A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison at Maidstone Crown Court for the manslaughter of a scaffolder from Chelmsford who was killed in Sittingbourne, Kent. Chris Maclean admitted to the charge following a fatal incident on 2 August 2025 that led to the death of Jay Gerrett, who was in his 30’s.
The court heard that the death occurred after a drug deal involving another man went wrong in the town centre. Maclean chased Mr Gerrett with a machete, which caused him to fall down a grass verge and into the path of a moving car on St Michael’s Road.
According to Kent Police, Mr Gerrett was killed instantly when he was hit by the vehicle. Maclean was arrested in Canterbury three days after the incident and also admitted to additional charges of possessing a knife and supplying cocaine.
Two other men were also charged with murder earlier in the police investigation. However, Daniel Martin and 33-year-old Jack Hunt were cleared of the murder charge after the prosecution offered no evidence against them at the start of the trial in February 2026.
Jack Hunt, who is from Borden, pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine during the incident. He remains in custody and is expected to be sentenced for the drug offence on 1 May 2026.
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