Couple appear in court in connection with killing of Kevin McKinley in Dartford
Kevin McKinley died after
being shot in the street in Dartford
A couple from Dartford have appeared before Medway magistrates
charged in connection with the murder of a 32-year-old man.
Michaela Sargeant, of Overy Street, appeared via video link,
charged with killing Kevin McKinley in a street shooting last
Tuesday night.
Dressed smartly in a white blouse and black cardigan, the
24-year-old clearly gave her name, address and date of birth.
When asked by the chairman of the bench, Angela Jahed, if she
understood the proceedings, she replied: "I do."
She was remanded in custody and will appear at Maidstone Crown
Court on Tuesday.
Lewis Wickenden, 25, of the same address, is charged with
possessing a firearm, namely a semi-automatic single-barrel shotgun
and possession of ammunition, namely shotgun cartridges, both
without firearms certificates.
Wickenden, who appeared in the dock at the Chatham court, also
faces a charge of assisting an offender relating to murder.
Wearing a pale blue hoodie, Wickenden did not enter pleas and no
application was made for bail.
He will return to magistrates on Friday and a date has been set
for a hearing at crown court on March 28.
The defendants, described in court as partners, were dealt with
separately.
Father-of- three Mr McKinley, of Louvain Road, Stone, was shot
in Fulwich Road, Dartford, at about 8pm on Tuesday.
Another man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was
earlier released without charge.
A second man arrested on suspicion of an assault was also
released without charge.
Mr McKinley, a married father, was taken to
hospital, but later died of his injuries.
The shooting shocked the community, especially Mr
McKinley's uncle - Charles McKinley, from Temple Hill - who
wept at the scene the morning after the shotting.
Fighting back tears, he said: "My mum rang me last night and
said that he'd been shot.
"I thought she meant with a BB gun,
but then I found out he'd actually been shot with a real
gun."
Police at the scene of
the shooting in Dartford and (below) the scene the following
morning
The shooting shocked people living
nearby as armed police descended on their neighbourhood.
Officers stood guard throughout the
night, with Fulwich Road taped off from the junction with Great
Queen Street and Overy Street.
Fulwich Road resident Nicola Daniels,
38, said: "I heard something really loud go off, like a
bang, and the dog started barking.
"My neighbour knocked on the door and
said there'd been a shooting over the road.
Video: Police at the
scene of the shooting in Dartford
"There was an ambulance down there and
I saw someone being put into the back.
"The police cordoned off the area. It
started getting a bit scary really. One of the officers had a gun
and was shouting 'put it down, put it down'."
Cyral Harris, 71, of Merryweather
Close, Dartford, said: "I heard the shots and saw someone prostrate
on the floor and it's quite shocking to see on such a quiet
close.
"I was watching the football when I
heard a couple of shots. I thought it was fireworks and this poor
young chap was lying on the floor, blood pouring out of him."
Flowers left at the scene
of the shooting in Dartford
By mid-morning on Wednesday, friends, family and those who
simply wanted to show their respect, had started to turn up bearing
flowers and messages of condolence.
Among the messages was one from Mr McKinley's mother, which
read: "RIP my baby boy, Kev. From Mum and Andy xxx."
Another said: "RIP Kev boy. You was a diamond geezer. You will
be missed by everyone."
The site of the shooting
in Dartford
One of Kevin's friends Bradley, 19,
who joined other friends in laying flowers at the scene said: "He
was liked by a lot of people.
"I've not heard of a shooting in
Dartford before.
"Had it been any other kind of fight
he would have had a chance of winning but you've got no chance when
someone comes at you with a gun."
Police throw cordon
around house where Kevin McKinley lived in Stone
Meanwhile, police guarded the house where Kevin lived in Louvain
Road, Stone.
A cordon was set up next to the garden wall blocking
the path to the house.
Raymond Baker, 55, who lives a few doors away, moved into
Louvain Road six or seven years ago and Kevin was already living
there.
He said: "I wasn't good friends with him, but knew him well
enough to say hello in passing and he always seemed very nice.
"My daughter's boyfriend was friends with him and they got on
well.
"There's been quite a few big arguments outside his house with
various people and I once saw him get punched in the face, but I
know he was a traveller and I never got overly involved.
"Sometimes Kevin would go away for months on end and we wouldn't
see him; I never knew where he went.
"We often invited him to barbecues but he never accepted our
invitation."
12/02/13