A man accused of the murder of a young mother whose body was found in a burnt out car did not attend court to enter a plea today after he was taken ill.

Kerry Moore, defending, said he had been informed that morning that Joshua Caird was in the hospital health care wing at Lewes Prison in East Sussex.

Mr Moore said he did not have any more information about Caird’s condition.

The 26-year-old, of Almond Road, Stone, is accused of killing Donna Eastwood, also 26 and of Almond Road.

The mother-of-four’s body was recovered from the car in Rowhill Road, Wilmington, on October 18 last year.

The trial date at Maidstone Crown Court has been set for June 22. It is expected to last five weeks.

Judge Jeremy Carey did not set a fresh date for a plea to be entered.

Hundreds of mourners turned out for Ms Eastwood’s funeral at St Mary’s Church, Stone, in January.

She was the former partner of Kevin McKinley, who was shot dead in February 2013. The couple had three children.

Michaela Sargeant, 25, was convicted of the manslaughter of the 32-year-old outside her home in Overy Street, Dartford.

She was sentenced to eight years in prison. Her partner, Lewis Wickenden, 26, was convicted of assisting an offender and jailed for five years.

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