by Keith Hunt

A masked thug who went on a robbing spree in which he held eight youngsters at knifepoint in three separate incidents has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years youth custody.

Martin Argyelan, 19, of no fixed address, Chatham, was drinking heavily when he put on a balaclava or hoodie and went looking for victims on September 1 last year.

Anne Phillips, prosecuting, said Argyelan saw a group of three teenagers in Marlborough Road, Gillingham.

They heard the sound of a bottle being hit against metal and then being struck against a wall in a failed attempt to smash it.

He walked towards the group with a bottle in one hand and a knife in the other.

Argyelan told them to drop their "stuff".

Two of the group dropped their mobile phones because they were scared and feared being stabbed, Mrs Phillips told Maidstone Crown Court. Later that evening, Argyelan approached a man in York Avenue and demanded he gave him "everything you have got."

He was wearing a hood over his head and still had the bottle and knife in his hands.

The man replied he was not going to hand over anything and claimed he only had keys. Argyelan became more aggressive and waved the bottle around.

He took the victim's wallet and asked him for his PIN for credit cards, but he refused to give it to him. The victim managed to walk away. At around 11pm, Argyelan saw a group of 16-year-olds walking past Brompton Academy.

He admitted five offences of robbery, three of attempted robbery, having an offensive weapon and affray.

Tom Allen, defending, said Argyelan started committing offences at the age of 17. He started drinking to excess and went off the rails.

"He reached a point of hopelessness and despair where nothing mattered," said Mr Allen. "He knows he needs to turn things around."

Picture: Kent Poilce