Man who stabbed two people in two different cities while on the run jailed

A man who stabbed a shopkeeper in Cardiff after he caught trying to use a fake £50 note has been jailed.

Abdul-Rahman Al-Ahmed, 21, was already wanted by police in Dorset following a stabbing there and was arrested by South Wales Police after they used retrospective facial recognition technology to identify him.

In May, 2023, at 17 years-old while living in Cardiff, Al-Ahmed had been charged with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, but failed to turn up at court to be sentenced.

A warrant was issued for his arrest and two months later, in July, 2023, while he was on the run from police, he stabbed a man multiple times in Dorset following a dispute over a watch.

At some point Al-Ahmed had returned to Wales and on December 15, 2023, he tried to use a fake £50 note to buy crisps and a drink at the Unistop shop on Salisbury Road. The shopkeeper explained to Al-Ahmed the note was fake, but Al-Ahmed insisted on being given change and an argument broke out. As he was being ushered out of the shop, Al-Ahmed reached for a knife in his coat pocket and stabbed the shopkeeper in the stomach.

He left the shopkeeper for dead and ran away from the scene - the shopkeeper was taken to hospital for a serious injury which required urgent surgery.

An investigation was launched and within hours the suspect was identified using the shop’s CCTV with retrospective facial recognition technology. His fingerprints were also detected on the packet of crisps and a drink container which he had thrown on the floor of the shop.

Six days later, on Friday, December 22, officers identified an address in Pen Y Waun Road, Cardiff, and conducted arrest enquiries. Al-Ahmed was inside the address and arrested.

While in custody he was identified by his victim at Cardiff Bay Police station.
Abdul-Rahman Al-Ahmed was charged with multiple offences including two counts of section 18, namely wounding with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, affray, possession of a bladed article and possession with intent to supply class A drugs,

At Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, September 29, he was jailed for nine years with an extended five years on licence.

Officer in the Case, Detective Constable Anthony Hurley, 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 and use them that they can expect to be sent to prison for a long time.”