Man carried eight-inch blade in his underwear ‘for protection’

A MAN was found with an eight-inch blade in his underwear that he carried “for protection” before he tried to run away from police.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police were on patrol in Station Road, in Llanelli, at around 10am on Friday, July 2 when they spotted Jonathan Levi Edwards sitting on a bike.

The 21-year-old was wanted on suspicion of breaching a community order at the time, so officers turned their car around before pulling over to speak to him.

Sergeant Gareth Oliver, of Llanelli response team, said: “While one of the officers checked the police national computer for further information about Levi, his colleague noticed he appeared agitated. He asked Levi if he had anything in his possession that he shouldn’t, to which he said no.

“At that point, it was confirmed that he was indeed wanted, but as officers arrested him he jumped off the bike and tried to run away. He was quickly tackled to the ground and restrained before he could flee.”

The suspect was handcuffed and searched, with officers finding a knife with an eight-inch blade wrapped in cloth, tucked into his underwear and hidden under his jacket.

He claimed to have found the knife up the road and told officers he had picked it up “to put it out of the way”. Later inquiries led officers to be told Edwards “carries the knife for protection” but he claimed that he would not use it.

Edwards was further arrested and later charged with possessing a blade in a public place.

He appeared at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 7 where he was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison.

The charge of breaching a community order was withdrawn.