A Gillingham woman who has spent almost 20 years stuck in just one room of her home has told the podcast she often wishes she went to sleep and didn't wake up.
Illa Smyth struggled with her mobility after skiing and horseriding accidents and now weighs 35 stone. She's paid tribute to her loving husband and she describes her quality of life.
Also in today's episode, a woman's facing life in prison after being found guilty of murdering a pub landlord in Maidstone.
Stephanie Langley, 54 from Wilsons Lane in East Farleigh, stabbed her ex-brother-in-law Matthew Bryant to death at the Hare and Hounds last September.
Figures seen by KentOnline show 711 people crossed the Channel to Kent in 14 small boats yesterday.
That's a record daily high this year and takes the total number of asylum seekers who've made the journey since last Friday to more than 1,600.
We get to vote for who we think should be Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner today.
There are three candidates going for the role with the result declared on Sunday.
Council elections are also happening in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells - while two local Neighbourhood Plan Referendums are taking place in Pluckley and Chatham.
An animal conservation centre near Ashford has announced a major new operation to save Lions from Ukraine.
The animals are currently living at a site near Kyiv, but some of them have suffered from shellshock due to the bombings.
A man who's walking from Manchester to Ibiza has now raised more than £20,000 for a Kent charity.
Henry Moores has teamed up with nightclub owner Wayne Lineker, and will travel a total of 2,400 kilometres on foot.
And in sport, Chatham Town are through to the Isthmian League Premier Division play-off finals.
They beat Horsham on penalties in front of a sold-out stadium last night.
We're going to start off today's episode hearing from a Gillingham woman who spent almost 20 years stuck in just one room of her home. Eila Smythe struggled with her mobility after skiing and horse riding accidents and now weighs 35 stone. She's undergone at least 11 operations but is desperate for her home to be modified so she can at least get around in a wheelchair. The 54-year-old is cared for by her husband but says she no longer has any quality of life and often wishes she went to bed and didn't wake up. Eila has been speaking to the Kent Online podcast about her situation. Being house-bound for the feels like forever I've got arthritis, gout, asthma, I'm being confident, I get depressed and sometimes I think suicide is a good option. If it wasn't for the fact that my husband's here I would have taken that option. Why am I still here? That's a good question. I suppose it's because my husband is determined to keep me alive where I wish I was dead every time I wake up I only think you own God another day in this square box. You know you see the points of the compass yesterday I had to explain to one of these reporters how I live and I said north, south, east, and west so I really realised that's a compass. Everybody has one in their life whether you're a sailor, your soldier, whatever you go to work, you go home, you go to go and see your friends, your family, your church or whatever. Well in my house where I'm sleeping now that's my bed. That's where I also get washed. I know we were in 2024. There you go. Now you're going to think why did I know the date? Because telling me what date it is doesn't make a sudden difference from yesterday, tomorrow or the day before. Because today next month and the next month and the year after that are going to be exactly the same. I'm still going to be in the same position doing the same old goddamn thing. Relying on other people lost your dignity a long time ago. When somebody else is wiping your bottom and putting your napkin on you because we're incontinent. Believe me there's nothing. Your dignity is gone, you're lucky you're having somebody to help you and you think to yourself is this is the way you want to live? Yeah this is how I wanted to live. This isn't how I pictured for myself. I pictured for myself that I'd always be able to be independent. I'd work hard. I'd strive to be a good person and I'm with the man I love and I'm lucky enough to have that. I didn't want to be wealthy. I didn't want to be famous or anything like this. I just wanted to be with somebody I know I love and grow all together. We've done all the things you're supposed to do. You're being honest, you work hard and you think to yourself if you need help it's there but it's not. And the old fashioned thing of oh you're going to have plenty of friends and family. I've got family. I've got friends and everybody they forget you. You're like a old postcard that people send and after a while they don't send postcards to that person and they think oh I haven't seen any ages it doesn't matter. They don't invite you to weddings, they don't invite you to crystallines, birthdays, religious events because I think oh can't be bothered with that person and when you do occasionally turn up they think oh she's still alive is she? And I thought to myself am I really that old? No I'm not that old. I'm not as old as 60 and I'm not old as 40 anymore but when I turn 40 I stop counting because I thought what is the point of counting? Make sure I hope I'm dead. For the simple reason I don't want to carry on living like this. Every year I don't bother counting my birthday. Yeah I don't bother counting what and what's going to happen next month. In a few days time is my husband's birthday and I'm supposed to look forward to this. Normally I would have baked a cake 20 years ago I would have gotten presents or would have been planning ahead. Now I'm dreading that because I can't I haven't got the time effort or coordination to get my hands to do what I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to give instructions to somebody else who can do that and the words aren't coming out right sometimes. So when you're saying to somebody I want you to put a three tablespoons of something in and it's turned out to be tablespoons. It said teaspoons it was tablespoons. You can imagine what the cake tasted like it was terrible. Well it didn't matter it was a laugh and a joke. We were a laugh and joke to grab it but inside I was dying because I thought to myself it's a little bit of your brain that's going yeah because you don't exercise you don't use it. You're able to talk to yourself you can say whatever you want to the rest of the world but nobody's listening. When my husband comes home at the end of the day I've got to put a smile on my face and say to him yeah starting I've had plenty of dates all right and inside I think the ones off why did this poor devil love me enough to stay with me? He could have had a chance anything in the world and he was stuck with me and I don't give him any hope but he still loves me. God knows why. Really emotional hearing from Isla there. Well in 2013 Medway Council did grant 30,000 pounds towards improvements to Isla's home but builders have quoted between 50 and 60,000 pounds for the work. We contacted the authority for a comment and this is what they said. Medway Council has continued to correspond with Mr and Mrs Smythe in an effort to resolve their situation. In November last year a visit was conducted to assess the feasibility of home improvements. It concluded the only feasible adaptation under the Disabled Facilities Grant is the provision of rear access. The works required to provide bathing and sleeping facilities were not considered to be reasonable and practical under the Disabled Facilities Grant criteria. The survey also determined that the property was not suitable to meet Mrs Smythe's long-term needs. Mr and Mrs Smythe have also been advised of an alternative option, a moving home grant to assist with fees and costs related to moving to a more suitable property. A letter was sent to Mr and Mrs Smythe in March asking whether they wish to continue with an application for the access works and requesting benefit information to confirm their eligibility for the Disabled Facilities Grant. The Council continues to keep the case open while awaiting their response. Kent Online News. A woman's facing life in prison after being found guilty of murdering a pub landlord in Maidstone. Stephanie Langley stabbed her ex-brother-in-law Matthew Bryant to death at the Heron Hounds last September. She claimed to have been acting in self-defense but was convicted by a jury. This is the moment Matthew called police after being threatened. Yeah, just lots of reports I've been pleased. Got a female coming to my venue. I've done it for a little minute. She just threatened to fill me. All right, and she's out at the moment. No, she's walked out but she's coming back apparently. Do you normally see her or did you just show up today? I've not seen her for 21 years. Okay. She came in there a few months back and I was carried out by her son so you get away now because she's gunning for you. Okay, that was a good one. She's now just ran out and he killed. Oh, hang on a tick. Would you like to talk to her? Is she there now? Hang on, I've got the police on the phone. Hello. Langley, who's 55 and from Wilson's Lane in East Farley, was recorded on a police body worn camera shortly after being arrested. Matthew's widow Caroline spoke outside court yesterday following the verdict. I just feel like justice has been done. My life hasn't been the same since Matthew dot. With taken from me in such a cruel way, Stephanie felt the need to drag Matt's name through the mud and make him out of him once to achieve this. And I have to really say this every day for the rest of my life, oh, no forgetting my Matt. And they've always friends with family for the man he read in post. Matthew was a fun-loving man. He really was. All the customers loved him. He loved and had jokes about with everyone. He was never audible. He wasn't bullied. He wasn't like that. And Detective Chief Inspector David Hyam led the investigation. Would like to thank the public witnesses who assisted along with the investigation team at Cranfield execution service. He worked tirelessly to bring us to justice. Langley will find out next week when she's due to be sentenced. Kent online reports figures seen by the Kent online podcast today show 711 people cross the channel to Kent in 14 small boats yesterday. That's a record daily high for this year. It takes a total number of asylum seekers who've made the journey since just last Friday to more than 1600. And it comes as a 23 year old Sudanese national has been charged by detectives investigating the deaths of five people who were trying to cross the tunnel last week. The National Crime Agency says the man's appearing before magistrates later accused of entering the UK illegally. Three people have been arrested after more than 1500 cannabis plants were seized in Ramsgate. Police raided a commercial property yesterday morning and found the plants along with cultivation equipment. The men aged between 33 and 48 remain in custody while inquiries continue. Three indecent exposure offenses near Tumbridge Wells are thought to be linked. There have been reports of a man seen behaving inappropriately near Russell Road, Langton Road and Coach Road last month. Anyone who's seen anything suspicious or captured footage on CCTV is being urged to contact police. A man's been charged after a number of outbuildings were broken into in Tumbridge Wells. Police were called to reports of a person also trying to get into homes in the penbury part of town in the early hours of the morning. A 32 year old who hasn't got a permanent address has been remanded in custody after appearing in court. Now we get to vote for who we think should be Kent's police and crime commissioner today. There are three candidates going for the role with the result declared on Sunday. Councillor elections are also happening in Maidstone and Tumbridge Wells, while two local neighbourhood plan referendums are happening in Pluckley and Chatham. Don't forget you're going to need a photo ID with you. This time around Nikki Dixon is from the Electoral Commission. Anyone who plans to go along to the polling station to date to vote will need to take photographic ID with them. There are lots of different types of ID that can be used but to give you a few examples people can take with them their passport, their driver's license or an older person's or disabled person's bus pass and if people want to see the full list of accepted ID they can find that on the Electoral Commission website which is electoralcommission.org.uk. And will they be turned away if they don't have the correct form of ID? I'm afraid so anyone without photographic ID won't be able to vote. Polling stations opened at 7 this morning and will close at 10 tonight. Kent's online reports. Stagecoach have been criticised over a decision to cut the number of buses on routes in Canterbury, Hermbay and Witzdable. A new timetable comes in to force this Sunday with bosses saying the changes reflect the level of demand. Passengers say the cuts will make it harder to get to work and medical appointments on time. Plans to build more than 80 houses and a new care home in Heith have been approved. The development is planned for the old Smiths medical site between Boundary Road and Fort Road. 30% of the project will be affordable housing but it's not known yet when construction will be complete. Some education news next and a Medway primary school has been praised by inspectors and seen its rating jump from inadequate to good. Wayne Scott primary was criticised back in 2019 but Offstead now say teaching and learning has improved. They added that pupils enjoy going to the school and feel happy, cared for and safe. In the meantime North Kent College has been rated good by Offstead following its first inspection in seven years. The college has campuses in Darford, Gravesend and Tumbridge and has been praised for its inclusive and supportive environment. It was also found to be outstanding in behaviour and attitudes. An animal conservation centre near Ashford has announced a major new operation to save lions from Ukraine. The animals are currently living at a site near Keve but some of them have suffered from shell shock due to the bombings. Cam Witness released this appeal. The Big Cat Sanctuary plans to rescue five African lions from war-torn Ukraine and build them a new rescue facility here at the sanctuary. In what is our biggest and most ambitious project to date? Meet Una, Rory, Amani, Lyra and Vanda. Five lions in need of a forever home. Our partners I for are currently caring for them at the Wild Animal Rescue Centre in Keve, Ukraine. The five lions were all likely victims of the illegal wildlife trade. Una and Rory have been suffering with severe concussion and shell shock with Una being affected so bad that she was unable to walk. The Big Cat Sanctuary needs urgent funds to evacuate them from Ukraine, bring them here and build them a new rescue centre as soon as possible. The sanctuary turns to the public for their generosity as the expenses associated with building the new rescue centre, the veterinary care and the transporting of the lions are substantial. Fundraising is underway to cover the cost of transport, vets and a new enclosure at the park in Smardon. A man who's walking from Manchester to Ibiza has now raised more than £20,000 for a ken charity. Henry Morse has teamed up with Nightclub owner Wayne Lineker and will travel a total of 2,400 kilometres on foot. He's doing it to raise money for the Tony Hodgel Foundation which was set up by the Adoptive Mum for Maidstone Boy who lost both of his legs after being abused as a baby. Well, Henry's been chatting to us while walking through villages in North of France. The journey so far has been absolutely fantastic. I've been surrounded by such amazing support, constant messages, constant phone calls, family, friends and loved ones and you know what, it really has pushed me on massively. I would not be able to do it without them. It's just been a little distraction I suppose every day when I've been reading through messages, walking at my social media, answering phone calls. It's numb the reality of what I'm doing so physically so far. I don't feel as bad as I thought I would. Upon deciding I'm going to walk to Ibiza for charity, it was between me, Wayne and Wayne's assistant. We were sort of thinking different charities can raise money for, obviously there's hundreds of great charities out there. So we wanted to make the right decision when choosing a charity to raise money for. So we were looking online and we wanted to link it to something to do with walking. And obviously Tony raising money during lockdown, walking, we thought it'd be a great fit. He has good links with him. Brad of Britain, he's a fantastic young lad, inspirational. So we chose Tony, we went and met him down in Kent and was not disappointed as well. We were so, so happy we chose to raise money for Tony Houdre foundation. His parents, Paul and Mark and Tony, just lovely people. It just gives like a load of reassurance really. It's a wire raising money for them. In regards to planning the event, not much planning has gone into it at all. You'd be massively surprised. So every day I'll go homey phone in the morning, look for the cheapest B&B or hostel and book it the day before and then walk towards it. This past week and for the next two weeks, I'll be sleeping with my friend's camper van, shout out to Tom and then we'll do the exact same thing there except it costs a lot less money. We're in a camper van, campsites cost about 10 to 20 euros per night. So yeah, not much planning goes into it, which is the way I want it to be, just in case one thing goes wrong, it can lead to the whole thing, basically going wrong, like a domino effect really. I've had a lot of support through the public, like previously mentioned. I've had a lot of support through Tony's family, texting me most days, messaging most days, sharing the foundation, sharing the projects that I'm doing. I've also had Tony and Paul come out to meet me, which was absolutely fantastic, like a mini surprise meet. They texted me the night before saying, "Where are you going to be on this day?" And I was running up a country road and out of nowhere, this big van comes down with Tony in the front and Paul are in the driver's seat. It was a great, great moment. We went out for some food. Tony met up with you local, he was quite the celebrity in this year, Paul we went to. And yeah, just a real nice refreshing moment, just to remind me of who I'm raising money for, why I'm raising money for. Yeah, it was a great moment. Henry is hoping to complete the challenge by mid-June. You can follow the Tony Huddle Foundation on socials to get details on how to donate. Ken's online sport. For Paul and Chatham Town are through to the Ismian League premiere division playoff finals. They beat Horsham on penalties in front of a sold out stadium last night. They'll play Enfield Town for a chance of promotion next Monday. Well, that's all from us for today. Thanks ever so much for listening. Don't forget, you can follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and threads. You can also get details on the top stories, direct your email each morning via the briefing. To sign up to that, you just need to head to kentonline.co.uk. News you can trust. This is the Kent Online podcast.
