Man caught in Clapham with 'Samurai-style' sword

A man has been sentenced after a vehicle stop in Clapham found him carrying a Samurai-style sword.

Terrel Doyley, 23, was sentenced on Tuesday (June 29) to six months' imprisonment for possession of a bladed weapon and an additional day imprisonment for possession of a Class C drug.

Mr Doyley pleaded guilty to both counts on Friday May 28.

The court heard that on 12 November 2020, at around 16:10hrs, officers from the Violent Crime Task Force had cause to stop a vehicle that Doyley was travelling in along Clapham Common Southside towards Balham.

Upon the vehicle being stopped, the rear passenger door flew open and Mr Doyley ran from the police.

Officers gave chase and detained him on Lynette Avenue. When searched, Mr Doyley was found to have cannabis in his coat.

During a search of the route Doyley had taken, a member of the public informed police he had dropped something along the way and a Samurai-style sword was discovered on Cavendish Road.

At the time, Mr Doyley was subject to a Gang Injunction, granted by Croydon County Court on 14 January 2019. Part of this injunction forbade Mr Doyley from possessing any bladed article or offensive weapon.

He was charged and remanded to Croydon Magistrates' Court on 13 November 2020 where he pleaded guilty to possession of a Class B drug (cannabis), and not guilty to possession of a bladed article.

Doyley was served evidence forensically linking him to the knife and consequently entered a guilty plea on both counts.

The proactive vehicle stop in Clapham was part of Operation Sceptre which saw a national week of officers from across the Met carry out a range of activity to tackle knife crime.

Detective Constable James Preston, said: "The sentencing reflects a dedicated investigation undertaken by the Central South BCU and the Violent Crime Task Force, and highlights the impact of using police resources and tactics to remove deadly weapons from the streets. The offences Doyley has pleaded guilty to have a serious impact on violence in our communities, and of course there is an inextricable link between drugs and violent crime. Our work is vital to taking dangerous offenders off the streets.

"A big part of the Violence Intervention Unit's work is to use judicial restrictions granted by the courts, such as Criminal Behaviour Orders and Gang Injunctions, to help combat violent crime.

"At the time of his arrest, Doyley was subject to a gang injunction, preventing him from possessing a bladed article or offensive weapon alongside other requirements such as avoiding contact with certain areas and named people. The extensive list echoes his violent and intimidating behaviour, recognised by the courts as being a legitimate and necessary way to limit the impact of his actions. This compounds the offences he has pleaded guilty to and evidences the necessity for police to use all the resources at our fingertips to prevent high harm and repeat offenders from making decisions which cost lives."

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