Local News

An assault, which happened in front of terrified families at a caravan park in Eastchurch last summer, has led to four men being handed jail terms.

Jason Taylor Snr, Oliver Taylor, Carl Allam and Jason Taylor Jnr were all jailed for the violent incident which resulted in the victim being punched and knocked unconscious before the group fled.

The victim was attacked during the day at a caravan park in Warden Road on Wednesday 16th June 2020 by Jason Taylor Jnr, aged 26 and of Mountview in Borden.

The incident happened after an argument broke out outside one of the caravans. Following this the group attended the front counter at the caravan park where Taylor Jnr started to attack a man in his 60s while holding a machete.

During the disturbance Allam, 31, of Coldharbour Lane, Kemsley, used a large Katana bladed knife to scare off the victim’s family and members of the public by waving the knife at them.

Oliver Taylor, 25, of Canterbury Road, Sittingbourne, then used a baseball bat where he inflicted further head injuries to the victim.

The three Taylors (pictured) then surrounded the victim where he was punched in the face knocking him unconscious. They then fled the scene leaving the victim on the floor and continued to shout at other people in the park on their way out.

After the incident, the man was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries and has since recovered.

Following an investigation all four men were arrested and later charged with one count each of violent disorder. They each admitted the charges and were jailed on Tuesday (31st August) at Maidstone Crown Court.

Jason Taylor Jnr was jailed for two years and seven months while his father, 50, of Mountview, Borden, was handed a two year and six-month sentence. Carl Allam and Oliver Taylor were both sentenced to two years and five months in jail. 

Detective Sergeant Shaun Vidgeon of Swale’s Criminal Investigation Department told SFM News: "This was a frightening incident which happened in broad daylight in front of many terrified people including children. The victim was subjected to a prolonged and vicious assault, which resulted in a complex and time-consuming investigation in order identify those responsible, and I’m pleased that a jail term has been imposed on all of those involved."

The Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) were at the scene of a haystack fire on Quinton Road earlier today (Thursday 26th August).

They were called to the scene just after 11:00am and one fire engine was in attendance, with crews using drag rakes and a hose reel jet to prevent further fire spread.

No casualties were reported. 
 
Firefighters asked those living or working in the Quinton Road and Sonora Way areas to keep all windows and doors closed as a precaution due to the smoke but this was lifted at 2.20pm when the fire was finally extinguished.

The supervisor of two PCSOs who came to the rescue of a man who had suffered a medical incident in Upchurch has commended the officers for their quick thinking.

PCSOs Lee Fennell and John Cork were on patrol in Upchurch on the evening of Monday 2nd August when a member of the public flagged them down to report a man had fallen from his bike.

On arrival, they located the cyclist lying on the pavement and drifting in and out of consciousness. The pair established he was a diabetic and did not have any insulin on him.

Concerned he may be slipping into a diabetic coma, PCSO Fennell rushed to a nearby store and got a chocolate bar and orange juice while PCSO Cork stayed with him. As they were assisting the man a member of the public stopped at the scene and told the officers he was a doctor and began triage.

With the assistance of the sugary snacks, the man’s condition improved and attending medical crews confirmed the cyclists blood sugar was very low but the chocolate and orange juice had helped with his recovery.

Sergeant Ryan Chase told SFM News: "This is a good example of members of the community working with our officers to assist someone in need. I would like to commend PCSOs Fennell and Cork for their actions, as well as the member of the public who flagged them down and the doctor who stopped the moment he saw someone who needed help. Their actions potentially saved a life. Thankfully the man concerned was returned home by the ambulance crew and made a full recovery."

Rural crime investigators are appealing for information after two sheep were killed in a field in Newington.

The livestock were found dead in Church Lane on the night of Sunday 8th and Monday 9th August 2021.

Sergeant Darren Walshaw, from Kent Police’s Rural Task Force, told SFM News: "The two sheep concerned had been butchered by a person, or persons, with expertise in removing meat from a carcass and this this is naturally a distressing incident for the people who reared the animals. Fortunately, incidents of this nature are relatively rare however we do know that farm animals can be seen as a target for thieves. We are fully aware of the impact offending of this nature has on farmers and will always review all reasonable lines of enquiry. I’d also encourage members of the public, particularly people living in rural communities, to be wary of this type of offending and to contact us if they have any suspicions."

Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to call Kent Police on 01795 419119 quoting 46/144168/21 or, alternatively, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers free and anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or using the anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org.