It was an unhappy 18th birthday for thug Troy Clark, who received a jail-term for a terrifying knifepoint robbery.

Clark forced a 15-year-old boy into a graveyard, held a knife to his throat and snatched a ring of great sentimental value from him.

The victim told of his fear that he would be stabbed if he did not hand over the ring, worth £500, which had belonged to his grandfather.

He had been walking along Brewer Street in Maidstone towards the railway station, to go home to West Malling, on September 29 last year.

Giving evidence from behind screens, he said a youth came towards him and, after asking if he was all right, told him: “Come to the graveyard”.

“I told him I didn’t want to,” the boy told Maidstone Crown Court. “He said: ‘Come to the ... graveyard. If you don’t, I am going to stab you’.”"

Come to the graveyard. If you don't, I am going to stab you..." - Troy Clark

He said he panicked and feared he would actually be stabbed if he didn’t go with him.

“He grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me towards the graveyard,” he added. “There was a load of other people there. I was feeling very shaken up and nervous and didn’t know what to do.

“He pulled my hand out of my pocket and saw my ring. It was a keeper ring and had diamonds in it. It was passed down by my grandfather.”

Clark demanded to see the ring.

“He was very aggressive and gritting his teeth,” said the victim. “I kept saying no. He pulled out a knife and held it to my throat.

“It didn’t touch my throat but it was close. I was very worried. His mates were egging him on, saying: ‘Go on, stab him’.

“He pulled the ring off my finger. He put his knife and the ring in his pocket.”

Clark, of The Charne, Otford, admitted robbery, but denied having a knife.

After hearing evidence, Judge Philip Statman found there was a weapon and gave him two and a half years youth custody.

His previous offending was said to run to 41 pages with 32 court appearances.

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