News DJ Cash dies


RADIO Kent presenter and Hollingbourne resident Dave Cash has died at the age of 74. The former Radio


One DJ, who was born David Wish, had just celebrated 50 years of broad- casting. Mr Cash worked at


Radio London and Radio Luxem- bourg before becoming one of the first DJs on BBC Radio 1. For the last 17 years, he presented vintage chart and country music programmes on BBC Radio Kent. He leaves his wife, Sara.


Carol service


CHRISTMAS carol favourites will ring out in Chart Sutton’s village hall on December 17, starting at 4pm. There will be mulled wine and mince pies. All arewelcome. There will also be carol singing around the village in aid of Demelza House Hospice on dates to be confirmed.


Make it work


FORTY five artists from Maidstone have banded together to create a co-operative called Making Art Work. The group held an art mar- ket in Lockmeadow which at- tracted 80 stalls and 1,100 visitors.


downsmail.co.uk


Haunted by the killing of Roy Blackman, 73


A 38-YEAR-OLD Staplehurst man has been jailed for a minu- mum of 28 years for murdering a pensioner in his home. Detectives were sent to Heartsay bungalow in Biddenden on the morning of March 21 this year after receiving a call from a family mem- ber of 73-year-old Roy Blackman. Mr Blackman was found dead on


the floor with severe facial injuries and the house had been ransacked. Itemswere stolen from the house, including a large safe that held what was thought to be a large amount of cash, firearms and jewellery. The bath upstairs had been filled,


which the family described as strange, as Mr Blackman had bad knees and rarelywent upstairs. Mr Blackman’s killing was “truly unforgivable”, said his family, and would haunt them forever. Mark Lovewas identified as a sus-


pect for the killing and for an offence in Northiam, Sussex on February 21. Detectives received information


that later in the day of Mr Black- man’s murder, two men were seen at the Ashford Designer Outlet


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after Kent Police took on the investi- gation due to the links with Mr Blackman’s death. Love owned a lock-up at Pork Pie


Murder victim Roy Blackman


spending hundreds of pounds and acting in a manner that made staff believe they were drunk. One of thesemenwas Love. Having bought some clothes, Love changed into a new outfit and asked the cashier to dispose of his old clothes, but she re- fused. On the afternoon of March 25, a


family on a walk in Cranbrook dis- covered two firearms, some jew- ellery and a registration plate in a stream in Dig Dog Lane. Also found were a pair of keys with a keyring from “Roy Blackman Motors”. Lovewas arrested on April 7 after handing himself in at Folkestone.He was also arrested on suspicion of the aggravated burglary in Northiam


Farm whichwas searched following his arrest. Detectives found Love’s van, which was wet and had pools of dirty water in it, consistent with being cleaned in an attempt to re- move forensic evidence. Love was charged with the mur-


der of Roy Blackman after his DNA was found to match a profile found on a bathroom tap inMrBlackman’s home and in a work glove found at the scene. Hewas also charged with the aggravated burglary in Sussex. Following a trial at Maidstone CrownCourt, Lovewas convicted of both charges in September. He re- ceived 12 years for the Northiam of- fence. A statement from Mr Blackman’s family read: “We at- tended the court case throughout and heard all of the evidence. The horror of what Mark Love and oth- ers did to our dad that night, to- gether with the 'ransacking' of his house, will haunt us forever and is truly unforgivable.”


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