A violent criminal robbed a petrol station and stamped on a motorist's face during a carjacking while on day release from prison.

Darren Crossgill, who attacked young chef Sam Papa outside his Gravesend home in a bid to use his Rover as a getaway vehicle, has been jailed for nine years.

The 39-year-old and an accomplice had fled into Peacock Street after robbing cashier Cheryl Andrews of £400 from the BP garage in nearby Milton Road just after 11pm on November 4, 2013.

It is believed Mr Papa, who has been left with memory problems and cannot recall the vicious beating, had just reversed his car into a parking space when the two men pounced.

"He shouted at her: 'Open the f***ing till or I will hurt you.' She was frightened and said: 'No job's worth this' and immediately began to comply with his requests" - Prosecutor James Benson

At the time Crossgill was an inmate at HMP Springhill in Buckinghamshire and was said to "enjoy periods of release, both day release and longer, as part of his reintegration into society", despite being jailed for life in 2003 for 12 robberies.

His victims in those offences, committed across south east London, included minicab drivers and shopkeepers who were struck to the head with implements including a brick and a wheel brace, or punched and kicked.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that after the two nighttime robberies in Gravesend, Crossgill returned to the prison.

However, having been released again five days later, he went on the run and robbed two customers at BP petrol stations in Woolwich, south east London, hitting each of them with a brick.

He was caught in December 2013 and jailed for a further seven-a-and- a half years in August last year at Inner London Crown Court.

The prison term imposed concurrently after Crossgill pleaded guilty means his earliest possible release date on parole has now been put back from February 2022 to August 2023.

Passing sentence, Judge Philip St.John-Stevens said although Crossgill posed a significant risk of serious harm, it was not necessary to impose a sentence for public protection as the life sentence already provided such safeguards.

"According to her, he looked at her and was aware of her presence but simply carried on to repeatedly stamp on the man on the floor" - Prosecutor James Benson

However, he also remarked: "On November 4, 2013 you were on day release. Clearly the authorities thought you no longer posed a danger. Unfortunately they were wrong."

The court heard Crossgill, who is now at HMP Elmley in Sheppey, pounced at the BP service station as Ms Andrews was about to lock the main door to customers.

Prosecutor James Benson said Crossgill then ran towards her and vaulted the counter, catching Ms Andrews with his shoe or trainer.

"He shouted at her: 'Open the f***ing till or I will hurt you.' She was frightened and said: 'No job's worth this' and immediately began to comply with his requests."

Crossgill took the cash tray containing £400 from the till, leaving a fingerprint behind in the process.

His accomplice, who has not been caught, demanded Ms Andrews to open a second till but she told him it was empty.

Mr Benson said the pair then tried to take the CCTV and the safe before fleeing into nearby Peacock Street.

Mr Papa, who is in his early 20s, was seen by a neighbour, Kathleen Porter, parking his car at about 11pm.

"Her neighbour was on the ground and Crossgill was leaning over him, steadying himself by putting his hand on a parked vehicle and was stamping repeatedly on the face of Mr Papa," said the prosecutor.

"Ms Porter didn't know initially that it was her neighbour but she screamed and screamed at Crossgill to stop.

"According to her, he looked at her and was aware of her presence but simply carried on to repeatedly stamp on the man on the floor.

"He was shouting: 'I am going to kill you. Why are you messing with me?'."

It was then the second robber pulled up in Mr Papa's car. Crossgill got in and was driven away.

The prosecutor said Mr Papa's face was covered in blood and he was staggering around, concussed, disorientated and unable to speak to Ms Porter.

He was taken to King's College Hospital in London suffering from facial swelling and bruising, although a CT scan revealed he had not sustained any head fractures.

In a victim impact statement Mr Papa said the robbery had left him "frustrated and embarrassed" by his memory problems. His sense of smell is also affected and he has changed from being carefree to "more careful and wary".

Ms Andrews, who no longer works at the garage, also spoke in her impact statement about how the robbery had left her "shocked and traumatised".

Crossgill, formerly of Sidcup Hill Gardens, Sidcup, made no comment when interviewed.

His previous convictions for robbery date back to 1992 when he was aged just 16. Before being jailed for life in 2003 he had served previous sentences of two years, 30 months and eight years.

Christopher Meredith, defending, told the court the robberies in Gravesend were "spontaneous and opportunistic" and not well-planned.

Mr Meredith also said Crossgill disputed Ms Porter's statement that he had repeatedly stamped on Mr Papa.

"He accepts there was violence and at least a stamp but it wasn't a case of him remaining there for a long period of time and stamping on him with an intention to render him unconscious or to kill," he added.

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