has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term after admitting manslaughter over the death of a man in Sittingbourne, Kent following a violent drugs‑related confrontation last year.

Christopher “Chris” Maclean, 43, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday for his part in the fatal incident that occurred on 2 August 2025. Maclean also admitted possession of a knife and supplying cocaine, offences for which he received a combined sentence. The court handed him 16 years’ imprisonment, and he was also designated a dangerous offender, reflecting the severity of his conduct.

Prosecutors outlined that the incident began when the victim, Jay Gerrett, was engaged in a drug exchange on St Michael’s Road. The situation escalated, and Maclean, described by police as having intervened with a large knife, drew and wielded the weapon at Gerrett, swinging it toward his body and face during the altercation. As Gerrett fled down a grass verge to escape, he tripped and fell into oncoming traffic, where he was fatally struck by a vehicle.

Maclean was later arrested in Canterbury, where officers searching him found a quantity of Class A drugs in his possession, strengthening the Crown’s case. Initially charged with murder, he entered the plea for manslaughter before the trial was due to begin, and the Crown Prosecution Service accepted this plea. Maclean’s co‑defendant, Jack Hunt, 33, later admitted a separate offence of supplying cocaine; a third defendant, Daniel Martin, was acquitted of murder charges after the prosecution offered no evidence.

Detective Chief Inspector Zoe Traynor, leading the investigation, described Maclean as a violent man who deferred responsibility until late in proceedings and expressed hope that the sentence would offer some measure of closure to the victim’s family. Community safety advocates say the case underscores the risks posed by drug‑linked violence and the presence of bladed weapons in neighbourhood disputes.

The sentence serves as a stark reminder of how drug dealing and disputes over supply can rapidly escalate into lethal violence, especially when weapons are introduced — fuelling public concern about street crime and anti‑social behaviour linked to the drugs trade.

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