A dispute between warring family members of the travelling community boiled over when a caravan was set on fire and a gun was discharged, a court heard.

Bill Smith set the caravan ablaze with the occupants inside after breaking a window and pouring petrol through it.

Victims Brian Smith Snr, Mary Matthews, Wester Smith and Paige Taylor managed to escape unhurt, while the static caravan was "raised to the ground" at the Five Kilns site in Stockbury Valley, Stockbury, just of the A249.

Details of the attack were revealed when Bill Smith, 53, today admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and violent disorder.

Eli Smith, 22, of Lewis Close, Faversham, admitted violent disorder and Bill Smith’s son William Smith Jnr, 29, also known as Billy Boy, admitted affray.

The pleas were entered on the day all three were due to stand trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Smith Snr, of Miller Close, Kemsley, was also accused of a more serious offence of arson with intent to endanger life and Eli Smith of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, but not guilty pleas were accepted to those charges.

Prosecutor Oliver Dunkin said of the torching of the caravan on May 5: “It is unusual to the extent it is accompanied by verbals, to use the vernacular, to those inside to the effect to burn them out of their home, rather than to cause them harm.

“No effort was made to stop them escaping from the premises.
"On that basis we are prepared to accept the plea to the lesser offence (of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered)."

Gordon Carse, for Smith Snr, said the purpose was for the caravan occupants to leave the property, not to injure.

The father, he said, had some minor convictions "decades ago" and a drunk and disorderly offence in 2011.

Mr Dunkin said there were difficulties in pursuing the gun charge.

“Our evidence would have been it being in Eli Smith’s hands,” he said.

“His defence has always been it wasn’t him with the gun, and it might have been the other side of the family with it.

“Our evidence relies on witnesses who would have had their own difficulties in terms of credibility.

"For that reason we don’t intend to pursue any firearms charge against any defendant.

“Although it is gloriously referred to as a shotgun, it is a pretty pathetic standard of shotgun and not a particularly dangerous weapon.”

Mr Dunkin said havoc was wreaked over the site and damage was caused.

He added that three witnesses attended court "with great reluctance" and had to be summonsed.

Sentence was adjourned until December 21 while a psychiatric report is prepared on Smith Snr.

“The fact is lives were put at risk,” said Judge David Griffith-Jones QC.

He added that Smith Snr on the basis of his plea, had appeared not to have appreciated the risk when he started the fire.

Discharging the jury, which had been sworn in for the trial, the judge said: “It is a case that arises from a rather ugly incident between two sections of one family.

“It involved torching the caravan in which certain members of one section of the family were residing, and some other aggravation.”

A bail application for Smith Jnr, also of Miller Close, Kemsley, was refused.

Smith Jnr was injured on the day of the arson in an alleged revenge attack and taken to hospital for treatment.

Brian Smith, 23, and Wester Smith, who were both living at the site, are due to stand trial in the two-week period beginning January 14 on a charge of wounding him with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.