A wave of fear gripped Gillingham this week as two women were terrorized in broad daylight by a knife-wielding assailant. The first victim, a woman in Jeffrey Street, faced the cold steel as the man demanded cash. Penniless, she was spared and the attacker made his escape.
Hours later, the nightmare repeated itself in Balmoral Road where another woman, walking alone, was confronted by the glint of a blade. This time, the victim’s cries for help shattered the tense standoff, sending the would-be robber fleeing empty-handed.
A Medway patrol responded quickly and scoured the streets with their determination fueled by the victims’ accounts. The hunt led them to the High Street, where, in a dramatic confrontation, a suspect was apprehended and a search revealed a knife.
The suspect, a 24-year-old man from Gravesend, now faces the consequences of his alleged crimes. Charged with two counts of attempted robbery and possession of a bladed article, he was remanded in custody, his fate to be decided at Medway Magistrates’ Court this Thursday.