Knife attacker jailed after facial recognition identification

A man who stabbed a Cardiff shopkeeper after being caught trying to use a counterfeit £50 note has been jailed for nine years, with an extended licence period of five years.

Abdul-Rahman Al-Ahmed, 21, attacked the shopkeeper at the Unistop convenience store on Salisbury Road, Cardiff in December 2023.

He was identified within hours after South Wales Police used retrospective facial recognition technology to match him from CCTV footage. His fingerprints were also recovered from a packet of crisps and a drink container he had discarded at the scene.

The court heard how Al-Ahmed tried to buy goods with the fake note, but when the shopkeeper refused to hand over change, an argument broke out.

As staff tried to usher him outside, Al-Ahmed pulled a knife from his coat and stabbed the shopkeeper in the stomach before fleeing.

Life-threatening injuries

The victim was left with life-threatening injuries that required emergency surgery.

Six days later, police located Al-Ahmed at an address on Pen-y-Waun Road in Cardiff and arrested him.

The shopkeeper later picked him out in an identification procedure at Cardiff Bay Police Station.

The sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court also heard about Al-Ahmed’s violent history.

At 17, while living in Cardiff, he had been charged with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine but failed to appear at court. While on the run in July 2023, he stabbed a man multiple times in Dorset during a dispute over a watch.

Wounding

He admitted offences including wounding with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, affray, possession of a bladed article, and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Detective Constable Anthony Hurley, the officer in the case, welcomed the sentence.

He said: “The swift response and arrest by officers ensured this offender was brought swiftly before the courts. Knife crime remains a top priority for South Wales Police, and we are committed to protecting our communities by tackling those who carry weapons and pose such serious risks to public safety.

“This case also demonstrates how vital facial recognition technology is for policing. The lengthy custodial sentence handed down reflects the severity of his actions and sends a clear message to those who carry knives that they can expect to be sent to prison for a long time.”