A 26-year-old man from Dartford has appeared in court charged with the murder of mother-of-four Donna Eastwood.

Joshua Caird, of Almond Road, Dartford, was arrested on Sunday (October 19) and charged on Monday night.

Officers found the body of Miss Eastwood, 26, in a burnt out car in Rowhill Road, near Wilmington, at around 6.20am on Saturday (October 18).

Appearing at Medway Magistrates Court in Chatham yesterday, Caird spoke only to confirm his name and address.

He was meant to be appear by video link but was in fact present at court, flanked by two security officers and two police officers as he appeared in the dock.

Caird was dressed in grey tracksuit bottoms and a grey t-shirt and was told during the brief hearing that he would be kept in custody before a preliminary hearing at Maidstone Crown Court tomorrow (October 23).

A statement from Miss Eastwood’s family said: “Donna was a loving mother and will always be mummy and daddy's little angel.

“All her family loved her and life will not be the same without her.

“Thank you to all her friends for their kind words.”

Detective Inspector Ivan Beasley from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “The victim’s family has requested their privacy be respected at what is obviously a very traumatic and difficult time for them.

“Police are still appealing for anyone with information about the vehicle fire in Rowhill Road, in the early hours of October 18, to contact Kent Police on 101 or call Kent Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”