News


News


Postworker drove home drunk froma night shift


The Kent County Agricultural


Societywelcomed James Forknall into the position after Kevin Attwood finishes his term. The society electedMr Forknall


Close, Shepway, had driven home after a night shift atwork. Hewas pulled over by police in


at its AGM and thanked Mr Attwood for his six years of serv- ice.


Dean English (61) of Cornwall


his blue Ford Fiesta near his home at 6.30am, after he finishedwork. He appeared at Maidstone


magistrates court on February 22, where he admitted being drunk in charge of the vehicle on Sep- tember 20, 2018. English, who has worked at


Royal Mail for more than 30 years, was breathtested at the roadside and later failed a urine testwith a reading of 232mg – the limit is 107mg. Defending, Eleanor Scott


Davies told the court: “Mr Eng- lish knows and admits that drink- ing alcohol all night at work is wrong. “Although he works in the let-


Mr Forknall,who comes froma


family of Kent farmers, previ- ously served as vice chairman for the body and worked for the Maidstone NFU branch and the Weald of Kent PloughingMatch. His vice chairmanwill be Julian


Barnes, the managing director of Biddenden Vineyards, who has exhibited at the Kent County Show for 39 years. Mr Forknall said: “I am de-


lighted to have been elected as chairman of the Kent County Agricultural Society. “Kevin has done a tremendous


ters and packages section of the Royal Mail, meaning he does not deliver, this has really been a wake-up call for him.” She said her client had not had a drink since before Christmas.


Tribute band


job over the last six years and I certainly have some very big boots to fill. I look forward to the challenge.” Society president Lord Col-


grain said: “Kevin has given him- self to the position of chairman. His attention to the details of the society, the time he has devoted to it, the interests that he has de-


COLDPLACE, the world’s lead- ing tribute to Coldplay, will re- turn to Maidstone for its second UK tour. The band will be performing at


the Hazlitt Theatre on Thursday, April 25. Tickets start at £20.Con- tact the box office on 01622 758611.


Dean English was ‘foolish’


changed his shifts to the day time rather than at night, as he “would never drink during the day”. Chairman of the bench,Adrian


veloped on the society’s behalf, and his determination to ensure that the society should prosper on hiswatch are all attributes that we recognise in him, and are tes- tament to a highly successful pe- riod of office, to which the Ssociety and its members are in- debted.” The three-day Kent County


The court heard English had


Atmore, said: “We see the effects of drink-driving every day, and


Showshowcases “farming, coun- tryside and rural life and aims to bring together the best food, ani- mals, and excitement that Kent has to offer”. This year, the Kent County


downsmail.co.uk Newhead for county show


ROYALMail bosses have launched an investigation after a worker was caught twice the legal alcohol limit at thewheel of his car.


half six in the morning is when most people would be driving intowork. “You have not only put your


own life at risk, but also the lives of innocent pedestrians and driv- ers on the road.” English admitted the offences


New chairman James Forknall (left) with Kevin A wood has worked at since 1987.


and was disqualified from driv- ing for 18 months, with a £569 fine. He has been married for 42 years, with two daughters, and the Royal Mail


THE bodywhich puts on the Kent County Showeach year has appointed a newchairman. Crowds enjoy


opportunities


‘Let’s talk’ to travellers call


THE leader of Maidstone Bor- ough Council’s Conservative group has urged Government to talk to travellers in a bid to devise effective planning guidance for gipsy sites. With imminent appeal hearings


in Maidstone that could approve another dozen caravans in Staple- hurst on theMarden and Fritten- den roads, John Perry estimates there are 50 pitches in hisward. “The majority of these are the


Show will be on July 5, 6 and 7. The society has been support-


case, he admitted that he had been “foolish”. When we asked if his employ-


ers knew about his drinking at work, he replied: “No, not yet.” He added: “I have had a lot of


ing education and improvement in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and related industries since its foundation in 1923. It provides grants to Kent


time to reflect on all of this. Itwas a foolish thing to have done.” A Royal Mail spokesman said:


“RoyalMail does not comment on individual court cases.We are car- rying out an internal investigation into thismatter.”


Paedophile Lambert sent to prison


A FORMERMaidstone resident has been sent prison for almost five years for a series of sexual offences against a teenage girl for nearly two years. Kurt Lambert (28,)was convicted


A COMMANDmusical perform- ance will be held at All Saints’ Church inMaidstone onWednes- day,April 24, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5. A wide range of


Musical night Hours cut at libraries


of six counts of having sexual ac- tivity with a child, three of taking indecent photographs of a child and a further charge ofmaking in- decent photographs of a child. Maidstone Crown Court heard


musicwill be played on the night. For more information, call Nancy on 01622 682330.


Supper night


that Lambert carried out offences between April 2015 and January 2017. He led the victim to believe they


were in a consensual sexual rela- tionship. But paedophile Lambert took im-


A FISH and chip supper is being held to raise funds for the church at St Philip’s Community Centre, Tovil, onMarch 29 at 7.15pm. Tickets are £6.50. For more de-


tails and to book, call Barbara on 01622 671782.


12 Maidstone April 2019


ages and videos of the abuse on his mobile phone and also sent explicit photos of himself to the victim. During interviewhe accepted the


allegations and admitted there more than 100 explicit images of the victimcontained in his phone. Lambert also conceded hewould use instant messaging apps and


TALKS are being held with unions and library staff over job losses re- sulting fromKCCcost-cuttingplans. All 99 of Kent’s libraries will be kept, but the hours of most will be may have contacted other childre , ut couldn’t answer whether he had sent images to anyone other t says


h n the victim.three-year changing needs.


KCC cabinet member Mike Hill the


strategy


On Friday, February 22, Lambert eceived four


years and eight


Those responding to the consul- ctation were split, with 44% sup- He had previously pleaded guilty


On his release, hewill be the sub-


ject of a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years, which places restrictions on access to the internet and pro- hibits contact with girls under the age of 16. He will also be placed on the


sex offenders’ register indefi- nitely. Detective Constable Celia King of Maidstone CID said: “The law is tHeadcorn and Staplehurst hey are old enough and matur ough to make decisions on


cut to produce a £960,000 saving sweek. This conctehssion will cost bover the next two years.


Kurt Lambert has abused trust hown in him i


e worst possi-


babout£90k,meaning a saving£1m or his own gratification.


It is entirely correct that he


(agreedonMarch7)willprotect the has now faced justice and that r service and allow it to adapt to the court has imposed measures months imprisonmentwhen he ap- peared before a judge at the crown ourt for sentencing.


t15%neither for or against and 4% pqruests for redundancies and early unsure.


porting the idea, 37%disagree ng, o all th c arges.


Lambert has to pay the price fworking with unions, and says re- ison sentence will g ve himtime tretirementwill be considered.


o reflect on what he has done.”


hours come into effect in autumn. The county council says by reduc- ting opening hour , fewer staff will ending in future.


o reduce the risk of him reof- fbe needed.


“KCC’s human resources team is or his act ons and hopefully his


le way, in ord r to exploit a child fwill need to be found elsewhere. “The redundancies and opening


Speaking at his home after the with inconsistency. We need to brating 100 years of supplying


Haynes Agricultural were cele- workwith the gip y council to ad-


approved dres


Young Farmers Clubs and offers university scholarships to stu- dents wishing to study in related fields. It provides free education on


farming to young children through the “Farming in the Classroom” initiative and the Living Land event.


and these issues fully.” “Working togethe is the way


o get appropriate legislation that reAspokesman said “The society Vhin O’Reachtighan, from the velopment in farming and agri- culture.


sales and service on tractors and farmmachinery to farmers across tKent and Sussex.


presents the interests of b th.” is committedto educ tionandde- Gipsy and Traveller Coalition, said: “We are happy to talk but in-an variably it just ends up being talk. pport the farmi g community e the lat st deve p-


Farm Expo d en is


important event in order to best su“Any government has to have an appestiutre to oblige councillors to provide a fair amount of ac-


ments n f rm machinery and commodation for travellers and


thorisNed cHaS figures Funerals to be


streamed live MlOies NERS


thmeals.


here to protect children untill - tbraries are among only 12 tomake eansuccessful case for keeping their heir own.


DOZENS of malnutrition cases have been reported in Maidstone, according to new figures. Charities claim some fami-


dearestwill nowbe able towatch prnutrition between 2017-18 but wthis was a fall of five from the Maidstone’s Vinters Park Cre-


tdoors open longer. They will oper- Choral date at“e for 28 hours – five hoursmore a


: “For Pergolesi


matorium says it will broadcast services securely over the internet, allowing invited guests to view themfromanywhere in theworld. Sharon Smith, Maidstone Bor- o THEMaidstone ChoralUnion ices ma ager, o


previous year’s total of 30. The figures came from the local NHS trust.


ughCouncil's b reavement serv- is holding an Eastaeirdconcert at a grAlwl Saints’Church in the town wcentre on Sunday,April 13 . The


“Stabat


URcannot hwafofocrad healthy e funerals of their nearest and Therewere 25 cases of m l- oceedings str amed live in a ebcast.


nnot attend


overlook the planning regulations if travellers can provide for them- selves; this iswhat leads to unau- mps. The current law


agricultural services for our farmers”.


unfairly discriminates travellers.” re available


result of retrospective applica- tions that have seen the number of gipsy and traveller sites in the area growexponentially,” he said. “There needs to be a proper de- bate about effective regulationfor tthose looking to the post-Brexit often these sites are occupied and with displaysretrospectively


farming expo AROUND 2,500 people attended Farm Expo, a new event for 2019, organised by the Kent County AgriculturalSocietyat theDetling showgrounds onMarch 6. The event announced develop- ments in major national and in- ternational


farming machinery


andagricultural services, andfea- tured trade stands, seminars and networking


hat can be fairly applied. All too future. Among the local firms


at Farm Expo,


downsmail.co.uk


Mater” andMauriceDurufle’s hom bound, those who are sim- ply not able to travel due to eco- conditions


nomicTickets are £12, or half price familycwho live abroad, offering


or perhaps


Ticketswill be available on the everyone regardless of their geo-


graphic location.”


webcasting is a way to include door.


for hildren nd students.


ing number of reasons, live ebcasting is a service that more are choosing. With an aging pop- ulation, elderly family members “Requiem” will be performed at theMill Street church.


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