Jury convicts Takeley man Ali Islamsediq after police find knife hidden under car seat

A Takeley man has been convicted after police found a knife hidden under the driver’s seat of his car.

Ali Islamsediq, 42, of Dunmow Road, was found guilty of possessing a bladed article in a public place by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court last Tuesday (April 8). He was released on bail until he is sentenced on Tuesday June 3.

Islamsediq was driving along Stortford Road in Great Dunmow in June 2023 when officers from Essex Police stopped him for a traffic offence.

When they searched his vehicle, they found a knife under his seat. He was arrested and later charged by postal requisition.

Acting Sergeant Harvey Hillson said: “It is unacceptable to carry an offensive weapon such as this either on your person or in your car.

“Islamsediq argued this knife was simply lost while moving his belongings from one place to another, but the jury agreed with our assessment that this had been hidden in an accessible place in his car. We now await his sentencing.”