A man has been convicted of attempted murder after police linked him to a serious stabbing in Smethwick.
Obeidulla Waffa attacked a man following a dispute in Victoria Park on 19 August last year.
The victim, aged in his 30s, had to undergo life-saving surgery after being stabbed in the arm and chest.
Waffa fled the scene but following enquiries police identified him as the prime suspect for the stabbing.
The 22-year-old was spotted and arrested by officers from our Project Guardian team who were on patrol in Cape Hill in March. When police detained him officers found a knife hidden in his waistband.
Waffa, of Cheshire Road, Smethwick, was convicted of attempted murder following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court last Friday (13 September).
He also admitted possession of an offensive weapon earlier from this year and was remanded ahead of sentencing on 3 October.
Police said:
We’re committed to taking weapons off the streets and have dedicated teams who tackle knife crime.
We’ve expanded Project Guardian to proactively deal with knife-related crime in Sandwell and across the region.
In addition to the specialist teams, neighbourhood teams carry out specific patrols regularly based around data that indicates hotspots for knife crime and specific times that people are likely to be in the area in possession of a knife.