KNIFE SEIZED AT CITY SHOPPING CENTRE

A MAN carrying a “military-style” knife confronted a customer in a busy shopping centre and told him “come on, let’s go outside and sort this out”.

Zain Shahzad was caught with the knife at the St David’s shopping centre in Cardiff on March 5, magistrates in the city heard yesterday.

Prosecutor Dave Cook told the court officers from South Wales Police had been in the shopping centre on another operation when they saw the defendant “acting in a strange manner”.

Shahzad was confronting another man saying “come on, let’s go outside and sort this out” when a female officer went over and put her hands on the defendant’s shoulders, he said.

She then saw the defendant with a knife in his hand “with the blade exposed” with it pointed towards her and “thought she was going to be threatened”, said Mr Cook.

The weapon was a “flick knife, in a military-style make” and was an “extremely dangerous weapon produced in dangerous circumstances”, he added.

The female officer then called for back-up and Shahzad was put on the floor, Cardiff Magistrates’ Court heard.

Mr Cook told the court the shopping centre was “extremely busy” in the early evening, with “members of the public, including children” present.

Shahzad accepted he had the knife and it was out when “all of a sudden they were all over me and I was grabbed by a woman”, Mr Cook said.

He said he had the knife because of “problems with gangs”.

Alex Magill, defending, said the blade “was not exposed when the knife was out” but the defendant did accept that “the knife was out of his pocket in his hand”.

Shahzad, 21, also accepted he had threatened someone.

The incident was also caught on CCTV in the shopping centre.

Shahzad, of Fidlas Road in Cyncoed, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing an offensive weapon, namely a flick knife, in a public place.

Bench chairman Huw Jones ordered that the court should “refuse jurisdiction” and sentencing will be heard at Cardiff Crown Court on April 4.

Shahzad was released on conditional bail and is not allowed to enter Cardiff city centre.