Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Night of music is family’s tribute to tragic mother
Hospice and dog cause to benefit from brother’s fundraiser
The family of a mother-of-three at the centre of a double murder inquiry are holding a fundraiser in her memory.
Natasha Sadler died alongside friend Simon Gorecki in a horrifying knife incident that shocked the city.
Foster Christian, 54, who lived in the same house as Mr Gorecki in Dickens Avenue, where the incident occured, has been charged with their murders.
Miss Sadler’s brother, Steven, said the family were still struggling to cope with their loss.
“It is still very raw and very surreal,” he said. “We are all finding it hard but you just have to take it day by day.
“We have the court case coming up, so at the moment it is difficult to find closure.”
Miss Sadler, 40, and Mr Gorecki, 43, a local fishmonger, died on March 23 this year.
Christian, a mechanic, was arrested at the scene and later charged with their murders, which he denies.
He also denies wounding with intent Ms Sadler’s 20-year-old son Connaugh Harris and a 16-yearold boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Miss Sadler was laid to rest in May after a horse-drawn procession through her original home town of Margate.
Mr Sadler, landlord of the Lanthorne pub in Broadstairs, has organised a charity day there to raise money for the Pilgrims Hospice and Dangerous Dogs Act Watch (DDA).
Mr Sadler said: “Pilgrims Hospice is a charity that is very close to the family’s heart.
“We lost our dad last year and he was in the hospice for a week before he died.
“The work they did was absolutely fantastic, and they were so compassionate to us as a family we felt it would be a very worthwhile cause.
‘It is still very raw and very surreal. We are all finding it hard’
“My sister’s dog Buddy escaped from the garden last year and he was found by the dog warden.
“The warden put Buddy’s breed down as pitbull – a dangerous dog.
“He was a really well natured dog and part of the family. The DDA were contacted and they did a lot of fundraising for Nata- sha and supported her through getting the dog back.
“After about six or seven weeks he was returned to my sister and the boys and I know she was always really grateful for that.”
The family will host the evening on Sunday, August 28, three days before Natasha’s birthday.
There will be live bands playing throughout the day and night, who are donating their fees to the cause.
A barbecue, auction and raffle will also be held, with more than 30 prizes.
It will take place at The Lanthorne, in Callis Court Road, from 2pm to midnight.