Image source, Kent Police

The man who admitted killing a 17-year-old woman by not helping her when she fell into the sea has been sentenced to five years and six months in prison.

Becky Morgan fell in the water at the Port Of Ramsgate on 1 May after a party. Her body was recovered from the sea at Broadstairs about two hours later.

Michael Bowditch, 21 of Prestedge Avenue, Ramsgate, denied murder but admitted manslaughter.

Image source, Thinkstock

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The mother of drowned teenager Becky Morgan has called her daughter "smart, mature, independent and funny".

Her mother, Leanne, said: "I feel like something bright has died in my life.

"I'll spend my whole life not knowing what happened. 

"All I can think about is her being alone in the dark and cold and frightened. I can only think she would have been asking for me."

Image source, Kent Police

A man has admitted killing a 17-year-old girl after watching her drown when she fell into the sea off Broadstairs.

Michael Bowditch, 21, failed to go to the aid of college student Becky Morgan when she went into the water on 1 May.

He was due to stand trial this week after denying he murdered her.

But Bowditch, of Prestedge Avenue, Ramsgate, admitted manslaughter in a hearing at Maidstone Crown Court.

Ms Morgan's body was discovered two miles away.

Claire Cottingham
BBC Live reporter

Kent's Sam Billings is set to open the batting as England's cricketers will bowl first in the first T20 against India. 

Keep up to date on the latest score here, play starts at 11:00 GMT. 

Image source, Getty Images

An MP launches a petition to stop the government from closing an army barracks in a Kent town.

Stuart Maisner
BBC Live reporter

A £250,000 pot is on offer for projects which help cut the amount of time Kent Police spends dealing with mental health issues.  

Claire Cottingham
BBC Live reporter

World champion Millie Knight has withdrawn from today's World Para Alpine Skiing Super G in Italy. The Canterbury teenager has a sore leg from yesterday's crash barrier collision after finishing.  

Image source, Getty Images

Stuart Maisner
BBC Live reporter

A photographer has teamed up with a historian to capture a series of startling images that match up pictures of Tunbridge Wells taken a hundred years ago with how they look today.   

The four district councils of Canterbury, Dover, Shepway and Thanet are to consider creating a new single council for East Kent. 

This would mean the four existing districts would effectively merge into a new single East Kent council – which would be the largest of its kind in the country.

Meetings will now be held to formally consider the four-way business case. 

This is before a decision is taken by each council on 22 March as to whether to move to the next stage of public engagement.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

The MP for Maidstone is launching a campaign to save the town's Invicta Barracks.

In November the government announced plans to close the site, and use it for 55,000 new homes.

Stuart Maisner
BBC Live reporter

Disruption on train services from Kent to London will continue for the rest of the week following a freight train derailment.

A 50-metre stretch of railway is being "completely rebuilt" in Lewisham, south-east London following the accident on Tuesday.

No Southeastern services are running from Lee, Mottingham or New Eltham, and some trains between London Cannon Street, London Charing Cross and Tunbridge Wells are being diverted to London Victoria. 

Most evening peak trains between London Cannon Street and the Medway towns are departing from London Blackfriars. There's more information here, external.

Staff from more than 100 different countries are working in hospital trusts in the South East.  

You can hear more on this story on the BBC Radio Kent Breakfast Show with John and Maggie by listening here.

Rachel Mackley
Weather Presenter

There's going to be a cold wind, but the fog is clearing.

Here's my forecast.

Claire Cottingham
BBC Live reporter

We're with you until 22:00 GMT with all of Kent's news, sport, travel and weather.  

Peter Johnson took this shot of Pegwell Bay Nature Reserve - it's our Kent #photooftheday, external

Image source, Peter Johnson

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