Husband in court over car blast 'attempted murder'

The husband of a pregnant woman is due in court today charged with her attempted murder and that of her eight-year-old son after a car blast in a village.

Nicholas Fabian, 32 of Highview, Vigo, Kent, and a former bomb disposal expert, will appear at Dartford Magistrates' Court, Kent Police said.

Fabian is also charged with the unlawful possession of section one ammunition.

The charges come after Victoria Fabian, also 32, was transferred to a London hospital for specialist treatment after suffering terrible leg injuries in the explosion in a residents' car park.

Doctors believe Mrs Fabian's unborn child escaped unharmed from the blast just after 1pm last Friday in Highview in Vigo, near Meopham, Kent.

Her eight-year-old son, who was also in the car at the time, was taken to hospital as a precaution but released after being kept in for observation.

Yesterday relatives of Mrs Fabian said she had started "her long road to recovery".

In a statement issued through police, they said: "At the moment all our energy and attention is focused on supporting Vicky and her children."

Fabian's mother, Kathleen Mitchell-Hewson, told reporters that he was due to be sent to Afghanistan shortly as a reservist, having left the Army in 2003.

Villagers described hearing a massive explosion before smoke could be seen rising above the car park.

One witness said Mrs Fabian's legs had been "shredded" by the explosion while others spoke of hearing a loud boom throughout the village.

Resident Vincent Redman, 17, told reporters: "I went out with my mum and her partner and she was in the driver's seat screaming.

"Her legs were shredded - one was badly burnt and the other was all bloodied."

Tracy Daniels, who lives in the village, said: "It was like a boom noise in the distance.

"I thought, 'I've never heard a noise like that before'."

Mrs Fabian was taken to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford before being transferred to a London hospital but she is not in a life threatening condition.

Roads surrounding the scene were sealed off and nearby homes evacuated before Army bomb disposal experts declared the wrecked car safe.