News Drink driver’s


two-year ban ADRUNKwho drove hisVauxhall Corsa while more than three times the legal alcohol limit for driving has been banned from the roads for two years. Thomas Matthews was sen- tenced at West Kent Magistrates’ Court on August 1 2017, when he pleaded guilty to drink-driving. On June 21 this year, the 34-year-


old, of Belmont Close, Maidstone, drove a Vauxhall Corsa in Belmont Road, Maidstone, and gave a breath test of 116mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.


Magistrates banned Matthews


from driving for 24 months and or- dered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months. He must also pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge. Disqualification can be reduced


by 181 days if he satisfactorily com- pletes a course approved by the secretary of state.


Slavery case


A UK and overseas investigation will see three stand trial in Lithua- nia over “slave labour” allegations relating to a company in Maid- stone. It follows an investigation by Lithuanian authorities, supported by Kent Police, into the alleged traf- ficking and exploitation of men who worked as chicken-catchers for a Kent-based company. Kent Police carried out awarrant


at a property in Maidstone in Octo- ber 2012 in partnership with the Gangmaster Licensing Authority and UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) and identified more than 30 men as potential victims. A man and woman from the Maidstone area, both aged in their 50s, who ran the business are now to stand trial, along with a 53-year- old Lithuanian man. A date for the trial at Klaipeda Regional Court has still to be set.


Beerling guilty


A MAIDSTONE man who stole al- most £1,000 from his employers has been spared prison. Peter Mark Beerling was sen- tenced on August 3, 2017, at Mid Kent Magistrates’ Court where he had pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft by an employee. But Beerlingwas convicted of the offence by magistrates. Between March 2 and 8, 2017, the


37-year-old, of Cowden Road, Maidstone, stole £969.80 from his employer.


Magistrates sentenced him to 20


days in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months. He must also pay £729 compensation and £125 costs.


32 Maidstone September 2017


downsmail.co.uk


Keep children busy at summer activities


IF you are looking for something to get the kids out and about in the school holidays and into the autumn, look no further than Maidstone.


Free sport sessions for fans of football, boxing, American football, archery, cricket and gymnastics are on offer for boys and girls aged five to 18 in Tovil, Shepway, Park Wood, and Marden. Sessions are provided free of charge thanks to Kent Sport, which is backed by the county council, and Golding Vision (the commu- nity arm of Maidstone housing as- sociation Golding Homes). Coaches and equipment come courtesy of Kent Community Cricket, CharltonAthletic Commu- nity Trust, Olympia Boxing, Pega- sus Gymnastics Club andAmerican Football Development Ltd. This is the second year the Get


Active initiative has been available, with venues including Tovil Com- munity Centre in Barefreston Close; Shepway Recreation Ground, Cumberland Avenue; Heather House, Bicknor Road; Pegasus Gymnastics Club, Farleigh Hill; and Park Wood Recreation Ground. Sessions run from now until Oc-


tober 20 at venues in Maidstone and over the summer holidays at The Cockpit, Cranham Square and the football ground, in Pattenden Lane, Marden. Nicola File, sports projects officer


for Kent Sport, said the programme was now in its second year andwas likely to increase its participant numbers this year on 2016. She added: “The scheme is essen- tially there to provide more local


opportunities for local young peo- ple with the activities we have to offer.


“Last year, we had 504 young people take part in the project and its activities and this year we reckonwe are on course to match, if not better, those numbers. All the activities are completely free.” For more on what’s available,


visit www.facebook.com/GetAc- tiveGolding or call 07872 417912.


Libraries seing Care home plan approved


PERMISSION has been given for work to start on another £10m health care development on a large commercial site off the M20 in Maidstone. The borough council has


approved details for a 75-bed care home, with facilities for step-down patients leaving hospital but not ready to return home. The 4,200sqm building (see


artist’s impression above) will form the latest part of the 98,000sqm


development jigsaw on the Kent Medical Campus, that has already received outline approval from Maidstone Council. Access to the building, to the


right of the main site, will be via a new £1.5m road called Gidds Pond Way, which was opened by the Mayor ofMaidstone on August 9. This will also serve the new £18m


Cygnet Health Care development currently taking shape, and links to the New Cut Road roundabout.


Shoplifter jailed by magistrates


A SERIAL shoplifter who targeted businesses in and around Maid- stone has been sent to prison. Daniel Elliott James Cook (25)was sentenced onAugust 3, 2017, at


Medway Magistrates’ Court where he admitted seven counts of shoplifting from stores in East Malling,West Malling, Ditton, Bor- ough Green and Maidstone. Magistrates sentenced Cook to 196 days in prison.Hemust also pay £934 compensation.


book challenge CHILDREN are invited to solve a mystery by turning the pages of a confidential crime file this summer at Kent’s libraries. It is all part of the Summer Read-


ing Challenge, for children aged four to 11, promoted by the na- tional Reading Agency. Youngsters who visit a Kent li-


brary will receive a folder, which introduces the mystery and the An- imal Agents trying to solve it. The challenge runs until Septem-


ber 16, with the answers there to claim by reading half-a-dozen books, for which your child re- ceives a sticker, for their Animal Agents folder, to solve the mystery. Successful literary detectives re-


ceive a certificate and a medal (while stocks last). Other Animal Agents’ themed incentives and ac- tivities will be running at Kent li- braries across the summer. Lindsay Prestage, from KCC’s li- braries, said: “The summer reading challenge gets three-quarters-of-a- million children into libraries, nearly 18,000, last year from Kent, andwe hope to beat that.” Details at www.animal- agents.org.uk


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