News


downsmail.co.uk Drunk driver is back in court


A CONVICTED drink driver, who hid her shame from her family, has escaped a prison sentence after committing more motoring offences.


Stephanie Smart twice got behind


the wheel of her Ford Fiesta, months after being banned from the road. Widow Smart (50), pictured, claimed shewas visiting her sick 74- year-old mother – from Detling – whowas in TunbridgeWells Hospi- tal after suffering a stroke. She was pulled over by police in


Lower Street, Leeds, on January 7, and Smart told officers shewas dis- qualified and would not drive the vehicle again. But a blunder allowed her to re-


offend threeweeks later, as Kent Po- lice failed to seize her vehicle and Smart had it towed back to her home, where it stayed on her drive. As she had failed to tell her close


family – including her 23-year-old son who lived with her – of her con- viction for drink-driving onAugust 17, she still had full access to the car.


Drugs stashed in


a chocolate egg A HEROIN addict from Maidstone hid 10 wraps of the drug in a Kinder egg to escape capture. Shane Dawkins (55), currently serving a 12-month sentence for bur- glary offences, was given a 28-day sentence to run concurrently for pos- session.


Maidstone magistrates heard after


40 years of crime that he was on rehab in prison andwanted to start a new life in Norfolk. Dawkins, formerly of Edmett


Way, was sentenced last month at Maidstone Crown Court for receiv- ing jewellery and three burglaries at a Sussex Road house between Janu- ary 28 and February 4. He used the proceeds of crime to


pay for his habit, magistrates heard. Defending, Toby Burrough said:


“His motivation is to get clean and prove this to his partner, then go to Norfolk with her and be away from his drug friends in Maidstone.” Dawkins was searched by police


in EdmettsWay at 10.30pm on No- vember 10, 2016, and found with the wraps of heroin “inside a Kinder egg in a trouser pocket,” said prosecutor Mark Kateley. Dawkins admitted possessing a


classAdrug andwas fined £115 as a victim surcharge.


Gypsy fees up


FEES for gypsy and travelling fami- lies pitched on sitesownedby Maid- stone Council are to rise. The 2.5% increase was unani- mously agreed by councillors and will come in to force from April 3.


14 Maidstone East May 2017 Defending, Toby Burrough said


Smart lived with her son who was “financially reckless” and the toll of taking taxis – asLeedswas “fairly re- mote” – made her decide to drive. Mr Burrough added: “She was shocked by her August conviction. She was too proud or embarrassed to mention it to her family. “Her mother was not well after a


On January 30, she was stopped


by a police patrol in Penfold Hill, Leeds. It was then she finally told her family of her crimes. Smart, a hospital laboratory tech-


nician, of Wykeham Grove, Leeds, admitted at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on March 31 two counts of driving while disqualified, and two of having no insurance.


stroke inNovember and shewas ad- mitted to hospital in January when her condition worsened. “Mrs Smart had not visited her mother for a while and was suffer- ing psychological issues as her hus- band had died athomeaged 49 from a stroke some years earlier. “On January 7, she felt an over- whelming desire to see her mother. She looked at the bus timetable and it would have taken a couple of hours to get to Tunbridge Wells.


Meanwhile, her car was on her drive.


“When she was stopped she ad-


mitted to police that she shouldn’t be driving, but they did not seize the vehicle and allowed her to collect it. On January 30, she decided to go back to the hospital, using her car. After being pulled over this time, the car was seized, and it is now stored at her sister’s house.” Mr Burrough also said Smartwas assaulted while in TunbridgeWells on January 30 and suffered concus- sion which had affected her work – and her decision-making. Smartwas given a 90-day jail sen-


tence, suspended for 12 months. She walked free from court but could go to prison if she reoffends in this time. Magistrates fined her £200, in- cluding a £115 victim surcharge, and gave her until May 31 to pay.


Theft charges


KENT police officers investigating two burglaries at the same address in Maidstone have charged a man. A property in Graveney Road


was reported to have been burgled on both March 12 and 13. Items in- cluding bank cards were said to have been stolen. Michael Scott (45), ofWallis Oaks


Avenue, Maidstone, was arrested and has now been charged with two offences of burglary and theft. Scott has also been charged with


Fans enjoy new stand


ALMOST 3,000 spectators turned out to celebrate the opening of Maidstone United's new north stand. The 1,700-capacity structure at the Springfield end of the Gallagher


Stadium was packed with fans as the Stones took on Sutton United in the National League. A club spokesman said: “It was fantastic to see such a large turnout


on the night. Theymade a lot of noise.” The stand was officially opened by Stones’ manager Jay Saunders’s son Fran, watched by his mum Hayley.


New head at homes group


THE new chief executive for Maidstone-based housing association, Gold- ing Homes, is Gary Clark. Currently operations director at mhs homes, Mr Clark, who lives in Tonbridge, has 18 years' experience in the housing sector, having held senior management positions in a number of housing associations in- cluding Moat, Peabody and Rosebery Housing Association. Mr Clark takes over the role from Peter Stringer, who is retiring. Gold-


ing Homes’ chairman, Roger Ford, said: “I would like to pay tribute to Peter Stringer for his vision and ambition in developing Golding Homes into one of the leading housing associations in Kent.”


three offences of fraud in relation to stolen bank cards, as well as a sep- arate offence of shoplifting at the Morrisons’ store in Sutton Road, Maidstone. He has been bailed to appear at Maidstone Magistrates Court on May 19.


Dumper fined


A SCRAP dealer has been ordered to pay nearly £1,300 by a court after flytipping rubbish which he had been paid to dispose of it. Richard Mayhew, of Boxley, de-


nied the offence at Sevenoaks Mag- istrates’ Court on Wednesday, April 12, but was found guilty. The owner of Rusty’s scrap metal collection and waste removal, col- lected waste including a mattress, bed base, wooden joists, pictures, black sacks and other household rubbish and dumped them by the roadside in Maidstone last year. Mayhew denied the offences at


Sevenoaks Magistrates Court on April 12 but was fined £420 with £650 legal costs, £183 clear-up/com- pensation costs and a victim sur- charge of £42.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56