Donte Charles-Lauder, 25, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday 2 December 2022 after admitting two counts of robbery, two counts of attempted robbery, two counts of possession of a bladed article and one count of burglary at previous hearings.

Three of the offences took place on the morning Friday 3 December 2021. A woman was walking along an alleyway near Canterbury Road when Charles-Lauder ran up behind her and attempted to steal her bag. When a schoolboy approached on a bike, he ran off.

Around 15 minutes later, he attempted to steal the bag of another woman in Cemetery Lane. Again, he left the scene after being disturbed by a member of the public.

Two hours after that, Charles-Lauder pulled the hood of a woman in her 70s over her head and stole her bag. Her bank card was later used to buy a ticket for a concert.

The following week, on Tuesday 7 December, a man was walking along Riversdale Road when Charles-Lauder approached him with a knife and stole his wallet. He attempted to use the man’s bank card at a takeaway.

The final offence took place the following day, Wednesday 8 December, when Charles-Lauder entered a house near Heathfield Road. He fled when disturbed by a resident.

Detectives from Kent Police’s Chief Constable’s Crime Squad gathered CCTV from the scenes of the offences and Charles-Lauder, formerly of Bloomsbury Way, Ashford, was identified as a suspect.

He was arrested on Tuesday 14 December and charged with multiple offences. He was also sentenced for an incident on Thursday 14 October 2021, when he was seen with a knife in Beecholme Drive.

Detective Sergeant Jay Robinson, of the Chief Constable’s Crime Squad, said: ‘Charles-Lauder targeted the vulnerable in robberies and a burglary which would have left victims shaken and upset.

‘My team is determined to track down repeat offenders of this kind and put them before the courts. I am pleased this jail term will protect the people of Ashford from any further offences by this man.’