Two thugs have each been jailed for four years for trying to mug a terrified punter as he sat in his car at night with a prostitute.

Huseyin Turkucu had a knife held to his throat as Samson Paine and Christopher Stanford attempted to rob him.

They were thwarted when the victim managed to run off and alert police officers who were patrolling the area in New Cut, Chatham - known as a red light area.

Paine, of no fixed address, and Stanford, of Corporation Street, Rochester, admitted attempted robbery. Stanford also admitted possessing an offensive weapon.

Judge Charles Byers told them: "It must have been an extremely frightening experience for that man. He was not large in stature and to find you two attacking him must have caused him considerable fear."

Maidstone Crown Court heard Paine's girlfriend Karla Shaw, 24, flagged down Mr Turkucu in his car on December 9 last year and they went to a dark car park.

The victim only had £20 on him and drug addict Shaw accepted it for sex. After she twice put the car interior light on, 25-year-old Paine and Stanford, 49, arrived on the scene.

Prosecutor Catherine Donnelly said the door was opened and Mr Turkucu was grabbed by the collar. There were shouts of "Do you know she is my sister?" and "Do you know she is my mate's wife?"

He agreed to hand over money, but sounded the horn to try to get help. He grabbed the car keys and ran off. "I was really scared when I felt the knife," he told police.

Stanford claimed he was walking to where he was sleeping rough and joined in the robbery attempt.

Paine claimed he was looking for Shaw because he did not like her working as a prostitute and when he saw her with a punter "totally lost it" and demanded money from him. He denied knowing Stanford had a knife.

The court heard Stanford had 35 convictions for 75 offences and Paine had 23 convictions for 57 offences.

Shaw, of Manor Road, Chatham, denied attempted robbery and was acquitted.

She was later jailed for four years for a robbery in which she repeated smashed victim Alisha Hughes, 21, over the head with a rock in Fort Pitt Street, Chatham.

Louise Oakley, for Paine, said her client was placed in 13 care homes between the ages of 14 and 16 after witnessing domestic violence.

He began to smoke cannabis and progressed to heroin. At the time of the attack he and Shaw were living in an electricity cupboard in a stairwell.

"They were both drug addicts and in a sorry state of affairs," said Miss Oakley. "Their relationship has continued through the prison system. They hope to be released around the same time."

Philip Sinclair, for Stanford, said his client was sleeping rough and willingly joined in the robbery attempt. "He has a lamentable record," he added.

Judge Byers said both Paine and Stanford had "lengthy and atrocious records".