A robber has been jailed for over ten years for her part in a knifepoint attack in Folkestone.
Following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court, 33-year-old Hayley Smith was found guilty of robbery as well as a separate count of possessing drugs with intent to supply and she also admitted an offence of assaulting an emergency worker.
During the afternoon of 14 May 2020, Smith was one of two people who wielded a knife against a woman as she walked down Foord Road. Although the victim stood up to them, at one point wrestling the weapon away from the two robbers, they stole her handbag and drove away from the scene.
But they were seen by members of the public, who came to the aid of the victim and provided essential information to Kent Police, leading to the robbers’ arrests a short time later in Dover.
As an officer led Smith to the police vehicle, she told him she had Covid-19 and breathed heavily against his face.
Officers were then made aware of a report that Smith was dealing drugs and when searched she was found to have a number of bags of cocaine on her.
Ten years in prison
Smith, of St George’s Crescent in Dover, was sentenced to a total of ten years and six months for the three offences when she appeared in court on Wednesday 10 March 2021.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Paul Wilson of Folkestone CID said:
‘Hayley Smith thought she was entitled to other people’s property if she threatened them with a weapon and scared them enough. Her menacing behaviour was seen as unacceptable to all, including the victim who fought back, the witnesses who alerted police, the officer who was assaulted and of course the judge at court.
‘Her sentence reflects the severity of her actions and I hope she uses the time in jail to realise that. I would like to thank the members of the public that confronted the suspects and helped the victim following this incident.’