Man avoids prison after knife discovery in Worthing

Sussex Police said Theo Wolfe-England came to the attention of a police community supporter officer in Worthing on July 18, 2023.

He had been seen exiting a shop, which the PCSO ‘suspected he had just stolen from’, police said.

A spokesperson for the force added: “Officers attended to stop and search Wolfe-England, 23, of Langley Lane, Crawley under Section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

“He was found to be in possession of a knife, and subsequently arrested and charged for this offence.

“Wolfe-England pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months when he appeared before Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Friday, January 26.”

Police said the defendant was also handed a rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) – for a maximum of 25 days – and 120 hours of unpaid work.

Wolfe-England was also given an ‘order for the deprivation of the defendant’s rights’ as well as a serious violence reduction order (SVRO), which gives police the powers to search him ‘at any time in a public place for a year’.

He was ordered to also pay a total of £239.

Police Sergeant Sam Milsom said: “This is an excellent result and a real credit to our whole team.

“From spotting the offender to securing the charge and result, this shows our teamwork throughout the whole process.

“I’d like to also congratulate Recruit Constable Laura Jackson for securing yet another SVRO, and she becomes the first person in the force to get two applications approved.

“The SVRO is such a powerful tool we can use to target knife crime. If he is found to have a knife or a bladed article again, he can be fined or imprisoned for up to two years, or both.”