Police stabbing accused 'has previous convictions for knife possession and drug dealing', Portsmouth jurors are told

Jurors heard how Michael Enzanga, 20, has two convictions for having kitchen knives in public dating back to November 2014, along with another conviction for having a knife in public in November 2016.

Prosecutor Dale Sullivan told Portsmouth Crown Court that Enzanga, who is accused of stabbing 56-year-old PC Russell Turner at Stamshaw Park in February, also has two convictions for possession with intent to supply class A drugs, relating to crack cocaine and heroin in January 2017.

Convictions dating to November 2016 and January 2017 relate to crimes committed on the same day in October 2016, Mr Sullivan said.

Enzanga was convicted of possessing a knife in a public place at a trial at magistrates’ court on September 28, 2017, he added.

Jurors hearing the stabbing trial were told on Friday he denied all the previous knife offences and was convicted, but admitted the drug offences.

The court previously heard heroin and crack cocaine were recovered at Stamshaw Park on February 20 and 21, the day PC Turner was stabbed.

Enzanga was arrested in a garden in Jervis Road hiding under tarpaulin after the 12.15pm stabbing that saw the neighbourhood officer suffer a collapsed lung.Undercover PC Turner had gone to detain his assailant when a violent struggle broke out.

A silver kitchen knife was found in the Jervis Road garden with blood on its tip the next day. Forensic scientists found the chances of DNA found on the knife being PC Turner’s was a billion times more likely than it being from an unknown man.

A top discarded in Stamshaw Park after the struggled between PC Turner, his colleague PC Clare Perry and Ezanga’s blood and DNA on it, Mr Sullivan said.

Jurors were told the chances of DNA evidence on a stabbed police officer’s jacket coming from someone other Enzanga are one in a billion.

Mr Sullivan said after his arrest Enzanga gave a prepared statement denying having a weapon or drugs. He said he had been attacked that day.

Jurors have also seen a video of a police officer firing a Taser at Enzanga. Two barbs from the incapacitating device were found embedded in his back when he was arrested, said Mr Sullivan who added the Taser had been unsuccessful.

Londoner Enzanga, 20, of Ashfield Road, Tottenham, denies grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of a knife, four charges of possessing class a drugs with intent to supply and possessing criminal property - nearly £1,000 in cash.

The drug charges relate to heroin and crack cocaine found on February 20 and 21.

(Proceeding)