Two men have been jailed for robbery and kidnap offences after targeting lone women in the street, including one who escaped being dragged into a car.

Brett Parker left his victim terrified of returning to work after he tried to abduct her from Swanley as she made her way to the railway station.

Earlier that day the 27-year-old, who had been drinking and taking drugs, tried to speak with a 14-year-old schoolgirl on the pretext of asking for directions before she fled to a supermarket.

Parker, a father-of-two, then harassed a woman, attempting to drag her into his car back in November 2018 before she fought him off, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

His 24-year-old victim told the court how she was left traumatised by the ordeal.

She told the court: "I couldn't even think about walking down that road again. I've been having nightmares, dreaming about what happened over and over and what could have happened if he managed to get me in that car.

"I began thinking what if there was a gang? I had to discuss with my dad about him taking me to work and picking me up so I didn't have to walk down that road."

"This case has taken four years to get to court and I suspect this will continue to affect me throughout my life, all due to one man deciding to try and force me into a car.

"I have no idea what his intentions were but my mind will always go to the darkest place and I cannot change that."

Parker, who is from Dagenham, denied the attempted kidnap, which the prosecution claim was sexually-motivated, but was convicted by a jury.

He was jailed for three years and nine months, which will run consecutively to a seven-year sentence he is currently serving for other offences.

Judge Philip Statman said: "This court has to ensure that young woman are able to walk the streets without being bundled into a car."

"I shouldn't speculate as to what your motives were in trying to bundle your victim into your car. I saw no genuine remorse during the trial."

Parker, along with a pal Jordan Godfrey, 28, also attempted to rob another woman of her mobile phone after their car was photographed.

Both were found guilty of attempted robbery and Godfrey, from Colchester, was jailed for 30 months.

"I have no idea what his intentions were but my mind will always go to the darkest place..."

Prosecutor Vivian Walters told the court how Parker's victim saw a grey Ford car drive towards the station before stopping and reversing before the driver, Parker, got out, opened the back door and told her to get in the car.

"She refused, in quite robust terms.," Ms Walters explained.

"He took hold of her arm in a relatively hard grip and said to her 'get in the car'.

"He nudged her towards the car. but she told him to 'f*** off” more than once and yanked her arm back.

Ms Walters added: "He then told her that he was joking and said that 'Jay is in the car' as if she knew him.

"She told him that she did not know anyone called Jay."

Godfrey, of Campernell Close, Colchester and Parker, of Blackborne Road, Dagenham both denied attempted kidnap and attempted theft.

The prosecutor said that at 8:30am the same day another woman arrived at work nearby and was speaking to two colleagues when she heard the Ford Focus collide with another car.

Parker offered "a score" to pay for the damage but then began to drive away.

Ms Walters said the second woman began "discreetly" recording the car, but the car suddenly stopped and a passenger, Godfrey, got out shouting: "Give me that f****g phone. Give me that phone”.

She said: "He then used his left forearm and placed it across her throat while pulling her backwards, demanding she hand over the phone; no doubt because any photographs or video on it would link them to the collision in the car park and therefore the attempted kidnap just outside.

"Clearly, the purpose of the violence against her was to take her phone."

The prosecutor said that friends of the woman managed to stop the attack by claiming she was pregnant.

The victim later revealed: "The whole experience has left me very shaken. It was four years ago and I have had to dwell on what happened and what could have happened if my colleagues had not been there.

"I was just standing there and these males dragged me to the floor because I tried to take a photo of the car that damaged a colleague's car. I was just doing what I felt was the right thing to do."

The prosecutor had revealed how earlier that day the men in the same car - which was later found abandoned - had asked for directions from a schoolgirl before inviting her to get inside.

"As a police force, we remain determined to do all we can to ensure women feel as safe as possible..."

The child had fled to a nearby supermarket and called her mother.

Police later tracked the car to the Tunbridge Wells area and it was later found abandoned in Stone Street.

After the sentencing, the judge called the schoolgirl forward from the public gallery and praised her for her bravery.

Det Con Hayley Campbell, of West Kent CID, said: "The intentions of Godfrey and Parker in trying to encourage and force females into their car remain unclear.

"However, there can be no doubt that their actions will have caused panic and genuine fear to each and every person who they targeted and approached.

"As a police force, we remain determined to do all we can to ensure women feel as safe as possible when they are out and about. Everyone should be able to go about their everyday lives without fear of harassment or assault.

"The victims in this case will sadly bear the psychological scars of these incidents for a very long time, but I do hope they will also be very proud of the courage they have shown in helping us ensure both these men have now been convicted and rightly sentenced to prison."