Nicky and Anita Wiggins will be sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court

by Keith Hunt

A drugged-up thug who seriously wounded his half-sister and her partner by stabbing them is facing a long jail sentence.

Nicky Wiggins, of Laburnham Place, Sittingbourne, denied wounding Sharon Taylor and Kenton Hover with intent but was convicted by a jury.

His sister Anita Wiggins, formerly of Millfield Road, Faversham, denied wounding Kenton Hover with intent and assaulting Miss Taylor's daughter Elizabeth.

Now of Shortstown, Bedford, she was cleared of wounding with intent, but convicted of unlawful wounding and assault.

Remanding them in custody for reports until November 16, Judge Michael Carroll said he needed to consider dangerousness regarding Nicky Wiggins because of the "extremely serious offences".

"i make it clear i have nothing other than immediate custodial sentences in mind for either defendant..." – judge michael carroll

He added: "I make it clear I have nothing other than immediate custodial sentences in mind for either defendant."

Majority verdicts were reached after the jury of six men and six women deliberated for more than 10 hours.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how there was no love lost between the two factions of the family and relations were acrimonious.

Trouble started brewing when Elizabeth Taylor, 23, telephoned her mother on the evening of May 14 last year and told her that Nicky and Anita Wiggins's sister Tina had assaulted her at a kebab shop in Sittingbourne High Street.

Miss Taylor, a horse trainer, and Mr Hover, a boxing judge, went to a car park behind Argos to pick up Elizabeth, who was there with her boyfriend Brett Stacey and his brother Gary.

They ended up in William Street at the former home of Miss Taylor and Nicky Wiggins's mother. Tina wanted to go there to retrieve a Chanel bracelet she had lost during the earlier trouble.

Fighting broke out and Elizabeth was set upon by Anita and Tina Wiggins in an alleyway by the house.

Miss Taylor went to help her daughter and then saw Nicky Wiggins walking towards her.

She felt what she thought were two punches to the left of her left breast area, which left her breathless.

Wiggins, 36, grabbed her wig and threw it to the ground. She saw blood was "bubbling" from her top and realised she had been stabbed twice.

Mr Hover went over and tried to wrestle the knife from Wiggins. He felt a "punch" to the stomach that took his breath away and saw blood coming from his stomach.

Wiggins gloated: "I have stabbed you. I have just f****** stabbed you."

As Mr Hover backed away, he felt a sharp pain in his back. Anita Wiggins, 30, had appeared with a knife and stabbed him.

Miss Taylor told her family to get in the car and they drove to nearby Quealy estate agents car park in Park Road. Miss Taylor and Mr Hover, a former Faversham barman, were bleeding heavily.

They were taken to Medway Maritime Hospital. Miss Taylor was treated for a punctured lung and damaged diaphragm and needed keyhole surgery. She was in hospital for 13 days.

Mr Hover was more seriously injured. He had a 2cm cut to his abdomen and a 1.5cm cut to his back. A small section of his bowel had to be removed. He was detained for 10 days.