Drug dealer jailed after woman left paralysed in Medway

A drug dealer who left a woman paralysed following a collision has been jailed for eight years and one month.

Jonathon Kalemba

Jonathon Kalemba,  22, of no fixed address was sentenced on Thursday 19 April 2018 after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, which left a woman paralysed, supplying crack cocaine and possession with intent to supply crack cocaine.

A second man, 20, of no fixed address, was also jailed for his involvement in drug dealing and was sentenced to one year and nine months after pleading guilty to three charges of supplying crack cocaine and four counts of supplying heroin.

The court heard how at around 7pm on Monday 18 September 2017 Kalemba was driving a Ford Fiesta in Chatham when it was involved in a collision with a woman who was crossing the road.

Kalemba had turned at speed into Manor Road before colliding with the woman who is in her 20’s.

The Fiesta failed to stop and was later found abandoned in New Cut at the junction with Railway Street.

Xavier Attuah-Ansu

Shortly before the incident, the car, which had been reported stolen, had been requested to stop by officers. As police walked to the vehicle it drove away and the collision happened a few minutes later.

The officers stopped to treat the woman and she was taken to a London hospital where she was treated for serious life-changing injuries.

Upon finding the abandoned car officers found a large quantity of drugs inside the vehicle.

This discovery of these drugs was in addition to an investigation already underway by officers from Kent and Essex Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Directorate into both Kalemba and Attuah-Ansu who were believed to be operating a ‘county lines’ drug network within the Medway towns.

Following an investigation Kalemba was arrested on Wednesday 20 September 2017 and Attuah-Ansu was arrested on Wednesday 27 September 2017. They were both subsequently charged.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Gary Scarfe said: ‘Kalemba and Attuah-Ansu were both actively engaged in the supply of class A drugs.

‘They both attempted to avoid detection and stopped at nothing to avoid capture which was significantly highlighted in the case of Kalemba who while driving dangerously in Medway made no attempt to avoid a pedestrian who was crossing the road.

‘His callous attitude of ploughing through her in an attempt to avoid capture has destroyed her life and he showed no concerns for her as she lay on the pavement with his only concern being for himself. Although his sentence reflects the seriousness of this cold hearted crime it still remains nothing in comparison to the life sentence he has given to his victim.’