Kent Police

A Sittingbourne man is set to appear in court accused of receiving more than £300,000 in illegally-earned funds.

Luke Barling, aged 49 and of Blenheim Road, has been charged with three counts of money laundering, following an investigation by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.

The money is believed to be linked to alleged fraud offences committed by unknown suspects against 16 victims, most of them elderly, between February and July 2020.

Mr Barling has received a summons to appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 2nd March.

Kent Police’s Rural Task Force are investigating the suspected killing of a tawny owl in Upchurch.

The incident is believed to have happened in October 2022 and officers have recently come into possession of images of two men they would like to speak to.

Police Sergeant Darren Walshaw told SFM News: ‘we suspect an owl was killed using catapults and are now issuing photographs of two people who may be able to assist with our enquiries. Anybody who recognises one or both of them is urged to contact our appeal line."

Kent Police are seeking witnesses after 27 sheep were found dead following a dog attack in a field near Sittingbourne.

The ewes, who were all believed to be pregnant, were attacked between Christmas Eve and 1pm on Boxing Day. It happened at a location near Deerton Street, Teynham. It has been reported that barking was heard in the area between 4pm and 5pm on Christmas Day.

A suspect has been charged with murder following the death of a man in Sittingbourne.

Kent Police were called at 1.36am on Wednesday (21st December) after a man had sustained injuries consistent with stab wounds at a property off College Road. Officers and ambulance crews attended and David Perry, aged 40, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Rohan Daniels, aged 18, was arrested and an investigation is being led by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.

Kent Police have confirmed that an attempted murder charge has been authorised against a man from Sittingbourne.

Mathew Breaker, aged 46 and of Swanstree Avenue, appeared before Medway Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Monday 12th December).

He has been charged with attempted murder, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and two counts of possessing a bladed object in a public place.

He was charged after a woman was seriously hurt in Sittingbourne at around 1.30am on Sunday (11th December) morning.

Sittingbourne officers have secured an extension of a closure order which prohibits entry to a property associated with persistent anti-social behaviour.

The extension was granted at Maidstone’ Magistrates Court on Thursday (24th November) and concerns a flat in Oak Road, Murston linked to repeated threats and harassment to neighbours. The closure order makes it an offence for anyone to enter the property and had originally lasted from Friday 26th August until Friday 25th November 2022.

Kent Police officers, investigating a fatal collision on the M2 earlier today (Sunday 27th November), are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

At around 6.14am a red Nissan Qashqai was involved in a collision with a red Mercedes-Benz C 200 AMG between junction six and five on the London-bound carriageway.

Kent Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service attended the scene and the driver of the Nissan Qashqai, a woman in her 50s, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Illegal drugs with an estimated street value of more than £1,600 have been found after officers pulled a vehicle over in Canterbury.

At around 4.30pm on Wednesday (9th November), officers from Kent Police’s Proactive Targeting Team were on patrol in the Longport area of the city when they received a report from another patrol of a Toyota being driven in a suspicious manner nearby. They saw and stopped the car. It was searched, resulting in a large amount of cannabis found hidden in cavities within the body of the vehicle. Phones and a quantity of cash were also seized.

A suspect has been remanded in custody following reports he made threats with a weapon towards two men in separate Swale incidents.

At around 8.45pm on Monday (31st October) evening, it is alleged a victim was threatened by a man with a machete on a platform at Sheerness train station.

Robust action was taken last week against suspected poachers in Sheppey.

Kent Police's Rural Task Force officers attended Thomsett Way in Queenborough last Friday (21st October) following reports that poaching was taking place on the land.

Upon arrival officers witnessed four people with eight Jack Russell type dogs who were seen flushing out rabbits from the reeds before chasing them.