TPolice received a 999 call at about 2.30am on 9 June last year (2021) with a report of banging and a suspected burglary in progress in Welbourne, Werrington.
Within ten minutes, officers arrived and found 44-year-old Ferhad Ali sitting in a black BMW outside a house with the engine running and an open boot full of cannabis plants.
Two other men – Yunis Ramadan, 21, and Sarmand Majeed, 27 – were found at the back of the house.
All three men had cannabis residue on their clothing, while 103 cannabis plants worth about £86,000 were found in the house and the boot of the car.
A large machete with a blue chord wrapped around the handle was found nearby and on searching Ramadan, the same blue chord was found in the waistband of his trousers.
A further machete was found which was later found to have Majeed’s DNA on it.
Searches of Ali’s car found a large kitchen knife in the boot and a “cut-throat” razor in the pocket of the driver’s door.
Investigations showed Ali’s BMW had driven from Slough to South London – where Ramadan and Majeed lived – up to Peterborough late on 8 June.
In interview, Majeed claimed he had driven to Peterborough with his girlfriend and asked a stranger where he could buy cannabis to smoke, which is when he was given the address in Welbourne.
He told officers he arrived and found cannabis plants, a machete and gloves on the floor, which he picked up, therefore his fingerprints and DNA would be on them.
All three were charged with being in possession of offensive weapons, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary including theft of cannabis and being in possession of cannabis with intent to supply.
A trial began at Peterborough Crown Court on 14 March, however, Judge Sean Enright ordered for the defendants to be acquitted of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.
All three men then pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cannabis, while a charge of conspiracy to commit burglary will lie on file.
Both Ramadan and Majeed admitted being in possession of a machete in a public place, while Ali admitted being in possession of a knife and a cut-throat razor in a public place.
On Friday (18 March), Ramadan, of Stoke Road, Slough, Berkshire, was jailed for two-and-a-half years; Ali, of Railway Street, Cardiff, was jailed for two years; and Majeed, of Stockley Road, West Drayton, Greater London, was jailed for a year and eight months.
DC Matt Slater, who investigated, said: “This was a great spot by a member of the public who acted on his instincts and called us when he thought something wasn’t right.
“Thanks to that information and a quick response by uniformed officers, we were able to catch the men in the act and gather evidence from the scene.”
Judge Enright commended DC Slater for his investigation, stating he was “very impressive” and “try as I might to find one, there was not one fact about the case he did not have at his fingertips, and he wholly deserves the commendation he is due to receive”.