Coroner calls it a day after 25 years


ROGER Sykes has dealt with the deaths ofmore than 40,000 people during his 25 years as a coroner. To put it into scale, that equates to the population ofa city the size ofCanterbury. Each ofthose cases has required Mr Sykes’s meticulous attention to detail in estab- lishing the cause ofdeath. It has also tested his emotions on many occasions. Peter Erlam spoke to him on the eve ofhis retirement.


CORONER Roger Sykes can often be seen walking his dog in woods near home, con- templating the intricacies of a forthcoming inquest.


If the cause of death was unknown, vio-


lent or unnatural, it is his job to investigate and determine, with the help of witnesses - and sometimes a jury - the exact circum- stances, and deliver a verdict on how that person’s life ended.


Mr Sykes said TV dramas such as Silent


Witness can often give a “misleading im- pression” of what actually happens.He also revealed the strains of such a demanding job.


He said it would be difficult


to sum up his work in one word. “I do have a forensic approach. One has to be open minded and have empathy, to have patience and understanding.”


His job can be “quite isolat-


ing”. He said: “I work on my own. Judges have court adminis- trators, they have barristers who present the evidence. I am re- sponsible for the investigation and for selecting witnesses and examining them in court and, of course, making the decision, un- less I have a jury.”


A MAIDSTONE man who fled to Thailand to evade prosecu- tion has been given a five-year sentence. Paul John Stone (46), formerly of Grecian Street, was charged with conspiracy to transfer or convert criminal property, namely 20 motor vehi- cles, and three counts of criminal deception. Stone (right) also pleaded guilty to bail offences in relation to failing to attend court in 2006 for the same offences. He had fled to Thailand be-


fore his first court hearing in April 2006 and Kent Police traced him to the island of Koh Samui in 2007. Stone was extradited to the


UK in September 2010 follow- ing a two-year prison sentence in Thailand after a conviction for theft. Stone received three-and-a-


half years for the conspiracy to steal and dispose of motor ve- hicles, a further 12 months for the three deceptions of £1,000 each and six months for breaching bail conditions by fleeing to Thailand. Stone’s arrest followed an in- vestigation into the theft of more than 150 high value vehi- cles such as Porsches, Land Rovers and Mercedes, worth in excess of £2m.


26 Town He added: “For families, it is usually going


to be the only time they come across a coro- ner and an inquest but for us it’s what we do, so we have to remember their position. They want to know what happened in the final moments and if the death was peaceful or if there was suffering.” Mr Sykes said: “It can be upsetting. The emotion does touch me in court and it’s im- portant that I refrain from showing that too much. But I do try to say a few words (of condolence) that may be of comfort at the end.” He explained that his emotions have been tested outside court, too, particularly in sui-


Roger Sykes, who has retired after 25 years as the local coroner.


Becoming Maidstone’s coroner ROGER Sykes qualified as a solicitor in 1974 and two years later joined the Maidstone law firm of Whitehead Monckton. At that time, one of the senior partners, Gerald Coombe, was coroner for the borough but in 1985 he was appointed a circuit judge. The following May, Mr Sykes took over as coroner, a part- time post. He had two deputies working with him at the time. He continued until 2002 as a partner at Whitehead Monck-


ton, mainly involved in children’s cases. Mr Sykes said: “In the mid-90s, the coroner’s area was en-


larged from Maidstone to Mid Kent and Medway, to include the Medway Towns, part of Swale and part of Tonbridge and Malling.


“When I started I had fewer than 400 cases per annum, now it’s more than 2,500.”


Thief who ‘fled the country’is jailed Seventy vehicles were recov-


ered, worth in excess of £1.25million as part of the Kent Police investi- gation and a nominal 20 vehicles, worth more than £400,000, were used at the trial. Stone was also charged with commit- ting three money trans- fers by deception. These related to an ad- vert he placed in a newspaper where he


advertised his former marital home for rent, over which he had no control. He was es- tranged from his wife. He took £3,000 in deposits


from victims, who each paid £1,000. He failed to appear at his committal hearing in May 2006 or his plea and case man- agement hearing at Maidstone Crown Court. A letter from him read to the


judge at the 2006 hearing sug- gested he had left the country for good and would not be re- turning to “face the music”. A Proceeds Of Crime Appli-


cation is to be made at a date to be fixed.


cide cases. “There are some very moving letters that people write before they take their own life, which are not read out in court for obvious reasons. But I have to read them in private and that can be very mov- ing.” What are the satisfying aspects


of being a coroner? “After a lengthy and complex case, per- haps with a number of barristers appearing, with a jury over sev- eral weeks, and being thanked at the end by the counsel for the family on the way the inquest has been conducted.” Mr Sykes’ role has been full-


time, in all but name, for a num- ber of years. His successor, Patricia Harding, who was assis- tant deputy coroner for London North, has been appointed on a full-time basis.


Maidstone Area Book Award STUDENTS at six Maidstone schools have been on a reading journey for the first Maidstone Area Book Award. The event will culminate in a presentation ceremony on


Wednesday, May 11, at 4pm, hosted by Valley Park and Invicta Grammar schools. From the start of the academic year, students from Valley Park, Invicta Grammar, St Simon Stock, Maidstone Grammar, Maid- stone Grammar School for Girls and Oakwood Park Grammar have been reading books on the theme of ‘Journeys’ and will be voting for their favourite book in one of two age categories. During the ceremony, at Invicta Grammar in Huntsman Lane,


students will give presentations on the books they have read and Andy Briggs, the well-known children’s author, will present prizes and certificates.


Trial 4am opening A FOOD takeaway planned for 27 Hart Street, Maidstone, will stay open until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays and 1am Sunday to Thursdays on a trial basis. In December, planning per- mission was granted for the takeaway to move into The Good Life restaurant – on con- dition that it trades until 11pm. Applicant Mansour Gholami


has overturned this condition, but only until March 31, 2012 to allow Maidstone Council to assess any associated distur- bance caused by the late open- ing hours.


Walk to help blood cancers research


THE Maidstone branch of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research has organised a fundraising walk at Bedgebury Pinetum on May 8. The event is the second Forget Me Not walk following the success


of an event in Bedgebury last October. Local MP Helen Grant will officially start the walk at 10am. To request information, email lrmaidstone@btconnect.com.


Visit Downs Mail’s website — downsmail.co.uk Mayor to open


memorial garden A MEMORIAL garden that has been given a floral makeover will be opened officially on April 28 by the Mayor ofMaid- stone, Cllr Eric Hotson, and Gurkha Major Ale. A plaque at the garden, which is located at the Rocky HillWar Memorial, will be un- veiled by the two dignitaries to commemorate the revamp of the area. The garden was renovated in November 2010. It commemo- rates the links with the Royal Engineer and Gurkha regi- ments based in Maidstone, and the recent conflicts in which they fought. A number ofplants with symbolic importance and in- terest have been used in the scheme.


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