News


downsmail.co.uk Trio jailed for ‘crimewave’


TWO men and a teenage boy have been jailed after they burgled five homes, including one in Bearsted and another inWest Malling, before hijacking a car on the M20. Maidstone Crown Court heard


how Francis Conners (21), Michael Moorehouse (28) and the 15-year- old left a trail of destruction on the motorway after their crime spree in which properties were targeted in Kent, Sussex and London. The trio, who broke into homes, including those in Ryarsh Road and Yeoman Lane on June 13, then attempted to flee in aBMW, stolen from a previous burglary. At about 3.45pm their BMW col-


lided with a Vauxhall Astra on the London-bound carriageway of the M20, between junctions 2 and 1, forcing the gang to abandon the vehicle. When the driver of a third vehi-


cle, a Honda Jazz, stopped at the scene to offer help hewas punched


Dog controls


under review INCREASED fines and more con- trols on dogs are being considered by Maidstone Council. In a first move by the council to introduce tougher measures, it is asking dog owners for their views on a £25 hike in the fine for dog fouling, along with other controls that would put dogs on leads in more areas of the borough. The informal consultation on the council’s RK9 Facebook page is seen as the first step in updating the borough’s Public Space Protec- tion Order. In addition to the suggestion of a


£100 fine for owners who fail to clear up after their animal, views are being taken on further steps, such as insisting dogs are on leads in shopping areas, excluded from any children’s play areas – not just fenced ones – and giving officers the power to tell owners of nui- sance pets to put them on a lead.


the car also had paint on it, which matched that of a stolen safe. Fur- ther enquiries led detectives to the stolen Honda Jazz in a parking bay in Otford, where blood stains in- side provided more forensic evi- dence. The investigation revealed that


Convicted: Michael Moorhouse and Frances Conners


and thrown to the floor by one of the offenders, before the three stole his car and drove off. Jewellery,watches and rare coins


recovered from the BMW were found to have been taken during burglaries on the same day of the collision, and DNA matched those of Moorehouse and Conners. A sledgehammer in the boot of


after leaving the Honda, all three then boarded a train at Otford for London. Close to the train station, officers recovered a glove and baseball cap, which were found to contain DNA of the teenage boy. The trio were arrested in Essex


on July 12. Appearing at Maidstone Crown


Court, they each pleaded guilty to counts of robbery and conspiracy to commit burglary. Moorehouse also faced charges of dangerous


driving and using a vehicle with- out third party insurance. Sentencing them on October 11, Moorehouse, of no fixed address, received seven years and four months in prison. Conners, for- merly of CherryfieldWay, Dublin, was sentenced to six years and the teenager, from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, two years at a young offenders’ centre. Detective Constable Mark How-


ell said: “Moorehouse and Con- nors, along with their teenage accomplice were responsible for a mini crime-wave…then left a trail of destruction on a motorway which could easily have had fatal consequences, before assaulting a man whose only intention had been to offer help and assistance.”


Sophie opens long-awaited play park


YOUNGSTERS at Downswood are enjoying a new-look play park – and have one of their friends to thank Sophie Lawrie wrote to Maidstone Council when she was nine, sending a petition signed by her playmates and parents calling for improvements to the run-down park and now – at the age of 15 – her prayers have been answered. The work has been completed


after pressure fromborough councillor Gordon Newton, Downswood Parish Council and fed- up residents in a jointly-funded initiative by the borough council and the parish council, amounting to about £40,000. Sophie who had the honour of


cutting the ribbon on the new-look Foxden Drive play area at the opening ceremony. The refurbished play area now includes benches, a pendulum swing, a ball hoop, goal posts and a


fenced area for younger children with swings, a slide and roundabout. Sophie’s mum Katie said: “When


the council removed the play equipment all that time ago without telling anyone why, Sophie gave them a few weeks and then got on their case. “It’s a shame that funding issues


has meant it has taken this long, but I’m very proud she supported


her neighbours in this and has remained community-spirited.” Sophie is in year 11 at Valley Park


School in Maidstone, where she is also taking her Duke of Edinburgh award and helps out at the Bubbles swimming classes for special needs children at Mote Park. Sophie is pictured cutting the


ribbon held by Downswood Parish Council chairman Cllr Roz Cheesman.


Burns victim in skydive to help foundation


AWOMANwho suffered disfigur- ing burns in a holiday accident is to jump out of a plane for the founda- tion which supported her during her recovery. Danielle Branch was on holiday


with hermumJan and her husband Gez Clark, from Lenham, on New Year’s Eve at the Caravan Club park in Addington, near West Malling, when fire ripped through their motorhome. The devastating fire put Jan and Gez in hospital for nearly a month, and Danielle – whose injuries were far worse –


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lying in a coma in London with 85% burns, most of which were third degree. Six months after being released


from hospital, Danielle is hoping to raise money for the Katie Piper Foundation that helped her through one of the toughest times of her life. Still healing from the burns on


her face and body, she will be scarred for life, but Danielle launched the fund-raising charge by her family with a 12,000ft freefall skydive over Headcorn on


Maidstone East November 2016


Country Market, and on June 24, 2017, they will be holding a masked ball in the Tithe Barn in Lenham, where Gez is the village crier. Tickets for the ball, which will in-


Danielle, before and after the fire


Sunday, October 16. The family will also be raffling 12


tickets for the Leeds Castle Classi- cal Concert from a stall at Lenham


clude an auction with TV star Vic Reeves, including one of his own paintings and tickets for the final of X Factor, will also be available for sale at the Lenham Country Market stall from October. Sponsor Danielle’s parachute


jump on the Just Givingwebsite or for details of the ball, email gez.clark@hotmail.com.


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