A teenager being chased by police more than slipped up when he fell over to reveal he was carrying a large kitchen knife, a court heard.

For Faysal Gafow, described as having been involved in “gang-related activities”, also tried to hoodwink police by claiming he had no reason to carry knives and had never done so.

But police only had to check the 19-year-old’s criminal record to see he had a previous conviction for possessing a blade, and was also on bail for two offences of possessing offensive weapons.

On hearing this at Gafow’s sentencing hearing at Maidstone Crown Court last week, Judge Michael Carroll remarked: “He obviously has a bad memory if he says he doesn’t carry blades.”

“It was quite a substantial bit of kit. It had an 8 or 9in blade and with the handle was well over 12in long. It was also serrated along one side” Prosecutor Edmund Burge

It was 12.30am on October 16 last year that police saw Gafow walking along the middle of the A225 Eynsford Road, near Dartford.

Having seen the officers, Gafow ran off. Prosecutor Edmund Burge said as police gave chase, Gafow fell over and the knife was found lying on the ground next to him.

“It was quite a substantial bit of kit,” added Mr Burge. “It had an 8 or 9in blade and with the handle was well over 12in long. It was also serrated along one side.”

The court heard it was raining at the time but the knife was bone dry, leading the officer to conclude that it must have come from Gafow.

However, at the police station he denied all knowledge of it.

“He said he ran from the police because he didn’t know they were police and thought he was going to be jumped,” said the prosecutor.

“He said he dropped his phone, not a knife, and denied it was his.

“He said the first time he had seen it was after the officer picked it up, that he had no reason to carry a knife and had never done so.”

Gafow, of Whippendell Close, Orpington, later pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article. He is currently serving three years for a subsequent attempted robbery and making threats with a blade.

Despite describing the teenager as a “one-man crime wave with an appalling record” and highlighting the need for knife crime to be deterred, Judge Carroll said he had to take Gafow’s age and the totality of any sentence into consideration.

He therefore imposed nine months’ in a young offenders’ institution but ordered that it be served consecutively to his current sentence.

Max Hardy, defending, told the court Gafow had been to a party in Swanley where a friend had asked him to “hang on” to the knife.

Because he had been smoking cannabis, he then forgot to return it.

Mr Hardy said Gafow had since “reflected on the errors of his ways”, which included involvement with gangs.

“His maternal grandmother died in August and he wasn’t able to be with her,” he added.

“He is missing out on life and death experiences by his folly and stupidity.”