Peterborough drug addict was carrying knife when he stole bike

A drug addict who was caught in Peterborough city centre carrying a knife has been jailed for more than a year.

Prolific thief Amor Hussain (38) was caught stealing a bike in Peterborough city centre on July 1 this year.

When he was arrested, police found a knife hidden in his trousers.

He has two previous convictions for possession of a knife, along with a string of thefts against his name.

He also stole a bag from a parked car.

Today (Thursday), Hussain, of Lutton Grove, Peterborough, was jailed for a total of 76 weeks at Peterborough Crown Court.

Hussain pleaded guilty to theft of a pedal cycle, possession of a knife, theft from a motor vehicle, along with breaching a suspended sentence from last year.

Giles Flemming, prosecuting, told the court: “Hussain has total of 46 offences against his name, of which 20 are for theft or similar matters. They are particularly clustered in the last few years. “He was given a suspended sentence last year for a racially aggravated common assault.

“He was found sleeping at Queensgate. When he was approached by a security officer, Hussain spat in his face. He also threatened to stab him with a needle in the neck. He lunged at the security guard, while holding a needle, but he did not make contact.

“While the incident was taking place, Hussain made various racist remarks about the guard’s Polish nationality, saying ‘Eastern Europeans go home.’”

Francesca Kirby, defending, told the court Hussain had suffered from depression in the past, and still suffers from substance misuse.

She said: “He has had success in the past with a detox, and between 2005 and 2012 there was a break in offending.”

Miss Kirby said his previous two convictions for possessing a knife were historic, dating back to 2004 and 1998.

However, the court heard because he had two convictions involving a knife, the minimum prison sentence available was six months.

Judge Sean Enright, sentencing, said the theft of bikes was a ‘prevalent offence in this small city.’

Hussain, who appeared in court via a video link from HMP Peterborough, thanked Judge Enright as he was led away to begin the sentence.