Police detain defendant alleged to have concealed pocket knife in underwear through court’s metal detector

The Court Service is “urgently investigating” how a defendant allegedly smuggled a knife through security operated by G4S, forcing officers to intervene and detain him.

G4S said it believed the defendant had wrapped the pocket knife in a tissue and stashed it in his underwear at Liverpool Crown Court.

The defendant produced the knife in the courtroom after being convicted of three counts of sexual assault and one count of rape.

PoliceOracle.com understands he had to be talked out of harming himself. A spokeswoman for Her Majesty’s Court Service said he has been remanded in custody until his sentencing on September 14.

She said: “We are urgently investigating the circumstances of this incident. No-one was injured during the incident and the individual was quickly detained by the police.

“Her Majesty’s Court Service takes the issue of security within courts extremely seriously and has a rigorous system in place, including mandatory bag searches, bag scanners, metal detectors and surveillance cameras, to ensure the safety of all court users.”

A G4S spokesman said: “We are aware of an incident at Liverpool Crown Court where a small pocket knife was secreted in tissue paper and hidden within a defendant’s underwear.

“G4S take all such incidents extremely seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation to establish the facts.

“We strive to operate to the highest standards, and safety and security remains our utmost priority. In the event that a breach has occurred we will apply any lessons learned as soon as practical.”