Bulwell man convicted of knife offence after DNA analysis

Nathan Russell was pulled over and searched by police as he drove his black BMW towards Nottingham City centre on the afternoon of 19 April 2019.

As officers pulled alongside Russell on Sneinton Dale he turned suddenly into a side street and from there into a dead end.

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When they spotted his parked car around two minutes later near the scene they could find nothing incriminating – until they looked into a nearby drain and found a locking style knife sitting on top of a pile of leaves.

Russel, 30, of Bromley Close, Bulwell, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a bladed article.

Despite his denials he was later linked to the knife by DNA analysis of the handle.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday August 25) Russell was sentenced to seven months in prison suspended for 15 months for possession of a bladed article.

He was also given a curfew order until November 24 and ordered to pay a fine of £120, along with additional costs of £120.

Inspector Mark Stanley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We take knife crime incredibly seriously and simply will not tolerate people who carry them in public.

Insp Stanley added that the incident was a ‘good example’ of the force's proactive approach to tackling the issue and should serve as a warning to those who think it was acceptable to go out armed with a deadly weapon.

He added: "If we catch you in possession of a dangerous weapon you will be arrested and prosecuted. It is no excuse to say it was for your own protection or you were carrying it for someone else.

"Also, as this case demonstrates, it will also be very difficult to claim it is not yours.

“The law is very clear if you choose to carry a weapon you put your future in danger."

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