Mystery of mobile call as woman dies


AMISSED phone call was one of the “gaps” in evidence that left a coroner unable to pin- point exactly when a woman had died. An inquest heard the call was made from Nancy Chapman's mobile after she was last seen alive – but no proof was presented at the inquest. Hospital orderly Miss Chapman, 34, was


found dead in her Maidstone home by a friend who was on the same drugs rehabili- tation programme. Ronald Goslitski and Miss Chapman had


been for a day out in Hastings on Saturday, April 24, and without his approval, she had drunk about a third of his 100ml bottle of methadone, a heroin substitute he had been prescribed. They returned to her flat in Stagshaw


Close late that afternoon, when she went straight to bed as she felt tired. Mr Goslitski stayed up, watching TV and smoking


cannabis. He left at 5.30am the following morning after checking on Miss Chapman. He said she was breathing normally and he had pulled the duvet over her. Mr Goslitski went back to the block of


flats that afternoon and banged on Miss Chapman's window but got no answer and assumed she had gone out with friends. “Little did I know she was indoors un- conscious or dying,” he told the hearing. He returned again on the Monday,


shouted through her letterbox but got no reply. It was only on the Tuesday night, when he


still got no answer, that he pushed the door open and discovered her dead on the bed. Mr Goslitski said: “If I had known she was


in any way unconscious I would have got into her flat, kicked the door through. But I had no idea.” Mr Goslitski said Miss Chapman had


Penenden’s historybrought to life


PENENDEN Heath has probably seen more significant history than any part of Maidstone – now spotlighted in a new book. The “Penenden Heath Story” is written by Robin Ambrose, who


lives in the area in Faraday Road and who previously co-authored a successful book on Boxley. He points out the first recorded event on the Heath occurred 10


years after the Battle of Hastings. KingWilliam’s half brother Odo, a bishop and Earl of Kent, was accused of taking land from the church


and his trial on the Heath in 1076 lasted three days and caused wide interest. He was found guilty and the land was restored. In 1381War Tyler gathered rebel forces on the Heath before marching to Canterbury and then London where he was slain and the revolt collapsed. The book concentrates on more recent times but


there is a fascinating chapter on public hangings on the Heath from 300 years ago until 1830. Residential development in this favoured area of Maidstone took off and there is interesting informa- tion about big houses and people of those times. An- other chapter tells the story of the Convent of the Sacred Heart and successful school.


DJF The 130-page book costs £8 (includes p/p) and is


available from the author: PO Box 1290, Maidstone ME14 9PH.


Police warning after ‘car key


swap’ scam POLICE inMaidstone are warn- ing of a new scam being used in order to steal cars after con artists targeted a man selling his car. Two men asked to test drive a


car being sold by a man in Downswood, asking in advance on the phone whether the seller had a spare key. One of the men asked to check whether the spare car key worked and then swapped the spare car key with another of the same make when they handed it back. The pair then claimed to be going to get the deposit and left. Luckily, the car owner re- turned to the car immediately and realised that he had been given a dummy key. Officers believe the offenders intended to return and steal the car later. Both offenders are described


as Asian, in their late 20s with London accents. The man who test drove the car was wearing black leather gloves. Anyone with information is


asked to contact police in Maid- stone on 01622 604210.


Robin Ambrose with his new book on Pe- nenden Heath


Memorial service is packed


AN ANNUALmemorial service organised by Doves Funeral Di- rectors has been hailed a huge success, attracting its best atten- dance to date. The firm’s branches in Maid-


stone, Ashford, Larkfield, Sta- plehurst and Sittingbourne, as well as Denis Freeman Funer- als, in Maidstone, arranged the service jointly between them. The service at the Salvation


Army Citadel, in Union Street, Maidstone, was led by the Rev Ron Gamble. During the serv- ice, those attending were in- vited to light candles in


MAIDSTONE Council blocked an application to remove a pro- tected birch tree at the rear of a home in Matterdale Gardens, Barming, despite a widow’s plea.


Applicant Mrs Hildegard


Cook moved to the property in 1999. She said in planning corre-


spondence: “My husband died and I have to cope with pollen and the annual fall of the leaves. All this needs more at-


memory of loved ones. Attendance at the event has increased each year as most families who attend ask to be invited back the following year. This year saw the biggest atten- dance so far, with the citadel at capacity. A memorial tree was also on display in branches over the festive period, with families for whom Doves has conducted fu- neral services in the past year being invited to fill out cards in memory of their loved ones, which were then hung on the tree.


Widow fails in plea to fell birch tree


tention than I can give it. “It is just too big for our small garden. The roots are exposed to the back lawn, very near to my bedroom and conservatory.”


drunk two pints of lager, smoked cannabis but he was not aware of her taking other drugs that weekend. He added that Miss Chapman had been in


a good mood. "I'm still shocked and upset at the whole incident," he concluded. At this point, the deceased’s mother, Mar-


ilyn Mitchell, told coroner Roger Sykes that one of her daughter’s girlfriends had re- ceived a call from her mobile on the Mon- day morning. The friend, who was also on the same rehab course, had missed the call as she was asleep. Mrs Mitchell had been told the story by


the friend at her daughter’s funeral. “She wondered if Nancy might still be alive if she had answered the call,” added Mrs Mitchell. But the coroner said it was only "second


hand" evidence. No phone records were produced at the inquest.


Mrs Mitchell told the coroner


she assumed the call was a “cry for help”; that she had woken up and knew she was very un- well. The inquest heard the police


were treating the death as due to drugs, and there was no evi- dence of a struggle or force being used. No suicide note had been left. Pathologist David Rouse said,


from his post mortem results, it was "entirely reasonable" that Miss Chapman was alive after Mr Goslitski left on Sunday morning. He said it was also reasonable to assume that she had awoken some time after he left, made a phone call and died some time later. Coroner Mr Sykes said the


cause of death was "unascer- tained" but it was consistent with methadone, diazepamand fluoxetine poisoning. He said there were "gaps and potential inconsistencies" in the evi- dence. He recorded a verdict of mis- adventure and expressed his "deepest condolences" to the family.


Sandling Road


takeawayOK APPLICANT Golam Saroar has been given permission to set up a hot food takeaway at 35 San- dling Road, Maidstone. Maidstone Council allowed


the application on condition that it receives details of suit- able ventilation and filtration equipment to suppress and dis- perse fumes and odours from cooking operations. It also insisted that the build-


ing, which was used as a taxi control office until February last year, would operate on Mondays to Saturdays between 9am and 8pm. The applicant had intended to open at 7am.


Allington office replacement scheme


AN application has been submitted to demolish and replace office building Kent House in Beaver Road, Allington. The existing two-storey vacant 1970s building extends to 570sq/m over two floors. The plan seeks to replace it with eight units, seven of 100 sqm


each and one of 250 sqm, to accommodate a possible use for health consultancy as well as offices.


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