A charity shop volunteer who helped her lover facing an attempted murder charge has been convicted of trying to pervert the course of justice.

A judge told mum-of-three Donna Meflah she has "thrown away her good name" after helping her partner Rodney Geisha by threatening to spread sexual allegations about prosecution witnesses.

Geisha had attacked rival Harry Cadwallader and cut him with a knife after a bust up in the centre of Maidstone.

It was then that Meflah, of Allin Place, Fairmeadow, Maidstone, became involved and had shown "enthusiasm" in trying to help spread sexual allegations against prosecution witnesses.

Judge Julian Smith gave her a 21 month jail sentence telling her: "You were cynical and desperate to do what you could in using a phone to engage the services of another to intimidate and passed on messages including threatening to spread unfounded sexual allegations.

"You also searched lines of defence which could be used by your partner (in his trial), " he added.

Ian Dear, defending, said the charity shop volunteer had become involved in an "ill-starred" romance with Geisha and had abandoned her "strong moral compass".

"The consequences for her were catastrophic and she feels she has let her family down," he added.

Judge Smith told her: "You did not witness what happened in Maidstone on that February day.

"You did not see the wound to Harry Cadwallader's neck. You didn't see the trauma it caused to those on the street."

And because of her loyalty to her lover she had struggled to accept that he would have done such a thing.

The judge added: "But that is what happened. That's the background to this offence. You agreed to do what you could to help him and he wanted to avoid the consequences of what he had done.

"Perverting the course of justice strikes at the very heart of our justice system and you have let your family down and thrown away your good name."

Meflah has spent more than 10 month on remand in prison awaiting trial so she was released immediately.

Geisha, 50, was acquitted of attempted murder but convicted of wounding with intent.

He also slashed the face of Mr Cadwallader's brother, and will be sentenced later.