News


Pervert jailed for ‘appalling’ abuse


ASEX offender from Maidstone responsible for the systematic abuse of three children has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Martyn Waller repeatedly targeted


his victims between 2000 and 2012, committing offences which included rape. Waller (55), formerly of Westmor-


land Road, Maidstone,was arrested on January 25, 2016, after allegationswere made to Kent Police. An investigation revealed he had


also preyed upon other children. Appearing before MaidstoneCrown


Court, Waller pleaded guilty to nine charges including indecent assault, in- decency with a child, and sexual activ- ity with a child. Hewas sentenced on July 28 and will


be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and also placed on the sex offender's register indefinitely. Detective ConstableEmmaCrombie, of Kent Police’s Public Protection


Unit, said:“Waller is a predatory paedophile, who subjected young chil- dren to the most appalling abuse and used their fear to ensure they com- plied with his demands. “I would like to thank the victims, who have been incredibly brave to


come forward and give evidence againstWaller. Sadly, they will no doubt carry the mental scars of his crimes with them for a long time but I hope they will be able to move forward from this. “Successful convictions such as this are just one of the reasonswe urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to contact the police. It is never too late to report any sexual offence andwe will always treat any information with the utmost confidence.”


downsmail.co.uk


Fremlin backtracks in parking fee row


THEfirm behind a massive hike in parking charges at Fremlin Walk has backed down and reinstated the old pricing system. Drivers found charges at the 760-


space car park had effectively dou- bled overnight from Monday, July 10. One Downs Mail reader paid £8 for little over two hours. OnFridays and Saturdays, drivers


were expected to shell out £3.50 for half an hour, and £10 if their shop- ping trip took them over four hours. Indigo,which manages parking at FremlinWalk, claims a steep rise in business rates and rental charges, in- troduced by the Government in April,was behind the decision. However, a flood of comments


from outraged users,whodescribed the prices as “hideously expensive, even before the increase” and “dearer than London”; coupled with concern from the Fremlin Walk’s owner about the impact on shoppers saw the old prices reinstated after just five days. Fears about the effect of high park-


ing charges on the town’s footfall – already under pressure from centres like Bluewater, which offers free parking, and online shopping – have been expressed by Lib Dem town


centre borough councillor Clive Eng- lish. He said the government deci- sion to raise the rates on car parks was “very strange” when High Street visitor numbers are in freefall. Cllr English said: “I am glad In-


digo is reviewing this price change. While I understand, as a commercial operation, its reason for raising them, they need to take a longer term view and appreciate that peo- ple’s shopping budget is price sensi- tive and parking charges are a part of that.” Lloyd Wright, centre manager at Fremlin Walk, which is owned by M&GReal Estate, said:“We are cur- rently in discussions with our car park operator, Indigo.We are deter- mined to deliver a high-quality serv- ice for our local community at a competitive rate, and therefore we will be seeking a resolution to ensure our centre remains affordable.” Driver Alex Hughes said on Face-


book: “I estimate the car park is rak- ing in about £250,000 a week ... I’m sure Fremlin Walk would love to give their share of the profit to re- duce pricing.” Indigo has said the old prices will remain while a review is carried out. Mail Marks page 38


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Malling August 2017


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