Knife-carrier locked up following street stop

A knife-carrier has been locked up after being spotted and detained by the county knife crime team.

The specialist team of officers were out on patrol in the Mansfield area when they spotted Maleek Lindsay acting suspiciously.

After realising police were closing in on him, Lindsay tried to dart away from officers, but the foot pursuit didn’t last long before they caught up with him.

The 19-year-old was eventually stopped in Frederick Street, where officers carried out a search at the roadside that led to the seizure of two blades, including a Karambit knife.

Lindsay was stopped and detained on 16 May as part of plain-clothed patrols carried out by the knife crime team, as part of planned activity during a national week of action targeting knife crime, known as ‘Operation Sceptre’.

Having pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of a knife in a public place, he appeared before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on 17 May.

Lindsay, of Silverhill Close, Strelley, was sentenced to six months in a young offenders' institution.

PC Dean Fenton, of Nottinghamshire Police’s county knife crime team, said: “Patrols like the one we were carrying out in this instance play a key part of what we do each day.

“By being out in the community and having our eyes and ears on the street, we are able to spot suspects that recent intelligence suggests could be a knife-carrier.

“Using this case as an example, this process directly led to us being able to seize two dangerous knives and take them out of harm’s way, so we’re pleased with this result.”