A 39-year-old Gravesend man has been cleared of murder after the prosecution dropped the case against him.

Surinder Lehal had on November 28 pleaded not guilty to killing Kalmajit Kolan, who died after being stabbed more than 40 times at the entrance to Gordon Park in Gravesend on July 11.

But in a surprise move the prosecution returned to Maidstone Crown Court to offer no evidence against Lehal, of Astra Drive, Gravesend.

His wife Bhupinder, 36, also faces a murder charge but has not yet entered a plea. She is expected to do so on December 23. A trial date has been set for May 17 next year.

Brothers Daljit Thind, 24, Manjinder Thind, 30, both of Edwin Street, Gravesend, and Parvinder Thind, 29, of Valetta Way, Rochester, have denied attempting to kidnap Gurjit Singh Ladhar and Avtar Singh, intimidating them and perverting the course of justice by making threats to them, all on August 9.

The three, nephews of Surinder Lehal, are due to be tried separately in July next year.