A robbery victim was violently assaulted after he was lured into a trap by a woman pretending to be in distress.
The Good Samaritan had been walking along Old Tovil Road in Maidstone in the early hours of January 2, when he came across a woman at the corner of Hayle Road pleading for help.
As he went to assist her, she suddenly grabbed his hand before two men approached.
He was then chased, beaten and warned if he resisted, he could be killed.
The victim tried to flee but was bundled to the floor, where he was beaten, kicked and reportedly threatened with a weapon, believed to be a knife.
As a result, the man’s phone and wallet were stolen and he was left suffering multiple injuries including bruising and a broken nose.
A police investigation identified the three suspects as Danas Ambrazevicius, Abigail Dearlove, and Charlie Rider.
At Maidstone Crown Court, Ambrazevicius, 41 and Dearlove, 35, both of no fixed address, denied a charge of robbery but were found guilty after a trial.
On September 27, Ambrazevicius was sentenced to three years and eight months’ imprisonment, while Dearlove was jailed for a total of five years and four months – this included a guilty plea for a separate case linked to the supply of class A drugs.
Rider, 26, pleaded guilty to the robbery and also admitted to several counts of making threats with a corrosive substance and assaults on emergency workers, in relation to a separate case.
These charges were linked to an incident on March 17, when he threw a substance in the faces of four officers called to a disturbance at his home in Knightrider Street, Maidstone.
Rider was sentenced at the same court on Thursday, October 3, to three years and three months.
DC Rosie Acton said: “‘This was a robbery which was clearly planned, with Dearlove playing the role of a vulnerable and isolated woman seeking urgent help.
“The victim’s natural concern and goodwill towards her was callously exploited and met with violence during what can only be described as a cowardly attack, when he was heavily outnumbered.
“Dearlove continued to shout demands for his possessions, while he was being held down.
“Robbery offences remain very rare in Maidstone but when they do happen the effect on those targeted can be profound and long-lasting. I do hope the victim in this case will feel reassured now that justice has been served.”
