Local News

A burglar who posed as a workman and broke into several electricity substations across east Kent has been jailed.

Mark Baker, 40, admitted targeting sites between September and December 2025 that included Ashford, Canterbury and Herne Bay where dozens of homes were impacted by his crimes.

Kent Police was alerted on the morning of Wednesday 5th November 2025 that UK Power Networks premises in the coastal town had been broken into. Dressed in high visibility clothing and using specialist tools, Baker had forced his way into substations on Neville Road and Margate Road to steal copper earthing and safety equipment.

The incidents resulted in power outages and electrical damage to householders’ property, with the associated costs to business exceeding more than £220,000.

An investigation was launched and enquiries established that Baker had further burgled sites in Sandyhurst Lane, Guernsey Way and Eureka Park in Ashford. Detectives were also able to connect him with a break-in at a substation in Sutton Valence, Maidstone and sites in Canterbury.

Baker, of East Hall Walk, Sittingbourne, was arrested on Thursday 18th December 2025. Searches at his property led to the recovery of bolt croppers, metal cutters and several large batteries.

He was charged the following day.

Baker pleaded guilty to multiple offences and was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday (10th March) to two years and nine months’ imprisonment.

Detective Sergeant Pete Frampton told SFM News: "Baker is a reckless offender whose crimes not only posed a serious risk to personal safety but also caused huge disruption to hundreds of people, and vast expense. Given the impact to local communities, and to business, it is right that he has received a custodial sentence and I hope he will reflect on the severity of his actions. It sends a clear message that those who would offend in this way should expect to be tracked down and brought before the courts."

Lee Craddock, Head of Security at UK Power Networks told SFM News: "Tampering with electrical infrastructure is extremely dangerous and also causes significant disruption for the wider community. We appeal to the public to inform police about any suspicious activity around the equipment which brings power to their home or business. Reporting a concern could prevent a power cut, or even save a life. Our thanks go to Kent Police for bringing this individual to justice and protecting public safety."

The public toilets in the Central Avenue Car Park are set to be fully refurbished as Swale Borough Council continues its work to regenerate Sittingbourne’s town centre.

The work will upgrade the well-used toilets, repairing the roof, renovating the windows, refurbishing the cubicle doors and toilets, and installing new energy-efficient LED lighting. The walls and flooring will be repaired or replaced, and a new ceiling will be installed.

Swale Borough Council have confirmed that "these improvements will help make the toilets more modern and inviting, energy-efficient, and easier to clean and maintain".

New baby changing facilities will be installed in the women’s, men’s and disabled toilets, making it easier for Swale’s families to visit Sittingbourne High Street.

The exterior of the facility will also be getting a face lift; power washing and repainting the concrete where needed, refurbishing the doors, and installing new signage.

The council will be using funding from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Pride in Place Impact Fund (PIPIF), alongside reserves set aside for the refurbishment.

The toilets will close to allow for the extensive refurbishment works to be completed, with the toilets set to reopen in April.

The nearest public toilets are located within the Forum Car Park, which will close permanently once the refurbished Central Avenue toilets are reopened.

This follows the council’s thorough review of public conveniences; identifying the most used toilets and where potential investment could achieve the greatest benefit for their residents.

Cllr Monique Bonney, chair of the Economy and Property Committee, told SFM News: “These toilets will soon be modern and inviting, while also being hard-wearing and easier to keep clean and maintain at their new amazing standard. They will need to be closed while we undertake this important work, we are sorry for any inconvenience, but it will be well worth the wait. This is just one element of our plans to continue improving Sittingbourne, and the rest of Swale, making the most out of the government funding we have received.”

Cllr Dolley Wooster, chair of the Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee, told SFM News: “We know that public toilets are incredibly important to our residents and have taken in a lot of the feedback we received during our consultation last year. The public conveniences review helped us identify where we should invest our limited funding to make the most impact for our residents. The refurbishment of these toilets is a result of this work and will help us provide clean, maintained and family friendly toilets in Sittingbourne.”

A mum supported by Sittingbourne based children’s charity Demelza, whose son has a severe neurological condition which causes serious seizures, has welcomed new drug trials which could change lives.

Hayley Borowiec’s eight-year-old son Ralph has Dravet syndrome - a rare and complex condition which causes prolonged, frequent and difficult to control seizures, alongside a spectrum of associated health challenges.

Last week it was announced the new drug being trialled, zorevunersen, has seen seizures fall by up to 90% for young people taking part in the trials.

Hayley, who lives with her family in Ramsgate, said it’s exciting trials are taking place.

She said: “The future is moving in the right direction for Dravet families. I always try and be a bit realistic as these things are years away, but there do seem to be a lot of exciting things happening.”

Ralph was diagnosed when he was 18-months-old, after having his first seizure at seven months.

While he is currently experiencing a serious seizure roughly every three months, Hayley said this is changing all the time – she said the pattern of seizures and the triggers can constantly change, so you don’t ever really know how it’s going to be.

Ralph’s seizures can be triggered by different things, but excitement is a big trigger so Hayley said it’s difficult to take him to places like soft play as he will almost certainly have one.

She said: “When Ralph has a serious seizure he will drop to the floor and fall unconscious. He can only manage a few minutes at somewhere like soft play and then he’s unconscious and it’s just dangerous. It would be so nice if something did exist that meant he would be able to do things. To be able to take him to a play area and him not have a seizure would be life-changing – something that would give a bit of a buffer would be amazing.”

Demelza supports Hayley and her family mostly with care at home and she said to have someone she can trust to look after him at home or take him out is a massive help.

The family is also helped by Demelza’s practical support volunteers, who drive them up to London for Ralph’s medical appointments.

“Ralph is always fine at Demelza – it’s another safe place as well as home which is very nice to have,” Hayley added.

“It’s not often people know what they are doing with someone like Ralph but with Demelza staff, they do.”

Dravet is a rare, life-long condition - around one in every 15,000 babies in the UK are born with it - and without effective treatment, uncontrolled seizures can be incredibly dangerous for children.

Trial drug zorevunersen is given as an injection in the spine which travels through spinal fluid to manage the faulty gene affecting the brain, the underlying cause in most cases of Dravet. 

Demelza’s Lead Nurse, Helen Rolls, said: “For those living with daily seizures, any improvement would be truly life-changing, not only for the children themselves, but also for their families.

“The impact goes far beyond health. It would be socially transformational. Many children feel extremely tired after a seizure, which means they often miss out on activities and interactions with others.

“As children with Dravet grow older, the unpredictability of when and where a seizure might occur can also affect their confidence and self-esteem, so improved control could make a profound difference to their wellbeing.”

A violent offender who chased a man into traffic with a machete has been jailed for 16 years.

Chris Maclean, 43, admitted to the manslaughter of Jay Gerrett, who died after being hit by a car on St Michael’s Road, Sittingbourne.

At around 9.10pm on Saturday 2nd August 2025, another man, Jack Hunt, led Mr Gerrett to Pembury Street to sell him drugs. A conversation occurred between the two in the road, which quickly soured and escalated into shouting.

Hunt, 33, then called for support from Maclean and another man, who exited their homes on Pembury Court and joined the altercation. Maclean goaded his victim into fighting before brandishing a large knife, swinging it wildly at his body and face.

Mr Gerrett tried to run away, pursued by the knife-wielding Maclean, and fell down a grass verge into oncoming traffic on St Michael’s Road. He was hit by a car and died immediately.

Maclean was arrested in Canterbury on 5 August following CCTV and house to house enquiries, during which he pretended to have no knowledge of the incident. Upon his arrest, officers uncovered a quantity of cocaine on his person.

Maclean was charged with murder and possession of a class A drug with intent to supply, the latter of which he pleaded guilty to at a Maidstone Crown Court hearing on 5th December 2025.

 Denying he had murdered Mr Gerrett, a three week trial was set to begin on Tuesday 24 February 2026. However, on the first day, Maclean offered a plea of manslaughter which was accepted by investigators and the Crown Prosecution Service. He also admitted to the drug dealing offence.

He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday (26th February) to 16 years in prison. He was also deemed a dangerous offender.

Co-defendant Hunt, of Platinum Way, Borden, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply and will be sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 1st May.

 Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Zoe Traynor told FM News: "Maclean delayed accepting his responsibility in causing the death of Jay Gerrett until the last minute, heaping anguish on his victim’s family. We are very pleased that the investigation we completed has led to justice and the jailing of a violent man who had no hesitation in wielding a machete at a stranger in public. We hope today’s sentence brings some closure to Jay’s family."