A thug who broke into a man’s home at night and robbed him at knifepoint after using his girlfriend as a decoy has been jailed for eight years.

Leanne Curtis went to Sean Sterne’s flat in Gillingham High Street at 1.30am on May 29 last year claiming she had been attacked.

Mr Sterne let her in thinking he knew her but he realised she was a stranger and asked her to leave.

Alexander Russell, of Mercury Close, Rochester, arrived and forced him back inside. He was then attacked and robbed.

Russell, 34, admitted robbery shortly before he was due to stand trial. Curtis, 39, faced the same charge but the prosecution accepted an alternative guilty plea to theft.

“A trick was used to get in and threats were made with a knife. This marks an escalation in offending for Russell” - Recorder Ed Connell

She was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for two years after a judge heard she had three young children and she was no longer using heroin.

Prosecutor Alexander Walker said Curtis went to the victim’s home and called out: “Help me Sean, I’ve been attacked.”

He let her in but then realised he did not know her and asked her to leave before Russell barged in.

There was a struggle and Curtis picked up a knife and pointed it at Mr Sterne. She passed it to Russell and he ordered Mr Sterne into his front room.

Russell demanded money and a PlayStation 4. Mr Sterne tried to call the police on his mobile phone but Russell punched him twice in the head.

The victim handed over his wallet containing £100 and Russell and Curtis also took two laptops and phones.

As they left Curtis threatened: “If you call the police we will come back and do you.”

Recorder Ed Connell told Russell, who has 58 previous convictions for 131 offences, and Curtis: “This was a nasty and unpleasant offence committed at night with some planning.

“A trick was used to get in and threats were made with a knife. This marks an escalation in offending for Russell.”

Curtis will be subject to a curfew from 8pm to 8am for three months.