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00:28Transcription by CastingWords
00:32Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:35I'm Vin McDermott and here are your top stories on Wednesday 10th June.
00:40Demanding answers. A man from Lenham is pleading for public support 40 years on from a miscarriage of justice.
00:46I was sent to prison for 12 months and the girl was also sent to prison for 6 months.
00:51Blue Badge Battle. A mother living in Paddockwood is fighting to secure her disabled son's permit after two rejections.
00:57So tell me why a Blue Badge icon is of somebody in a wheelchair.
01:02But when you're doing the assessment, you shouldn't count any equipment they have for mobility.
01:08And banking on community. Former Bank becomes a community support charity in Maidstone.
01:14If I bring what I know and you bring what you know, then we are better off in the society.
01:29But first off, how do you clear your name when the evidence you need has vanished?
01:33Simon Edgecombe says he was wrongly imprisoned after a post office prosecution more than 40 years ago.
01:40Tonight, he is appealing for KMTV viewers for help from anyone who remembers the case,
01:44might have been involved at the time or knows how post office prosecutions were handled back then.
01:48Kristen Hawthorne breaks down the story for us.
01:52I was sent to prison for 12 months and the girl was also sent to prison for 6 months.
01:57A simple mix-up turned into a criminal conviction.
02:00Simon Edgecombe says he was wrongly imprisoned after selling a van to a post office owner in 1983.
02:06He says he sold a van, handed over an invoice and was paid £750 in cash,
02:12which a staff member took from the till,
02:14with the understanding that the boss would later replace the money.
02:18I provided the van.
02:20That was pretty much, as far as I was concerned, the end of it.
02:22But it wasn't the end.
02:24The day after, two post office investigators did an unexpected spot check
02:29and discovered that money was missing from the till.
02:32And they asked me, they said they wanted to come in and ask me a question.
02:35They came in, they asked me one question only, which is,
02:38have you ever had money from the girl in the sub post office?
02:42To which my honest answer was, yes, I have.
02:44And I showed them the duplicate invoice book and the copy of it was there.
02:48They took the book, looked at it, and that was the last that was ever seen of it.
02:52They seized it.
02:53After that, he was questioned further at the police station and eventually the case went to court.
02:59That post office prosecutions people, barristers, suggested that it was coercion.
03:05That what I had done is coerced the girl in there to give me the money.
03:10But the ridiculous part of that was, even if that was true and it wasn't,
03:16she was a victim.
03:18But they imprisoned her as well.
03:22Now, after decades of searching for answers,
03:25he says the documents which could help him in his appeal have disappeared.
03:29In response, the post office have said they have no papers regarding this matter,
03:34as it's over 40 years old.
03:35It's not even been established that Post Office Limited was the prosecutor.
03:39MP Helen Whateley has been supporting Simon in his campaign for justice.
03:44At first, he was told, I've been told, that there are no records.
03:47This goes back to the 1980s.
03:48But now it looks like there actually could be some records.
03:52He's received some information through that's heavily redacted.
03:55So what I want is to keep the pressure up so that people keep digging to find out,
04:01find some evidence of who decided what and why and what actually happened.
04:06Since Simon left prison in 1984, this is an example of just some of the emails and letters
04:12that he's sent to authorities across the country to try and prove his innocence.
04:17But with no avail, he's now hoping that KMTV viewers can help him.
04:20So I hope that there will be somebody, perhaps, who worked at the court at the time.
04:25They can find a stenographer's report, perhaps even a member of the jury.
04:31But I need some form of evidence that what I am saying and what I said to the Court of
04:36Peel is actually true.
04:39During his time in prison, he lost his home, his girlfriend and his job with the London Fire Brigade.
04:45And more than 40 years later, Simon is still asking for the same thing.
04:49A chance to clear his name.
04:52Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV, Tenham.
04:57And Kristen joins me now.
04:58So, Kristen, quite a complex story.
05:01Can you tell us more of the details?
05:02What exactly is he looking for in terms of that support?
05:05It certainly is complex.
05:06And for anybody who wants to read up more about it, the full article is on Kent Online.
05:12So, he went through the Court of Appeal to try and get the truth about this case.
05:18But he was initially turned down due to the fact there was no new evidence available to be considered.
05:23He challenged that successfully.
05:25And on the 20th of May, he appeared before three judges to make his case, alongside people caught up in
05:31the capture issues.
05:33He says he was given a fair hearing.
05:35But because there was no contemporaneous records that are available, those efforts were hampered quite seriously.
05:43The judges need to see clear and detailed evidence, really, and reports of what happened from the case to make
05:51a proper judgment.
05:52They will formally rule on that appeal within six weeks of the hearing date, so 20th of May, six weeks
05:59from then.
06:00But in reality, without evidence, there's little they can do, really.
06:04So, that's why it's so important that Kent Online readers and KMTV viewers can sort of retrace their steps to
06:10maybe think about if they know what happened here or could help them in any way.
06:14In terms of what was happening, to help viewers sort of remember what was happening in 1984, the year he
06:20was released from prison, we have some pictures maybe of what happened during that year.
06:25So, this is a picture from 2007, the post office, that it used to be, it used to be a
06:30post office, where it all happened, really.
06:34And then, during the year of 1984 was the year that CDs were released, you can see here.
06:40There's a car that was released then, so if you can remember that, maybe you can remember kind of what
06:45happened.
06:47Yeah, there's some pictures there as well, kind of to help people retrace their steps.
06:51But, yeah, this is super important to him and, yeah, and all the details are on Kent Online of who
06:57to contact and what to do.
06:58Amazing. Thank you so much for joining us, Kristen.
07:02Next, a drug dealer has now been sentenced to two years and four months in prison after he was found
07:07with cocaine and heroin in his car in Tunbridge Wells.
07:10On the 16th of February, police from the Neighbourhood Task Force noticed a driver, Rameses Yebem'en, acting suspiciously.
07:17During a search, the 29-year-old handed over 57 wraps of Class A drugs, which he had hidden.
07:23His vehicle was also checked and officers found three containers filled with drugs, as well as cash and scales.
07:29He was arrested and later charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, possession of criminal property and
07:35driving without insurance.
07:36He was sentenced yesterday at Midstone Crown Court.
07:40A banned driver from Sheerness has been imprisoned after crashing into another driver when he was travelling at almost double
07:46the 30-mile-an-hour speed limit.
07:48Luke Wells was driving on Queenborough when he hit Terence Brown's Peugeot at 58 miles per hour in halfway on
07:5520 July in 2024.
07:57In Terence's car were his wife, Susan, their granddaughter and her boyfriend.
08:02Susan had to be cut from the wreckage and spent four weeks in an induced coma.
08:06Wells fled the scene, later telling police that he had previously sold that car.
08:10He admitted three offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was sentenced to three years and ten months
08:16in prison with a five-year, 11-month driving ban.
08:20A mother in Paddock Wood is angry at Kent County Council after they've denied her two-year-old son a
08:25blue badge twice.
08:27Ronnie has a rare genetic disease, meaning he is unable to walk or bear weight, and the mum says she
08:32needs spacious parking to access his equipment safely.
08:36Naila Mohamed has more.
08:38Ronnie is two years old and has Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which means that he cannot walk
08:45or bear weight,
08:46and relies entirely on being carried or using his walking frame, and he has been denied a blue badge twice.
08:53I then got this email, fairly automated, that had like a, maybe like two sentences in the middle that they'd
09:01written themselves,
09:02that basically said, we recognise Ronnie's disabled, but he's not disabled enough.
09:07So how, if the medical professionals that are supporting Ronnie's development, his mobility, saying he needs one,
09:13the council, are telling me no.
09:17Charlotte says his weight and equipment make it very difficult to safely take him out of a vehicle in a
09:22standard-sized public parking space.
09:24And she also has to park behind her house to allow enough room for the car door to open.
09:29Well, I couldn't push that, and him, because what, am I expected to leave him alone in the house,
09:35or leave him alone in the car, whereas if my car is out the front of my house, I can
09:41do it.
09:41But without it being there, I can't.
09:44This is Ronnie's walking frame.
09:46It weighs 14 kilograms, and Ronnie himself weighs an additional 16 kilograms.
09:51So getting this and Ronnie in and out of the car constantly is quite tricky.
09:55So when Charlotte reached out to Kent County Council, a member of their blue badge team said that for a
10:00child under the age of three to be eligible,
10:02they must be on palliative care, or they must need equipment helping them live, like a breathing or feeding tube.
10:08None of those apply to Ronnie, but he does require assistance helping him move, which is not part of the
10:13criteria for a blue badge.
10:15So tell me why a blue badge icon is of somebody in a wheelchair, but when you're doing the assessment,
10:21you shouldn't count any equipment they have for mobility.
10:25Without a blue badge, Charlotte believes that Ronnie's progress will be hindered, as they're not able to access the equipment
10:32safely.
10:33Imagine if he doesn't get recognised for needing additional support in our community.
10:39My council is responsible for that.
10:41In response, KCC said we must assess blue badge eligibility against the National Department for Transport Guidance and Legislation,
10:49which sets the criteria for children under the age of three, which were not met in this case.
10:55When children reach three, the eligibility guidance allows for greater scope in assessing how children mobilise independently,
11:02and we have advised that KCC is always happy to reassess children at this time.
11:07Charlotte says this battle isn't just for Ronnie, but for other families facing similar challenges,
11:12and she hopes that this fight will help bring about change.
11:16Naila Mahamud for KMTV in Paddock Wood.
11:19Thousands of parents have been given hope that a bus pass price hike could be reviewed.
11:24Opposing parties at Kent County Council have joined forces to challenge a decision to put up charges of the Kent
11:30Travel Saver Scheme by 26% for the 26-27 academic year.
11:34The scheme provides heavily discounted transport for children getting to school.
11:38Parents will currently have to pay £170 up from £135.
11:43The council have argued it's under no obligation to provide subsidised travel,
11:47and they say the increase equates to less than £1 a week.
11:50The issue is to be discussed at a meeting of the Scrutiny Committee soon.
11:55We'll be back after this very short break. See you in a few minutes.
12:33We'll see you in a few minutes.
19:50these days and people don't even know maybe where or what to do so having this
19:57kind of center helps you to come out of your closet and bring out the best in
20:04you. Triumph of Grace is also expanding its reach through its in-house
20:08production team which gives young people the opportunity to learn video
20:12editing skills while building confidence and resilience. Anytime I come here I
20:17always feel sort of fulfilled in what I'm doing for the community so I work with
20:23young people I help the youth you know get outside of sort of you know situations
20:32or circumstances where it doesn't seem too favorable for them and put them on to
20:39more pathways that can help them in in their careers. It's become a valued part
20:45of the community with many people finding support friendship and a sense of
20:50belonging regardless of their beliefs in harmony. Mazie Walker for KMTV, Maidstone.
20:59A few minutes ago we heard about how negligence in hospital can lead to
21:04unfortunate circumstances and preventable illness so joining us joining us now to
21:09chat more about this is our resident health expert and GP Dr. Julian Spinks.
21:21Thank you for joining us Julian. So we heard there from Chloe about that woman who
21:26sadly passed away due to alleged ineffective care and alleged mistreatment
21:31while she was in hospital. Is this something that you hear about during your line of work?
21:36I think this does actually point out the real problems that happen when you have
21:41got a health service which is partly overwhelmed. The fact that she was put as a
21:47low priority doesn't surprise me because unless there's signs of major
21:52problems with the spinal cord an investigation such as an MRI for back pain would
21:58not be an urgent thing. I'm somewhat surprised why she was in hospital for such a
22:03long time because when it comes down to it ultimately she died of hospital
22:08acquired pneumonia which was not directly linked to the back pain but was as a
22:14consequence of spending a lot of time in hospital and hospitals aren't very safe
22:18places to be particularly for long periods of time. I see I think as relatives of
22:23patients sometimes we can worry that we might be overstepping when talking to the
22:27doctors that are looking after our loved ones but if someone suspects there may be
22:31some kind of mistreatment or ineffective care taking place what would you advise
22:36them to do? Definitely talk to them definitely speak up you may need to be
22:41persistent if there's problems despite all of that there's the PALS service in
22:46hospitals which is the patient advice and liaison service and they will help you
22:51approach and see if you can move things up but ultimately the doctors are the
22:55ones who control the priorities when it comes to it and I suspect what happened was
22:59repeatedly as she was getting towards the top of the list other cases came in which
23:04took higher priority and it's a really sad story and hopefully everybody's that
23:10can actually learn from it. I see let's move on now we have had some recent heat
23:15waves now we're moving more into the summer months we hear people talk a lot
23:19about ultraviolet light when referring to tanning or sunbathing why does that
23:25actually happen you tell us a bit about the science behind that how we can
23:27protect ourselves when we're out in the Sun? Well ultraviolet light is invisible
23:32light and the further you go in that direction the more that it acts as radiation
23:38and so it can penetrate the skin and like having a dose of radiation such as a
23:43chest x-ray or something like that the danger is it can damage DNA and cells which
23:48are perfectly normal when they split then there's a potential for having a
23:53cancerous change going on and the more exposure you get to your ultraviolet light
23:57the more likely that is to happen and so people who spend a lot of time out in the
24:03Sun and particularly those who've burnt themselves frequently carry a much higher
24:07risk now you can prevent it by avoiding the times when UV is at its worst and
24:11that's between 11 in the morning and three o'clock in the afternoon wearing
24:15clothing something like a darker t-shirt will block most of the UV that goes
24:20through I've recently been in Japan and lots of people walk around with
24:24umbrellas that are UV resistant and stay under those to cut it down and then
24:28finally you've got the Sun creams you've got to put them in on and a
24:32sufficient amount and you have to keep putting them on because if you're hot and
24:36you sweat then gradually the effect will go away but again you're reducing the
24:40risk even though you've done all of that if you do have funny spots that
24:44appear on your skin that change color will start to bleed or crust or itch then
24:49you need to seek medical advisory can have a look and make sure it's not a
24:51nasty I see thank you so much for joining us Julian
25:03and now let's have a look at your weather forecast
25:12tonight it'll be a clear night across the county each area looking around 11 and
25:1710 degrees some slow wind speeds there tomorrow morning partly cloudy with some
25:21rain coming down towards the west 13 and 14 degrees Margate the lowest at 11
25:26light rain staying across the county by the afternoon high wind speeds of 17
25:30miles per hour temperatures of 14 across the board no one's safe from that rain
25:33and here we go the rest of our weekend Friday partly cloudy averaging 22 degrees
25:39Saturday mostly the same slightly warmer dipping back down to 22 on Sunday with
25:43some lovely sunshine now a classroom in Kent has been crowned the funniest in
25:56Britain after coming up with a new joke so let's have a listen maybe it's how
26:00they tell it these are the pupils at joy lane primary school who have impressed the
26:12judges of the annual be no magazine challenge of the funniest class
26:16competition boys class in year six were crowned the winners alongside their
26:20teacher Bethan Crow who's been named Britain's funniest teacher the magazine
26:24selected 10 jokes before putting into readers with a vote for joy lane primary
26:27submission winning with 34% earning them a trophy a special edition comic and a
26:32day trip to Gulliver's theme park well congratulations to Britain's funniest
26:38classroom but that's all the time we have for you you've been watching Kent
26:42tonight live here on KMTV there's more news made just for Kent throughout the
26:47evening thank you so much watching and we'll see you soon good night
26:57we'll see you soon good night
27:02we'll see you soon good night
27:07we'll see you soon good night
27:17you
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