News|Schools


Guilty aack duo set for court sentencing


TWO men are awaiting sentenc- ing after beating aman, taping his mouth and threatening himwith a knife in a dispute over an alleged drug debt inMaidstone. Maidstone Crown Court heard


that the victimhad been left scarred for life by the ordeal, which began when hewas asked to help themre- cover heroin from a man they be- lieved he knewin Eccles. The victim decided not to help,


but was concerned for the welfare of the man’s girlfriend and visited the address in Bull Lane.However, once inside he discovered that three men had already made their way in. They demanded he gowith them in a Ford Focus driven by Anton Asutaitis. Sanchez Banton was in the passenger seat and a third (unknown) man sat in the backwith the victim. They drove to a number of loca-


tions but were unable to find the man they claimed owed them drugs, ending up heading towards


Police found DNA evidence linking this car to the attack on the victim


Burham where Asutaitis slammed on the brakes of the car. Here, the victim was attacked


and robbed by Banton. A police investigation led to the


recovery of the vehicle and forensic testsmatched Banton’sDNAto the front passenger seat. Duct tape fi- bres were also found in the car which contained blood from the victim. Further DNA was recov- ered which also put Asutaitis and


Banton at the house in Eccles. They were later arrested and


charged, and on December 11 ap- peared atMaidstone Crown Court. Banton (25), ofWhitehorse Road,


Croydon, and Asutaitis (24) from Pimlico Road, Belgravia, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harmand robbery onApril 15, 2015. Both men have been bailed and


will appear for sentencing inMaid- stone on February 23.


Suspected drug dealer under investigation


A MAN was arrested on suspicion of being a drug dealerwhen hewas spotted by police driving at night throughMaidstone town centrewithout headlights. Officers allegedly found drugs and themanwas ar-


rested. A Kent Police statement said: “Police officers


stopped a 21-year-oldman fromSevenoaks after they saw his car travelling along Tonbridge Road, Maid-


Axe damage man charged


A MAIDSTONE man has been charged after reports an axe was used to damage cars. Tommy Dunn, of Charles Street,


was arrested on Thursday, Decem- ber 28 and subsequently charged with four offences of causing crim- inal damage. He was also charged with nine separate shoplifting of- fences. Dunn appeared by video link be-


fore Medway Magistrates on De- cember 30, having been remanded in custody after being charged. Police were investigating after a


Ford Transit and Range Rover had windows smashed in Carroll Gar- dens, Larkfield, by an axe,while on the same day damage was also caused to a Vauxhall Astra parked in ElmCrescent, EastMalling. Windows at a property in Plover


Road,Aylesford,were smashed be- tween Friday, December 15 and Saturday, December 16, while a Ford Transit parked inWhite Road, Chatham,was damaged on Christ- mas Eve.


16 Malling January 2018


Appeal after stolen cart found A low-loader may have been


ADISTINCTIVE carriage thatwas stolen in Aylesford has been re- united with its owner. The horse-drawn cart (pictured),


whichwas undergoing restoration work,was taken in the early hours ofWednesday, November 22, but was found in woodland near Lon- don Road on Thursday January 4.


used to remove the cart from the private address in Station Road, where a gate was damaged. Enquiries are still ongoing and


anyone with information is asked to call Kent Police on 01622 604100,


quoting YY/35343/17. reference


stone, without any headlights at 3am on, December 21. “Hewas subsequently arrested on suspicion of driv-


ing whilst unfit through drugs and possession of co- cainewith intent to supply. “Officers seized a mobile phone and a quantity of


drugs believed to be cocaine and cannabis.” Hewas later released under investigation.


downsmail.co.uk


Man held for possession of ammunition


A MAN has been arrested on firearms charges after being ap- prehended in Snodland. Plain clothes officers were on


patrol in the town when they ap- proached a Ford Focus parked in Edward Close on December 6. The driver was wanted in con-


nection with a previous reported incident of possessing an imita- tion firearm, which happened in the same area on November 28. Officers then searched a nearby


property and recovered what was believed to be live ammunition froma container inside. The man, aged 27 and from the


Snodland area, was arrested on suspicion of possessing an imita- tion firearm and for possessing prohibited ammunition. He was later released pending further investigation.


Teens arrested for fuel theft


TWOteenagers fromEastMalling have been arrested after a string of fuel thefts in the county. The arrests were made after


Kent Police received a report stat- ing a car linked to eight reports of fuel theft was travelling in the St John’s Road area of Tunbridge Wells at 11.50pm on Wednesday, December 27. The previous thefts were re-


ported in West Malling, Offham, Sevenoaks, Gravesend, Rochester and Strood between December 19 and 23. The vehicle was located and the


teenagers, one aged 17 and the other 18, were arrested on suspi- cion of going equipped for theft and bilking – the act of filling a car up and driving away from a petrol forecourt. The younger of the twowas also


held on suspicion of driving with no insurance.


Crash reveals other offences


A MAN has been charged with four driving offences after a crash in KingsHill. Samuel Hodges (22) was ar-


rested after crashing a car into a roundabout on theA228. He was subsequently charged


with aggravated vehicle taking, drivingwhile unfit through drink, driving while disqualified and using a motor vehicle without in- surance. The incident happened at


8.22pmon Friday December 22. Hodges, of The Street, Mere-


worth,was bailed to attendMaid- stoneMagistrates’ Court.


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