Local News

Kent Police local Swale Detectives are investigating a serious assault by a group of men in Sheerness at the weekend, which has left the victim with a fractured jaw.

Kent Police officers were called shortly before 3.30am on Saturday morning (31st May) to a report of an assault near the clock tower in Sheerness High Street. A couple - a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man from the town - had been on a night out. As they attempted to walk home, they were approached by a group of about 10 people near the clock tower and the man was reportedly assaulted. He suffered suspected multiples fractures of the jaw and is being treated for his injuries at a hospital in West Sussex.

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Beverley Morrison of Kent Police, told SFM News: "This was a cowardly and unprovoked attack on a man by a group of people that has left the victim with serious injuries and he remains in hospital getting treatment for those. I am appealing for anyone who might have witnessed the assault or who might have seen a group of people walking together in the High Street area between 3am and 3.45am on Saturday 31 May, to come forward and help us with our enquiries."

Anyone with any information is asked to call DS Morrison on 01634 792588, quoting reference XY/19053/14, or alternatively they can contact Kent Crimestoppers free (from any landline) and anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A man has admitted murdering his former boss in a tackle shop near Sittingbourne.

54-year-old Simon Olsen, of no fixed abode, shot dead fisheries owner Steven Langley, 57, inside his own shop in Tonge on Friday 29th November 2013. He pleaded guilty to one charge of murder at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday (25th April).

The Court heard that at 2.45pm on Friday the 29 November 2013, Olsen walked into the Fishery Shop where Mr Langley was working and shot him once in the upper abdomen with a double-barrelled shotgun. He had visited the shop several times early that afternoon looking for Mr Langley. When questioned by other staff, Olsen said he wanted Mr Langley's permission to shoot a duck. Another member of staff and some customers had noticed him walking around with the shotgun before he entered the shop for the final time.

The employee and the customers were in the car park when they heard a shot fired. Olsen came walking out of the shop and fired another shot up into the air before walking off. The employee went back into the shop to find Mr Langley had been shot in the chest and called 999. However, the father of two was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kent Police officers found Olsen in possession of the gun and inside his property was a bag he had packed in preparation to go to prison. He was arrested on suspicion of murder. They later charged him with murder in the early hours of 30th November 2013.

Olsen will be sentenced on Monday 12th May at Maidstone Crown Court.

By Derek Barclay

A bumper Bank Holiday crowd welcomed Speedway racing back for its second season to Central Park on Bank Holiday Monday (21st April) afternoon, as the Kent CTA Fire Kings plundered their first piece of silverware of the campaign claiming the Easter Trophy in a competitive clash with a spirited King's Lynn Young Stars' side down from Norfolk.

That the homesters were not going to get everything their way under sunny Swale skies was highlighted in the very first race as new Kent skipper Simon Lambert's bike shuddered to a halt on lap two courtesy of a faulty carburettor, meaning the Kings' number one was unable to assist fellow newcomer Luke Chessell's attempts to hold off the ultra-experienced pairing for the visitors of guest Ben Wilson and Darren Mallett serving up a maximum start for the Norfolk side.

The Kings though were imperious in the immediacy of their comeback, reeling off three 5-1s of their own in heats two through to four to establish an ultimately decisive lead. Young Londoner, Luke Harris racing at Central Park for the first time, was delighted to match the distinction achieved on the road last month when he won his first-ever competitive race by doing likewise on his first home trip out - the lively reserve pairing of the Northolt-based teenager Harris and a fourth King's debutant Brandon Freemantle setting the Kent side well on the way in heat 2. Ultimately six out of the seven CTA Fire Kings' riders were to record individual heat wins: the Eastbourne-based Freemantle celebrating his home debut with a decisive win over the rider he's replaced in the Kent line-up this term, Adam Kirby after the unlucky Chessell fell awkwardly in a rerun heat 8.

By that mid-way point the returning favourite son of the Central Park faithful, Ben Morley had underlined his hugely confident start to the season by reeling off two wins from his opening pair of rides and the only surprise was the Southend speedster had reluctantly to settle for two second places behind the visitors' top man Wilson, before partnering his captain Lambert to an impressive maximum in heat 15. The Easter Trophy was firmly in the Kings' possession way before that final ride though with Benji Compton and Lambert recording a pair of heat wins, as a winning nine points margin was established by the completion of heat 13. A local favourite in opposition colours made his mark (literally in his case) in the penultimate race, as former Iwade graduate Marc Owen recovered from a shaky start to the meeting by surprisingly out-gating the Kings' Compton.

There was certainly enough egg-citement on show to send the holiday crowd away happy. Next up for the Kent team are back to back away matches the weekend after next, visiting the Coventry Storm in a league encounter on Friday May 2nd before heading further north into the Potteries to do battle with Stoke on May 3rd. Next up at Central Park is another Bank Holiday afternoon meeting: with the always good value Mildenhall Fen Tigers from Suffolk visiting in a National Trophy match on the May Day holiday on the 5th. of next month.

Result and scorers:
Kent 52 (Ben Morley 12+1; Simon Lambert 10+1; David Mason 8+2; Benji Compton 8; Brandon Freemantle 7+2; Luke Harris 5+1; Luke Chessell 2)
King's Lynn 39 (Wilson 10+2; Cockle 9; Mallett 8; Owen 4+1; Hughes 4; Bailey 2+1; Kirkby 2) [Easter Trophy].

Kent Police are appealing for witnesses to a reported assault in Sittingbourne on the evening of Saturday 5th April, at approximately 11:55pm, that left a woman with facial injuries.

The victim, aged 50, reported that she was walking from the train station past the Forum Shopping Centre when a group of men starting verbally abusing her. She walked away but the group surrounded her and began pushing her. She managed to run away into the High Street but the group surrounded her again hitting her in the face. Some members of the public came to the victim's aid and assisted her into a taxi.

A 20-year-old man from Faversham, has been charged with assault and attempted robbery following the incident.

Officers are appealing for anybody who witnessed the assault to come forward, particularly the people who helped the victim afterwards, who may have seen something.

Anybody with any information is asked to call the investigating officer, DC Simon Mather, directly on 01634 792285, or they can contact Kent Crimestoppers free (from any landline) and anonimously on 0800 555 111.