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Jewellery thieves’ spree ends in jail
TWO jewellery thieves from Maidstone have been jailed for more than eight years after target- ing houses in the area during a two-month crime spree. Craig Gillingham (25), formerly
of Randall Street, and Craig Cham- berlain (21), of Quarry Road, tar- geted homes for jewellery,watches and electronic devices. At one house in Bearsted, a safe
was removed containing watches and jewellery with an estimated value of £50,000. Other homes hit during the spree from October 17 to December 7, 2013were in Maid- stone, Aylesford, Cranbrook, Sevenoaks and Brenchley. Police arrested the pair on No-
vember 13, 2013 and were able to link them to the offences after seiz- ing mobile phones and vehicles, which allowed them to trace their use to the scenes. Itwas also possi- ble to track their cars using auto- matic number plate recognition. Gillingham admitted nine bur-
glaries and two attempted burgla- ries at Maidstone Crown Court, which were recorded under one count of conspiracy to commit bur- glary, and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Craig Gillingham, Craig Chamberlain Chamberlain confessed to his
role in four burglaries and one at- tempted burglary and was also convicted under a count of con- spiracy to commit burglary and jailed for three years and six months. Detective Constable Andy Julier
said: “This was a complex investi- gation covering a large number of offences, but by using all the tools and technology that is available to us we have been able to produce conclusive evidence which placed these men at a number of crime scenes. “The majority of stolen items in
these crimes, many of which had sentimental value, have sadly never been recovered. The judge took this into account when he passed what are substantial sen- tences.”
Birthing care improves
WOMENare increasingly likely to have a good overall experience of maternity services in Maidstone and TunbridgeWells, according to a national patient survey. Women have a high regard for
the teams caring for them, with 82% reporting that they definitely have confidence and trust in local mater- nity services – up 12% since the last survey in 2013. Equally high numbers of women reported having a range of birth choices, having enough time to ask questions or discuss their preg- nancy, receiving the help they needed and being treated with re- spect and dignity. The staff and facilities at Tun- bridge Wells Hospital and Maid-
stone Birth Centre, both run by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHSTrust (MTW), are also helping partners be involved as much as they want to. Ninety-eight per cent of women said their partner was able to be involved in their care dur- ing labour and birth asmuchas they wanted to be, and 90%were able to stay with them as long as they wanted. Once in labour, women reported
being offered a wide range of pain relief options. Jenny Cleary, head of midwifery
and clinical director for women’s services, said: “Our aim is to con- tinue to build on the clear improve- ments that have occurred since 2013.”
Taking Kangaroo care to China
MIDWIVES at Maidstone and TunbridgeWells NHS Trust (MTW) have been sharing their skills and knowledge with staff fromhospitals in China. Their visitwas designed to encourage Kangaroo care,which promotes
skin to skin contact between the baby and parents. Consultantmidwife Sarah Gregson said: “Kangaroo care is globally
recognised as reducing mortality and improving health outcomes for babies. However, this had not previously been recognised in China.” During the visit, organised by the charity Save the Children, the
midwifery team trained teams fromeight hospitals in China. The practice will be rolled out across the country over the next four years. The team,made up of Sarah, Jean Meadows and Marian Adams, had nothing but praise for their Chinese counterparts.
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