Police chief insists Sheffield remains '˜very safe' despite spate of stabbings

The police chief in charge of the fight against knife crime in Sheffield insists the city remains '˜very safe', despite five attacks last weekend.
Una Jennings with some knives handed in during a weapon surrender scheme in South YorkshireUna Jennings with some knives handed in during a weapon surrender scheme in South Yorkshire
Una Jennings with some knives handed in during a weapon surrender scheme in South Yorkshire

Detective Superintendent Una Jennings, South Yorkshire Police's lead officer for tackling armed criminality, spoke out after six men and one woman were stabbed in separate incidents in 48 hours.

Una Jennings with some knives handed in during a weapon surrender scheme in South YorkshireUna Jennings with some knives handed in during a weapon surrender scheme in South Yorkshire
Una Jennings with some knives handed in during a weapon surrender scheme in South Yorkshire
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In the first attack, 22-year-old Fahim Hersi, from Broomhall, died after he was stabbed at Valley Centertainment on Friday night.

Eight arrests have been made over the death so far.

In the early hours of Saturday morning a 43-year-old woman was slashed across her neck during a disturbance outside a house in Kyle Crescent, Southey Green.

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Chloe Parker Thomson, 23, of Kyle Crescent, has been charged with wounding and remanded in custody ahead of a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday, October 22.

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In the early hours of Sunday, two men '“ aged 29 and 31 '“ were stabbed in another attack in Walkley Lane, Hillsborough.

The younger man was treated in hospital and later discharged but the older man suffered life threatening injuries and remains in hospital today.

In the fourth attack outside Del's convenience store, High Street, Swallownest, an 18-year-old man was stabbed in his hands and leg and 10 minutes later, in the fifth incident, a 21-year-old man was stabbed in his arm and ribs on the car park close to McColl's convenience store, Worksop Road, Aston.

Det Supt Jennings said: 'Knife crime accounts for less than two per cent of all violent crime. Sheffield is and remains a very safe city.'

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But she said more could be done to tackle knife crime with police enforcement activity running alongside the work of other agencies and organisations with a role to play.

She added: 'We can always do more. This is a collective city-wide responsibility. An enforcement lead response will not alleviate the issues we are seeing.'

There have been seven fatal stabbings in Sheffield so far this year, with suspects charged in five of the cases.

Det Supt Jennings said: 'We have charges against five of the seven murders, two are actively being progressed and we are hopeful we will have similar outcomes.'

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Earlier this month, 85-year-old Alan Grayson was stabbed during an incident at his home in Orgreave Lane, Handsworth.

His wife, Marjorie Grayson, 83, has been charged with murder.

Kavan Brissett, 21, was stabbed in an alleyway close to Langsett Walk, near Upperthorpe, on Tuesday, August 14 and died in hospital four days later.

His killer has not yet been tracked down.

The first fatal stabbing of the year came when 22-year-old Jarvin Blake was knifed to death at the junction of Catherine Street and Brackley Street, Burngreave.

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Josiah Foster, 26, of the Manor, Sheffield; Lewis Barker, 26, of Parson Cross, Sheffield; Devon Walker, 24, of Burngreave, Sheffield and Caine Gray, 27, of Treeton, Rotherham, are all charged with murder.

In May, detectives launched two murder investigations in the space of two days after two more men were stabbed to death.

Ryan Jowle, 19, was knifed in his chest in Tannery Close Woodhouse, on Wednesday, May 23 and the following day 15-year-old Samuel Baker was fatally stabbed in Lowedges Road, Lowedges.

Frank Mvila Kiongaze, 22, of Morland Road, Gleadless Valley, has been charged with Ryan's murder and a 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of killing Samuel.

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The following month, 59-year-old Glenn Boardman was stabbed to death in a house in  Steven Close, Chapeltown.

Michael Andrew Goddard, 50, of Steven Close,Chapeltown, has been charged with murder.

Anyone with any information on any of the murders should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

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