A 19-year-old has been jailed for more than 18 years after a homeless man was stabbed in a premeditated attack.

Tyler Lucock and a 16-year-old boy pounced on the victim in an alleyway near Grange Road in Gravesend in the early hours of January 27.

They stabbed him twice with a knife and a metal weapon was also used.

The victim, a man in his 40s, had been lured there by Luke Samuel, a man he knew and who was aware Lucock and the teenager were waiting to assault him.

After the incident they both fled the scene and left the victim to stagger out of the alleyway and onto Pelham Road where he called for help.

Samuel walked away from the scene while the incident was unfolding.

All three suspects were later arrested on February 1 and charged with attempted murder, which they all denied.

Following a trial Lucock, of Taunton Vale, Gravesend, was found guilty by a jury.

He was jailed for 18 years and three months at Maidstone Crown Court on January 12.

He will serve his sentence at a Young Offenders’ Institute.

Luke Samuel, 40, of Medhurst Crescent, Gravesend, later pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm without intent.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article in a public place – which related to a separate incident – and was jailed on the same date for two years and three months.

The 16-year-old boy admitted grievous bodily harm with intent and was handed a three-year Youth Referral Order. He will also have to wear an electronic tag for six months and is excluded from the town for 12 months.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Kati Edge said: “Lucock set out that night intent on seriously injuring the victim.

“He had arranged with Samuel to ensure the man was in the area at that time so he could inflict serious harm on him which we believe was related to drug dealing.

“Lucock’s lengthy sentence reflects the violence and gravity of his offending.

“This violent incident could have easily resulted in a man losing his life that night. Samuel may not have directly inflicted the victim’s injuries, however he played a key role in getting the victim to the location, knowing the intentions of Lucock, and it’s only right that he is also sentenced accordingly.”