Southsea knife and shoplifting menace chased by police is jailed

The alarm was sounded by a driver after dangerous Fahad Abbas, 43, was seen holding a knife on Waverley Road around 6.50pm on Sunday 2 November.

Brave officers were deployed to the area after receiving the report and gave chase when Abbas ran off - before he was detained and searched.

Abbas, a British citizen of Kenyan descent, then attempted to dupe officers by claiming he was not carrying a weapon before a search revealed the hapless criminal had a kitchen knife stuffed down his trousers.

He was arrested and charged with possession of a knife in a public place and a number of shoplifting offences, including three at the Co-Op store on Great Southsea Street that took place between July and September. Abbas, of no fixed address, admitted all of the offences at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court and was jailed for a year.

Chief Inspector Sam Warne, who oversees Portsmouth’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams, said: “I’m really proud of the response of the officers responding to this incident. We identified the man involved in the initial report from the motorist and detained him within minutes, he could have gone on to cause serious harm with the knife that he was carrying.

“The officer who pursued and initially detained him has only recently completed his training and joined our District Patrol Team eight weeks ago. The new officers that are joining our ranks are making a real difference for the public in the city. Within 48 hours of Abbas’ arrest he had been sentenced and had been sent to prison.

“The dedication of our teams to also secure charges relating to shoplifting is also important as it’s part of our commitment to support the business community in Portsmouth. The work of the officers involved was also recognised by a member of the public who witnessed this incident and who contacted us afterwards.”

The witness said of the officers’ bravery: “Their heroism is commendable given the recent knife train attack. The police family rush towards danger as they keep the public safe - we expect too much from them for doing their job. We need to reflect in a broader public understanding how invaluable they are to enable everyone to reside in a democratic society. Thanks for being there.”

Inspector Warne added: “Tackling serious violence including knife crime, robustly dealing with offenders and working in partnership to prevent offending remain priorities across the county and locally in Portsmouth.

“We continuously work with partners to manage individuals at risk of reoffending, identifying those who have been involved with knife-related offences and providing opportunities for engagement and diversion, but pursuing prosecution and enforcement when appropriate. We also work with education providers across the city to ensure that children and young people understand the consequences of serious violence and knife crime as part of our approach to preventing these crimes from taking place.

“Our communities should not live in fear of knife crime. We encourage the public to continue reporting to us and providing information in relation to individuals involved in serious violence and knife crime, we can maintain the focus to keep the community safe as this helps us to build a better picture of what is happening in our communities and how we can best utilise our resources.”