Knife-Threat Mobile Robber Jailed for Seven Years
Lewis Puddifoot, 41, from Dartford, has been locked up for seven years after trying to snatch a phone at knifepoint in Hythe Street.
Victim Stabbed in Brutal Mobile Phone Robbery
On the night of Sunday 23 January 2022, the victim was chatting on his phone outside a restaurant around 10.40pm when Puddifoot approached him. He demanded the phone, then pressed a knife against the man’s neck, threatening, “Do you want to die?”
After grabbing the mobile, Puddifoot shoved the victim to the ground and started attacking him. A friend heard the commotion and, alongside another passerby, pulled the attacker off before he bolted.
The victim soon discovered he had been stabbed in the hand and was bleeding.
Rapid Police Response Lands Attacker Behind Bars
- Officers quickly obtained CCTV footage which showed Puddifoot’s image.
- He was spotted near a local pub just over an hour later and arrested at 11.55pm.
- A member of the public found the discarded knife at 3am and alerted police.
- Puddifoot was charged the next day with assault with intent to rob and possession of a bladed weapon.
Justice Served: Seven Years Plus Five-Year Licence
At Woolwich Crown Court on Friday 23 September, Puddifoot pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in prison with a five-year extended licence. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge and faced forfeiture and destruction of the weapon.
Detective Constable Emma Laimbeer said: “Puddifoot was an opportunist who targeted the victim for his phone. Even after stealing it, he assaulted and stabbed the man before fleeing. His sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes, and I hope it offers the victim some reassurance.”
