News Pub row led


to bat aack A 33-YEAR-OLD from Maid- stone has been jailed for beating a manwith a baseball bat. Steven Draper, of Maidstone


Road, Nettlestead Green, was found guilty by a jury of leaving his victim with a deep cut on his forehead following the attack. Draper was involved in an al-


tercation with the victimat a pub in Horsmonden on April 1 last year. The following day he went to the man’s home in Gunlands, Horsmonden, with an associate. When the victimopened the door hewas attacked in the porch. The jury heard at Maidstone


Crown Court that Draper repeat- edly swung the bat at him and aimed further blows at his head with his fists. The assault only came to an endwhen a relative of the victimshouted at himto stop. Draper was arrested on April


25, but denied any wrong doing. Hewas later chargedwith assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. The case went to trial and on


November 19 hewas sentenced to 18months in prison.


downsmail.co.uk


Drivers trying to park told to ‘respect dead’


CHURCH authorities are urging motorists


to “respect the


dead”after a car flattened two headstones in a West Malling graveyard. Officials at St Mary’s say the


bunglingdriverwas trying to carry out an ‘improvised’ parking ma- noeuvre beneath a tree after failing to find an official space to stop. TheRevDavidGreen (pictured)


was calledto the scene by a parish- ionerwho sawthe prang.He later had to break the news to upset rel- atives of the deceased, and now has to liaise with themotorist and insurers, as well as finding stone- masons to repair the damage. In a notice in the parish maga-


zine, the church says: “Our park- ing is very limited and once those spaces are occupied, it isn't accept- able to park on the grass or impro- vise in anyway. “Drivers should return to the


High Street to park there or use one ofWestMalling's car parks.


“Our church has a 900 year his-


tory and, in all probability, there isn't a scrapof landthat hasn't been someone's grave at some point. “Just because it looks empty, it


doesn'tmean it is.” The church, at the topof the high


street, has sections ofwall thatdate back to Norman times. Its 70ft spire – a later addition to the church tower - became nationally


famous in the 1990s when it was featured on the £10 note. Officials are keen to stress they


welcome visitors to the ancient site, they just want them to park more responsibly. They say that,until thedamaged


headstones canbe set, theyhaveno option but to leave the hefty stonework flat to ensure it is not a safety risk to parishioners.


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