The victim of a knifepoint attack managed to wrestle the weapon away from two robbers, police have revealed.

One of those robbers, Hayley Smith, 33, has now been jailed for her part in the attack as well as assaulting a police officer.

It happened on May 14 last year when Smith was one of two people who wielded a knife against a woman as she walked down Foord Road in Folkestone.

Although the victim stood up to them, at one point wrestling the weapon away from the two robbers, they stole her handbag and drove away from the scene.

But they were seen by members of the public, who came to the aid of the victim and provided essential information to Kent Police, leading to the robbers’ arrests a short time later in Dover.

As an officer led Smith to the police vehicle, she told him she had Covid-19 and breathed heavily against his face.

Officers were then made aware of a report that Smith was dealing drugs and when searched she was found to have a number of bags of cocaine on her.

Following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court, Smith was found guilty of robbery as well as a separate count of possessing drugs with intent to supply and she also admitted an offence of assaulting an emergency worker.

Smith, of St George’s Crescent in Dover, was sentenced to a total of ten years and six months for the three offences when she appeared in court last Wednesday (March 10).

Investigating officer Det Con Paul Wilson, of Folkestone CID, said: "Hayley Smith thought she was entitled to other people’s property if she threatened them with a weapon and scared them enough.

"Her menacing behaviour was seen as unacceptable to all, including the victim who fought back, the witnesses who alerted police, the officer who was assaulted and of course the judge at court.

"Her sentence reflects the severity of her actions and I hope she uses the time in jail to realise that.

"I would like to thank the members of the public that confronted the suspects and helped the victim following this incident."

To get the latest updates in ongoing cases, police appeals and criminals put behind bars, click here

Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone