It features the names of local people who lost their lives in the war
Six men have been charged after First World War memorial plaques commemorating local war dead were stolen from a Kent church. The 105-year-old plaques, which bear the inscribed names of those who died in the war, were taken from Christ Church in Luton in Chatham.
The theft from the Luton Road church was on Friday, May 23 last year. Kent Police in Medway recovered the plaques weighing 93kg less than a week later, following an investigation.
The two tablets had been mounted on the inside of a stunning wooden lychgate at the church. They have since been fully restored – one having been broken in the theft – and are now displayed inside Christ Church.
At the event when the restored memorial was returned to the church, with many people attending, including police officers, the plaque was described as a “historical landmark”. The return had been important “emotionally” for those in the church and the wider community, said police at the time.
On Thursday, November 27, Martin Feri, 39, of Bryant Street in Chatham, and Milan Duna, 34, of New Road, also in Chatham, were each charged with theft and criminal damage over £5,000. They were also charged with receiving stolen goods along with Abel Murui, 27, of Hallford Way, Dartford; Manase Marin, 26, of Priory Road, Dartford; Robert Hajek, 52, of Otway Street, Chatham and Rahid Anwar, 42, of Palm Drive, Rochester.
Feri and Duna made their first court appearance today (January 8) and are next due to appear before Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, February 6. It had been reported by the BBC that the Rev Andrea Leonard at Christ Church had asked BBC programme The Repair Shop to help mend the damaged plaques.
You can see the latest crime and court news from Kent in our free newsletter here
