Man who ran from officers holding knife in Southend jailed
Main article content
A man who ran from officers while holding a lock knife in Southend town centre has been jailed.
Davy Bourke, 25, from Southend, received 13 months for one count of possession of a knife in a public place at Basildon Crown Court on Monday 27 July.
He admitted the offence at Southend Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 23 June.
On Tuesday 13 August 2019, we received reports that Bourke had walked past the Hope Hotel public house in possession of a knife.
We attended and Bourke ran off into Seaway carpark in Lucy Road and an officer used his Taser to safely apprehend him.
Bourke fell to the floor while holding a folding lock knife.
Chief Inspector Ian Hughes, District Commander for Southend, said: “This incident happened within a real short period of time, from the reports from vigilant members of the public to the quick arrest in a nearby car park.
"In comparison, Bourke will spend plenty of time behind bars for walking our streets in possession of a knife.
“There really is no place for carrying knives in Southend, if you carry one there’s every chance you’ll be arrested and will spend time locked in a prison cell – just like Bourke.”
We are taking a tough stance against those who carry knives in Essex under Operation Sceptre.
We also work closely with other organisations and charities to educate people around the dangers of drugs and knife crime to help them make better choices for their lives.
If you have information about anyone involved in drugs, weapon carrying or exploitation, please tell us so we can take action and ensure vulnerable people are protected.
If you don’t want to speak to the police, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or https://crimestoppers-uk.org. They are an independent charity and you will remain 100% anonymous.
For more information about Operation Sceptre and how to get help for someone you are worried about, visit https://www.essex.police.uk/opsceptre