Police are trying to find a man who was caught with a combat knife and drugs at Brighton railway station.
Lucky Mahlalela, 21, was due to appear Brighton Magistrates’ Court in February and again last week to be sentenced.
He was also facing charges of having seven wraps of crack cocaine, three wraps of heroin and 0.5 grams of cannabis in Little Preston Street, Brighton.
Mahlalela, also known as Lucky Motiene, of Byrd Road, Bewbush, Crawley, was alleged to have had the drugs in Little Preston Street in September 2022.
He was caught with drugs and a knife at Brighton station in July last year and was due to be tried by Brighton magistrates in February for the earlier offences but failed to attend.
The bench issued a warrant for his arrest and the British Transport Police (BTP) said: “Do you know where Lucky Mahlalela is?
“He is wanted after failing to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Thursday 25 July after being charged with possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a class B drug following an incident at Brighton railway station on Friday 28 July 2023.
“Officers have made extensive attempts to try to locate Mahlalela, 21, but have so far been unable to trace him.
“His whereabouts are currently unknown. However, he has links to Crawley.
“Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Mahlalela is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 405040, quoting reference 306 of 28/07/23.
“You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”
Did they really believe that he would attend at the Magistrates Court? How naive can they get?
I know the guy and he didn’t know his date to be in court he thought it was next week he went and handed him self in today as he see this
I think after yesterday’s events, carrying a combat knife as a tool to aid criminality should become escalated to an offence of new unprecedented levels. Scum like this carrying combat knives on the street need to be dealt with.
Is he capable of killing his teenage customers with it?
Society has reached a new level of crisis, and it’s time to address it.
What a piece of work this guy is. The quicker he’s behind bars (for a very long time) the better off we’ll all be. In the meantime who’s the fool who gave him bail. Someone needs to take them to one side and have a serious word.
Have you heard of the prison overcrowding crisis?
I think you resolve that, at least in the short-term, by releasing non-violent criminals on tags for the last section of their sentence early, as and when a space is needed for a new incoming criminal.
There’s a whole debate around what crimes require a custodial sentence or if things like community payback schemes are more fitting. For example, we needed manpower to do manual weeding in Brighton at one point, there’s your guaranteed workforce.
From knowing the guy you lot get one side of the story from the news and believe it that’s what’s wrong with society
He’s on the street with a concealed combat knife and dealing drugs.
Are you saying that this isn’t the case? It sounds as if you are doing exactly the same.