Jail for "disgusting" Rotherham drug runner caught with loaded gun and "horrifying" knife

A DRUG runner found carrying a “horrifying” hunting knife and a loaded gun was labelled “disgusting” by a judge who heard how he spat at and racially abused police officers sent to arrest him.

Saleh Mordi (21) was before Sheffield Crown Court on Friday for a long list of offences, including racially-aggravated public disorder, possessing an offensive weapon and possession of class A drugs with intent to supply.

In an incident at a hospital in August 2021, Mordi, of York Road, Eastwood, called one police officer a “white b******” and racially abused medical staff.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that Mordi had also been arrested after “an aborted police pursuit” in Sheffield and found to be carrying cocaine, diamorphine and cannabis, as well as a serrated “Bowie” knife and a folding lock knife.

And last October, police called to a disturbance in Sheffield searched him and found a converted PAK gun loaded with blank ammunition, as well as heroin, cocaine and cannabis worth almost £1,500.

Mr Aaron Dinnes, prosecuting, said: “He said to the officer (after being taken to the police station): ‘I should have hit you in the face while I had the chance, you white b******!’”

The gun was described as a “PAK converted, top-raying blank-firing, self-loading pistol” and found to be loaded with 9mm cartridges.

Saleh admitted being a street runner but said he had no further involvement in the drug trade.

Mr Dinnes told the court Mordi had eight previous convictions for 23 offences including robbery, battery, possession of a blade, threatening behaviour and racially-aggravated common assault.

Mr Roy Headlam, mitigating, highlighted Mordi’s young age and immaturity, saying some of his reactions on arrest had been “bravado”.

He said some of the defendant’s convictions dated to when he was just 14.

Mr Headlam said Mordi’s role had been to carry drugs “from A to B” and when he was not in the company of others he led “a normal law-abiding existence”.

Mordi had made the most of his time in prison to complete courses and intended to find a job on his release, having previously been “bent on a career as a wannabe criminal”, Mr Headlam said.

Judge David Dixon said Mordi had been guilty of appalling behaviour in hospital and used racist language to a variety of people.

“You ended up spitting at a number of people, which is disgusting behaviour,” he added.

The judge called the knife found on Mordi after the police chase “a horrifying weapon to be carrying in public”.

Rejecting the defendant’s claim he had carried it to protect himself, the judge pointed out many people possessing knives for this reason often ended up using them or being stabbed themselves.

He sentenced Mordi to 100 months in jail for carrying a firearm and possessing drugs in the Sheffield incident, plus seven months consecutive for the knife offences, with no separate penalty for the related drug charges, and four months concurrent for the racially-aggravated public order.

It added up to a total prison sentence of eight years and 11 months.