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News New delay in Lauren murder trial


THE mother of aWest Malling teacher who was brutally murdered in Qatar flew back to Britain furious at yet another delay in the retrial of the man convicted of her killing.


Alison Patterson, from Ley- bourne Chase, had flown to Doha for the hearing, which was due to commence on March 27, only to be told it would not now go ahead be- fore May. In March 2014, Badr Hashin Khamis Abdallah-al-Jabr was con- victed of killing 24-year-old Lauren Patterson six months previously. The burned remains of Lauren’s body were found in a pit in the re- mote part of the Doha desert, with a knife still lodged in her rib cage. Al-Jabr claimed Lauren’s death


was an accident, but he was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to death. A second man, Mo- hammed Abdallah Hassan Abdul Aziz, was sentenced to three years in prison for helping the killer to dispose of Lauren’s body and other


Charity shop


needs help VOLUNTEERS are needed at the Demelza charity shop in the Royal Star Arcade, Maidstone to help raise funds for children’s hospice care. The store needs help with every-


thing from working on the till and advising customers to sorting and presenting merchandise and organ- ising donations. Demelza voluntary services officer


Sue Brown said: “Our volunteers perform an essential role andwe are so grateful for their support.Aswell as helping a great cause, volunteer- ing is a chance to meet people, have fun and develop skills.” Application forms are available in


store or at www.demelza.org.uk. Alternatively, contact Sue at sue.brown@demelza.org.uk or call 01795 845265 for more details.


Begging case


A 47-YEAR-OLD homeless woman caught begging in Tovil has ap- peared in court. Isa Samantha Richardson admit-


ted begging and breaching a crimi- nal behaviour order that prohibited her from approaching the public for money. Mid Kent Magistrates’ Court


heard that Richardson, of no fixed address, breached the order by ask- ing people for money in Maidstone on three occasions in February and on March 10 in Old Tovil Road. Magistrates sentenced her on


April 4 to 60 days in prison, sus- pended for 12 months.


thousands of pounds since Lau- ren’s death on flights and legal fees and launched an online appeal for £30,000 to continue her campaign for justice. She was overwhelmed by the


Alison and Lauren Patterson


incriminating evidence. Qatar’s court of appeal agreed to


a retrial of al-Jabr after throwing out his conviction, but Mrs Patter- son arrived in the Gulf state to dis- cover the defendant’s counsel hadn’t turned up. Mrs Patterson has spent tens of


public support she received, with almost all the money raised within a month and donations coming in from as far away as Australia and New Zealand. She said: “I am absolutely over- whelmed by everyone's generosity and cannot thank you all enough. “Thank you everyone from the bottom ofmyheart. You have given me the extra strength I needed with all your wonderful messages of support.” Lauren disappeared after a night


out with friends in October 2013. Mrs Patterson said: "On the Sat-


urday afternoon the call I'll never forget came through, it’s every mother’s worse nightmare as they told me a body had been found but they weren't sure if it was Lauren as she had been put into a pit in the desert and burned beyond recogni- tion. "I travelled to Qatar the next morning and for the next four weeks I stayed in Doha trying des- perately to get my daughter's body flown home. "Not onlywasmy daughter mur-


dered in a foreign country, but I was unable to identify her because what was leftweighed only 7.5kg. "Her feet were the only part of


her body left intact as they had been over the edge of the fire pit and her red nail polish that she lovedwas still visible."


Volunteers plea to boost profile of river


VOLUNTEERS are needed to help turn the Maidstone stretch of the Medway into a tourist attraction. The Maidstone River Park was one


of a lasting legacy of projects, funded partly by the National Lot- tery, to celebrate the millennium and comprises a 10km walk along the river, from Teston Country Park to Allington. The idea of raising the profile of


the River Medway in Maidstone and the activities centred around it was a key part of the council’s destina- tion management plan (DMP). Now, a group of individuals has


taken up the reins and set up a trust, but they need more practical help. The Maidstone River Park Trust is


a volunteer community group, but the trustees hope to establish a community interest company to support its activities longer term.


Chairman Ian Tucker said: “Our


aim is to make the river an attrac- tion in its own right and an impor- tant part of the visitor experience in Maidstone.” Volunteers fromthe trust will work


closely with the Environment Agency, Kent County Council, Maid- stone Council and others to main- tain and promote “the borough’s greatest natural asset”, according to Mr Tucker.


Arrest after train incident


OFFICERS investigating a report of a sighting of a person with a firearm on a train have arrested and charged a man. The incident at Tonbridge railway station resulted in armed offi-


cers searching the train when it reached Ashford International. Nobody fitting the man’s descriptionwas found in the area at the


time. Glebs Mackevics (24), of Kingsley Road, Maidstonewas arrested


at his home and charged with one count of theft and one count of possessing an imitation firearm while committing an offence. He has been bailed to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on Tues-


day, May 3. The charges relate to an incident in which a number of DVDs were reported stolen from a shop in High Street, Tonbridge.


For more local news www.downsmail.co.uk 32 Maidstone Town May 2016 The Environment Agency has of-


fered to clean up the section of the river between Teston and Allington Lock and the group is now looking for community support for a five- day clean-up along the banks be- tween Lockmeadow and Whatman Park. The River Park Project has already


been allocated £1m from Maid- stone Council to create a cycle path the length of the river, linking Barm- ing and Allington, which will include a cycle hub at Lockmeadow. The Medway Valley Countryside


Partnership, which is dedicated to environmental conservation in Maidstone and Malling, will also play a part in the project. Anyone who would like to get in-


volved can contact the group via the website or email info@maidstoner- iverpark.co.uk.


Theft charges A MAIDSTONE woman who took


perfume and alcohol from stores has been given a suspended prison sentence. Medway magistrates heard that Zoe Baker (41), from Hedley Street, stole seven bottles of perfume, val- ued at £278.97, from a shop in King Street and two bottles of spirits val- ued at £64, from a supermarket in Romney Place.


Baker admitted the offences, was sentenced to 60 days in prison, sus- pended for 12 months. She must also stay in her home from 8pm to 6am until June 19. She was ordered to pay £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.


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