Officers catch man with jacket full of weapons

A man was caught with an array of weapons hidden under his jacket after being spotted by neighbourhood officers on patrol.

Bulwell officers were walking along Commercial Road at around 7.30pm on Tuesday (10 October) when they spotted someone acting suspiciously in a nearby alleyway.

At that point, they approached the man – now known to be Jeffrey Akingboju – and immediately spotted what appeared to be the top of a hammer in his jacket pocket.

After detaining Akingboju, officers carried out a quick search which confirmed the item in question was in fact a hammer, with further checks also leading to a kitchen knife and a meat cleaver being recovered from inside his jacket too.

The 34-year-old would go on to be charged with two counts of possessing a knife/bladed article in public and also possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

He then appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court the following day (11 October), where he pleaded guilty to each of the charges and was immediately sentenced.

Akingboju, of Commercial Road, Bulwell, was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 15 months, and was also ordered to pay around £270 in costs.

Inspector Paul Ferguson, of Nottinghamshire Police’s City North Neighbourhood Policing team, said: “Thanks to the alertness showcased by these officers while they were out on foot in the community, we were able to seize several dangerous weapons and take them out of harm’s way.

“This was a great bit of police work and provided a real example of why these types of proactive patrols, which our community officers do on a regular basis, are so important in detecting as well as deterring crime.

“Akingboju had absolutely no business carrying any of the three weapons that were in his possession when he was spotted by our officers.

“After he was searched, he claimed he was carrying each of them for his own protection, but it is so important people realise doing this actually puts them far more at risk of getting seriously injured than if they weren’t carrying a knife. The consequences of one of these being used to attack someone could quite clearly be catastrophic.

“If you have concerns or information about people carrying weapons, I would ask that you contact the police or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. People can dispose of weapons via a number of amnesty bins, one of which is at Oxclose Lane Police Station, Bestwood, and is available for people to make use of without any fear of being prosecuted.”