Newport criminal jailed after knife found on High Street

A well-known criminal from Newport is back behind bars after police caught him carrying a large kitchen knife on High Street.

Benjamin Sicolo, 35, of no fixed abode, was arrested on Sunday, February 8 after officers discovered him with the weapon in the city centre.

The 35-year-old appeared at Newport Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to possession of a knife in a public place alongside two counts of theft.

The court heard Sicolo had stolen a bicycle worth £635 on the same day as the knife offence. He had also stolen another bike worth £600 on Monday, December 8 last year.

Being caught with the blade also put him in breach of a suspended prison sentence he had previously received for possession of a knife on Tredegar Street just before Christmas.

Sicolo has an extensive criminal history including convictions for robbery, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, harassment and theft.

District Judge Sophie Toms jailed him for a total of 16 months.