Murder charges after boy, 4, dies in crash
Two men have been charged with murder following a crash in Kent in which a four-year-old boy died.
A man was left in a critical condition and a one-year-old girl suffered minor injuries in the crash involving two grey Ford Ranger pickup trucks in New Barn Road, Southfleet, on Sunday.
Patrick Maughan, 53 and Owen Maughan, 27, both from Hill Rise, Darenth, were charged with murder on Wednesday.
The pair, who are understood to be father and son, are related to the dead child.
The boy was travelling in the same vehicle as the injured 24-year-old man and baby.
Both men have also been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent and attempted wounding with intent relating to the two people injured.
They are due to appear at Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has information is urged to contact Kent Police.
Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Two arrested after four-year-old dies in crash
Kent Police

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
US Supreme Court to review death row inmate's intellectual disability ruling
By John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear an appeal by Alabama officials of a judicial decision that a man convicted of a 1997 murder is intellectually disabled - a finding that spared him from the death penalty - as they press ahead with the Republican-governed state's bid to execute him. A lower court ruled that Joseph Clifton Smith is intellectually disabled based on its analysis of his IQ test scores and expert testimony. Under a 2002 Supreme Court precedent, executing an intellectually disabled person violates the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment bar on cruel and unusual punishment. The justices are due to hear the case in their next term, which starts in October. Smith, now 54, was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1997 murder of a man named Durk Van Dam in Alabama's Mobile County. Smith fatally beat the man with a hammer and saw in order to steal his boots, some tools and $140, according to evidence in the case. The victim's body was found in his mud-bound Ford Ranger truck in an isolated, wooded area. The Supreme Court's 2002 precedent in a case called Atkins v. Virginia barred executing intellectually disabled people. President Donald Trump's administration backed Alabama's appeal in the case. At issue in Smith's case is whether and how courts may consider the cumulative effect of multiple intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in assessing a death row inmate's intellectual disability. Like many states, conservative-leaning Alabama considers evidence of IQ test scores of 70 or below as part of the standard for determining intellectual disability. Supreme Court rulings in 2014 and 2017 allowed courts to consider IQ score ranges that are close to 70 along with other evidence of intellectual disability, such as testimony of "adaptive deficits." Smith had five IQ test scores, the lowest of which was 72. A federal judge noted that Smith's score could be as low as 69, given the standard of error of plus or minus three points. The judge then found that Smith had significant deficits from an early age in social and interpersonal skills, independent living and academics. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the judge's conclusions in 2023, setting aside Smith's death sentence. This prompted Alabama officials to file their first of two appeals to the Supreme Court in the case. In November, the justices threw out the 11th Circuit's decision, saying that the lower court's evaluation of Smith's IQ scores can be read two ways, and requires clarification. Ten days later, the 11th Circuit issued an opinion clarifying that its evaluation was based on "a holistic approach to multiple IQ scores" that also considered additional relevant evidence, including expert testimony. This prompted a second appeal by Alabama officials to the Supreme Court. Alabama in its filing to the Supreme Court argued that the lower courts in the case applied the wrong legal standard in establishing Smith's intellectual disability and urged the justices to take up the appeal to provide clarity on the issue. Friday's action by the court was unexpected. The court had planned to release it on Monday along with its other regularly scheduled orders, but a software glitch on Friday prematurely sent email notifications concerning the court's decision in the case. "As a result, the court is issuing that order list now," said court spokesperson Patricia McCabe. It is not the first time the court has inadvertently disclosed action in sensitive cases. Last year, an apparent draft of a ruling in a case involving emergency abortion access in Idaho was briefly uploaded to the court's website before being taken down. That disclosure represented an embarrassment for the top U.S. judicial body, coming two years after the draft of a blockbuster ruling rolling back abortion rights was leaked.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trial set for dad and son accused of boy's death
A trial date has been set for a father and son charged with murder following a crash in Kent in which a four-year-old family member died. Patrick Maughan, 53, and Owen Maughan, 27, both from Hill Rise, Darenth, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, each facing four charges. They are accused of the murder of four-year-old Peter Maughan, causing grievous bodily harm to Peter's father, Lovell Mahon, 24, and the attempted wounding with intent of Peter's mother, Hayley Maughan, and a one-year-old girl. Patrick Maughan and Owen Maughan will remain in custody until a plea and trial preparation hearing at the same court on 7 July. Mr Mahon, who remains in hospital in a critical condition, and the two children were travelling in the same car. The charges relate to a crash involving two Ford Ranger pick-up trucks in New Barn Road, Dartford, shortly before 21:30 BST on Sunday. Owen Maughan has accepted that he was driving a vehicle at the time of the crash, while Patrick Maughan has accepted he was a passenger. The pair appeared in court of Friday via separate video links from HMP Elmley. A provisional trial date has been set for 2 February and is expected to last four weeks. Kent Police is continuing to appeal for anyone with information about the crash to come forward. Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Dad and son in court accused of boy's crash murder Two arrested after four-year-old dies in crash HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Glass attack on women prompts police appeal
Police have launched an appeal to find two men that attacked two women at a bar in Nottingham city centre. Officers said the men threw pint glasses at the women's faces just before 02:30 BST at Billy Bootleggers, in High Pavement, on 28 May. Both of the women, who are aged in their 20s, required hospital treatment, including stitches. Nottinghamshire Police said the attack happened after the men had approached the women's table and attempted to engage them in conversation. The force has released CCTV images in a bid to trace the men involved. Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Nottinghamshire Police