Burton Joyce teen jailed for hiding knife on shop shelf to evade arrest

Eamon Costello, 18, concealed a lock knife behind towels in a Nottingham store as officers closed in. He was sentenced to nine months in a young offender institution.

Nottingham teen hid lock knife on shop shelf as police moved in to arrest him

An 18-year-old from Burton Joyce has been jailed after concealing a lock knife on the shelves of a Nottingham department store in an attempt to avoid detection as officers closed in, gedlingeye.co.uk reports.

Eamon Costello, of Broadmead, Burton Joyce, was spotted by Nottinghamshire Police's knife crime team during a city centre patrol on 16 April. Officers recognised him as a wanted individual and followed him into Boyes department store before detaining him.

A subsequent search of the shop uncovered the lock knife hidden behind folded towels on a shelf. Police believe Costello discarded the weapon as he realised he was being followed.

Costello later admitted possessing a knife in a public place. On 16 July, Nottingham Crown Court sentenced him to nine months in a young offender institution.

PC Daniel Cresswell, from the force's knife crime team, said Costello had shown little regard for public safety by abandoning the blade in a busy shop. "Costello clearly had little concern about who might end up finding the knife when he dumped it on the shelves," Cresswell said.

The officer noted that Costello had a number of previous convictions for knife possession and had been arrested in the city centre by the knife crime team on prior occasions.

"Knife carriers will often try to discard weapons when we approach or follow them," Cresswell said, adding that those who persist in carrying weapons on the street should expect to be caught on camera, arrested, charged and imprisoned.

Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)