Maidstone Crown Court, where Lee's case was heard

by Keith Hunt

A thug who robbed a man at knifepoint and took him on a terrifying drive to a travellers’ site has been jailed for four years.

Joseph Lee was told by a judge he had committed “an utterly dreadful crime”.

The 27-year-old father was drunk when he pounced on Alain Gunstone as he parked his van on the drive of his Swanley home last month.

Iestyn Morgan, prosecuting, said Lee had a knife in one hand and a screwdriver in the other. He threatened the victim and demanded: “Give me the van.”

He opened the driver’s door, climbed over Mr Gunstone into the passenger seat and held the knife against his leg and told him to drive to Star Lane travellers’ site about three miles away.

“Mr Gunstone described himself as terrified and did as he was told,” Mr Morgan told Maidstone Crown Court. “He saw a police car passing and drove off in the hope of catching up with it, but was not able to.

"throughout this incident i was terrified. the threats were prolonged. i genuinely believed i was going to be hurt" – alain gunston

“As he arrived at the travellers’ site he became concerned about what might happen to him if he drove into the site. He said he would pull into a layby and the defendant agreed.”

When he stopped, he jumped out of the van in an attempt to get away. He grabbed the knife Lee had put on the seat and threw it in some bushes.

Lee took the car stereo and warned: “Don’t call the police. I know where you live and I will burn your house down.” He then went into the travellers’ site.

Mr Gunstone hurriedly drove to a friend’s home and called the police. He told officers: “Throughout this incident I was terrified. The threats were prolonged. I genuinely believed I was going to be hurt.”

Lee was arrested in St Mary’s Road. He had a previous conviction for actual bodily harm in 2007.

The dad-of-two, of Hart Dyke Road, Swanley, admitted robbery and having an offensive weapon on April 21. He denied kidnap and it was left on the court file.

Judge Jeremy Carey told him: “It may be you realise how appalling your behaviour was. There has to be a substantial sentence because the public rightly expects that this kind of violent offending will be severely punished.

“The message must go out loud and clear.”

Judge Carey said the irony of the case was that Lee would get help in prison, whereas the victim would not get such a facility unless the NHS provided it.

“You don’t need much imagination to understand how it must impact on somebody taken completely unawares in the driveway of their home by somebody who was drunk and wielding a knife,” he continued.

“Such an incident would be traumatic even in a pretty stout hard-working man. It needs to be understood this sentencing exercise is not a one-way process. It is not about Mr Lee, it is about justice.

“I say this so that the public do not think the courts are unaware the process of sentencing is a balanced one. The defendant needs to hear that.”

The judge told Lee: “You were out of control because of your drunkenness. You knew what you were doing. He must have been terrified. “