Man sentenced for knife possession in High Wycombe

Wednesday, 19 April 2023 07:00

A man has been sentenced to a suspended prison sentence and unpaid work after he was found in possession of a knife on Sunday.

Sajid Rashid, aged 37, of Victoria Street in High Wycombe, was arrested on Sunday (16/4) and charged on Monday.

Appearing at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on the same day as charge, Rashid pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place and was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work and given a rehabilitation activity requirement.

It was also ordered that the knife was forfeited and destroyed.

At 8.45pm on Sunday, Rashid was detained and searched by officers for an unrelated matter.

During this search, a knife was located in his possession.

Rashid stated that the knife was for his protection and he was subsequently arrested.

PC Ben Pearmain, based at High Wycombe police station, said: “Through Operation Deter principles, Rashid was arrested, charged and remanded within 24 hours of the offence.

“Operation Deter is a zero tolerance approach to knife crime. As part of the operation, we will robustly target and pursue those who carry knives in public and put them before the courts as quickly as possible.

“Tackling knife crime is a top priority for Thames Valley Police and as a result of this case, we have now removed a weapon from the streets and Rashid has been dealt with accordingly.

“Our message is simple. If you carry a knife, you will be arrested, charged and remanded to court.

“It is simply unacceptable to do so, and we will work tirelessly to remove knives from the streets of the Thames Valley.”