Two men lured a gold dealer from a Maidstone supermarket car park to a nearby housing estate where they robbed him at knifepoint.

Thieves Billy Beck, 24, of Anglesey Close, Chatham, and pal Shaun Barton, 21, of Clare Place, Maidstone were convicted by a jury of robbery, wounding with intent and having knives in public.

Barton - who admitted a second count of wounding with intent – was jailed for a total of six years and three months and Becks for five years.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how victim Mark Butler had met Beck days earlier at Wayfield shops in Chatham where he bought a motorbike for £200.

Prosecutor Ed Fowler told Maidstone Crown Court how on the January 26, 2018, Mr Butler had an exchange on Facebook Messenger about buying some gold from Beck, who told him he was selling two rings and a chain.

"A price of £700 was agreed and an arrangement was made to meet at the Morrisons car park off Sutton Road," he said.

"Mr Butler asked a friend of his, Billy Saliba, to go with him and they drove together to Maidstone in his Nissan Navarra."

He added: "They discussed collecting the gold, whereupon Beck directed Mr Butler where to go out of the car park and towards a housing estate.

"As far as Mr Butler was concerned, this was quite normal procedure when buying and selling, although Mr Saliba was feeling distinctly uneasy.

"Beck told Mr Butler to pull up behind a red car, but when he did so, Beck put his left arm around his neck and held him in a headlock against the headrest.

"He then used his other hand to try to stab Mr Butler with a knife as Barton shouted 'Give me the money.'"

Mr Fowler said Mr Butler managed to get the knife away from his throat and get his car door open as Barton was trying to stab him - while Beck shouted: “Stab him, stab him.”

He said Mr Butler managed to punch Barton and then ran away.

Beck was later seen holding a roll of blood-stained £20 notes and heard saying: “We’ve got what we wanted."

In relation to a second count of wounding with intent Mr Fowler told how on November 4, 2018, Barton and a friend, Sami Perfect, went to the Jolly Caulkers Public House in Chatham.

He said: "Some other men arrived but the group was refused service and tensions began to build.

"Outside the pub there was a confrontation between pub regulars and the group and Barton was seen with a knife making stabbing motions towards victim Billy Phillips.

"Mr Phillips was attacked by the two men before Barton left the area. The victim was taken by ambulance to King’s College Hospital.

"He has no memory of the incident save for being outside with Barton jumping around and feeling an injury to his face."

Phillips suffered two stab wounds in his abdomen and cuts to his lips, back, chest and thigh.

Perfect admitted a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm, after throwing a glass, and was given a two-year jail sentence.