News Driving ban
A30-YEAR-OLD Maidstone man has been banned from the roads for drink-driving and failing to turn up at court. David Martin Palmer was sen- tenced at Mid Kent Magistrates’ Court after admitting drink-driving and failing to surrender to court bail. On September 25, 2014, the 30-
year-old, of Hart Street, drove a VWPolo in KingEdward Road and gave a breath test of 76mg of alco- hol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg. On November 17, 2015, he failed
to surrender to bail at Mid Kent Magistrates’ Court. Magistrates banned Palmer from driving for 36 months. He must also pay a £230 fine, £300 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
Racism charge
A MAN who admitted racially ag- gravated harassment, using threat- ening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and criminal damage has been sent to jail. Henry Barton (41)was sentenced
on November 23, 2016 atWest Kent Magistrates’ Court. On May 2, Barton, of South Park
Road, Maidstone, used threatening, abusive or insulting words or be- haviour towards a woman and racially-aggravated threatening, abusive or insulting words or be- haviour towards a man in Granville Road, Maidstone. He also damaged a hose worth £30. Magistrates sen- tenced Barton to 30 days in prison.
Threats case
A MAN has been ordered to carry out 200 hours of community work for making threats. Jake Anthony Weyand was sen-
tenced at Mid Kent Magistrates’ Court where he admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour. On May 29, 2016 the 26-year-old,
of Margate, used threatening, abu- sive or insulting words or behav- iour towards a man in King Street, Maidstone, causing him to fear vio- lence. Magistrates orderedWeyand to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months. He must also pay £200 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.
Kidner escape
AMANwho hit a woman in Maid- stone has avoided prison. Michael Ashley William Kidner
was sentenced at Mid Kent Magis- trates’ Court. OnAugust 28, the 34-year-old, of Allnutt Mill Close, Maidstone, as- saulted a woman in Brenchley Gar- dens, Maidstone. Magistrates sentenced him to 120
days in prison, suspended for two years, with £85 costs and a £115 vic- tim surcharge.
4 Maidstone Christmas 2016 Youngsters graduate
ELEVEN ambitious students from a Maidstone school, who signed up to study alongside some of the best minds in the country, have graduated. With assistance from the PhD community at The School of Ori- ental and African Studies at the University of London, students from St Simon Stock Catholic School produced a 5,000-word dis- sertation to graduate. The group were selected by the
school to participate in the Schol- ars Programme, which is part of the university’s “Brilliant Club”. They are pictured outside the School of Oriental and African Studies with their certificates. Teacher Mel Broadhurst went
with them, saying the experience had not only increased students’ aspirations for the future but given them the confidence to ex- plore and write about subjects be- yond the usual opportunities in the curriculum. She said: “The academic quality
of the dissertations was so high and we are really proud of our young students. “Itwas a wonderful opportunity
for our year seven pupils to work with PHD students, and one that they fully embraced. Their high graduation marks are a testament to how much effort and commit- ment these students have shown over the course of the pro- gramme.”
downsmail.co.uk
Ray jumps off bridge to raise £10k for hospice
ARETIRED builder from Maidstone says his gift to the hospice that cared for his wonderful wife will be a Christmas present to remember.
Ray Taylor will be presenting
cash – expected to top £10,000 – to the Heart of Kent Hospice atAyles- ford in memory of his wife Mary. He raised the money by jumping
from Victoria Falls in a hair-raising 120m bungee drop from a bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The dare-devil 75-year-old told Downs Mail of his year-long fund- raising adventure back home in Shepway, where his feet are now firmly on the ground…at least for now. The Shepway resident said: “I’ve
spent my life on scaffolding, so heights were not a problem. The only thing is, my back gave an almighty crack during the fall and I’ve needed treatment to get it working properly again but I sup- pose that’s to be expected when you consider the drop. I’d probably do
“Even so, without idiots like me prepared to jump off a bridge, these good causes would struggle.” One of his many challenges over
the last 12 monthswas to raise £200 with a sponsored silence at his local, The Wheatsheaf on the Loose Road and, anyone who knows the out-going, chatty man, will under- stand why. Ray, who will make the presenta-
Ray Taylor with a picture of the bridge from which he jumped
the jump again, but a year of fund raising, though worthwhile, has been really hard work. I now ap- preciate all the effort that individu- als put in when they set about raising money for charity.
tion at The Wheatsheaf in the new year, added: “Everyone knows I’m a bit of a softy and that I will crymy eyes out when I hand over the cheque for Mary – my wife of nearly 50 years – but it will have been worth it.” The plucky pensioner thanked
his friends Michael Lawrence, from Bearsted, and Leroy Tomlin, from Maidstone, for their support with the trip, which he funded himself.
Homes chief to stand down
GOLDING Homes chief executive Peter Stringer has announced he will be retiring next year after 37 years in the housing sector. Mr Stringer has
held the role since the housing asso- ciation was cre- ated in 2003,when he managed the transfer of over 6,000 homes from Maidstone Bor- ough Council (MBC). The organi- sation has grown from strength to strength to become a well-re- spected local employer andaward- winning landlord of over 7,200 homes. After completing a degree in
town planning at the University of Birmingham, Mr Stringer moved to Kent in 1986 to join MBC. Hesaid: “It has been a hugely re-
warding experience to establish and lead Golding Homes over the last 14 years and a pleasure to work alongside so many talented and dedicated people who are commit- ted to making a difference to the lives of our customers. “I am sad to be leaving, but I feel
now is the right time to retire and look forward to spending more time travelling withmyfamily and on the golf course.” A recruitment process is starting shortly and a new chief executive should be confirmed during the spring of next year.
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