Portsmouth man Levi Morey jailed for 'violent and senseless' knife attack at Portsmouth's Canoe Lake

Levi Morey, 41, of Mayo Close in Buckland, was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent following a four-day trial in January. He had denied the offence. Morey was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court today. 2023.

Police were called shortly before 5pm on February 1, 2022 to reports that a man had been assaulted with a knife in the car park at Canoe Lake.

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A member of the public gave police the registration number of a car seen leaving the car park with the victim inside. The victim, a man in his 30s, was found at St Mary’s walk-in treatment centre receiving treatment for a cut on his neck. He was transferred to Queen Alexandra Hospital for surgery and was then discharged.

Morey was arrested two days later after a witness who was at the scene identified him as the attacker.

Det Con Dana Mabe – who led the investigation – said: ‘We are pleased that Morey will now face the consequences of this violent and senseless act and I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of every officer involved in this case. The team worked tirelessly to ensure we were able to present all the evidence before the court and take a dangerous offender off the streets.

‘I would also like to offer my sincere thanks to three key witnesses in this case, who were just general members of the public who happened to be in the area during what was a violent and scary assault for them to witness. They stayed committed throughout the court process, and without their support we would not have secured this outcome.

‘Carrying a knife will simply never be tolerated by police. Making that decision to pick up a bladed weapon creates the very real risk that you could kill or seriously injure someone.

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‘This case makes that shocking reality clear. We regularly make proactive efforts to target knife carriers and remove weapons from the streets. This work won’t stop, and we hope that anyone thinking of carrying a knife recognises that there are serious consequences both for themselves and others when they make that decision to pick up a weapon.’

The sentence – which includes an extended licence period of two years – also relates to a second incident in April 2022 which happened in Guildhall Square.

A police spokesperson said in a statement: ‘We were called to an altercation taking place between two men which left one of them, who is in his 40s, with minor injuries to his head and neck. Officers attended and reviewed CCTV, leading to the arrest of Morey at the scene. He was later charged with affray, which he pleaded guilty to.’

You can report non-emergency crime by calling 101, visiting the Hampshire Police website or calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.For advice on where to get support if you have become involved in knife crime you can also visit https://orlo.uk/A7SwW.

In an emergency call 999.