Basildon Essex
Archive for January, 2010
Thug jailed for attack on man in parking row
Jan 30th
A THUG who broke into a house and carried out a sickening attack on a father in front of his family has been jailed for 18 months.
Jonathon Branton, 29, pinned dad-of-two Gary Weatherley, 51, to the floor and told him “I’m going to bite your nose off”, after a petty row over parking.
The whole ordeal took place in front of Mr Weatherley’s terrified wife Kay and their two children at their home in The Sorrells, Corringham, shortly before midnight on December 2, 2008.
Branton, an unemployed stone mason, came seeking retribution after arguing with Mr Weatherley over a private parking space three months earlier.
Man put a bag over relative’s head in assault
Jan 30th
A MAN crept up on a elderly relative and pulled a plastic bag over her head as she did the washing up, a court heard.
Andrew Goldby, 49, of Horsley Cross, Basildon, also grabbed the nose and mouth of 88-year-old Alice Howard, Southend Crown Court heard.
A struggle broke out during which Mrs Howard cut her leg. She eventually broke free, but suffered significant bruising to her face.
The court heard Goldby had struggled with a drinking problem, which had worsened after he was made redundant last June from a Basildon tractor plant where he had worked for 24 years.
£750,000 town centre lighting scheme
Jan 21st
WORK has restarted on a £750,000 scheme to bring more glitz to Basildon town centre.
The upgrade to lights in the town centre was paused over the festive shopping period, but now workers believe they will finish by the end of March.
Under the scheme, lamp posts will be replaced by four new lighting columns, while security, feature lights and new paving will also be installed.
Eastgate shopping centre’s loos are best
Jan 20th
The toilets in the Eastgate shopping centre have been voted the best in the UK, beating some 1,700 other entries from businesses and Government departments.
Speaking from the ceremony, which was held at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, Hans Wustefeld, general manager at the shopping centre, said he was over the moon to have won.
He said: “It’s like winning the cup at Wembley. I can’t wait to bring the trophy back to Basildon so everyone can walk past and kiss it.”
A major reason for the triumph was the loos’ green plumbing system, as the toilets use recycled rain water from the centre’s roof.
Story from December 2008
Basildon
24°
