Former professional boxer from Lancashire jailed after cocaine fuelled crime spree

A former professional boxer, who threatened two men with a hammer during a cocaine fuelled crime spree, has been jailed.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Jul 2018, 14:00 GMT
Updated 20th Jul 2018, 15:02 GMT
Ali Shah, 31, of Dickinson Close, Blackburn, has been jailed for five and a half years following several raids which took place last year.Ali Shah, 31, of Dickinson Close, Blackburn, has been jailed for five and a half years following several raids which took place last year.
Ali Shah, 31, of Dickinson Close, Blackburn, has been jailed for five and a half years following several raids which took place last year.

Ali Shah, 31, of Dickinson Close, Blackburn, has been jailed for five and a half years following several raids which took place last year.

During a hearing at Preston Crown Court on June 28, jurors were told how Shah stole thousands of pounds worth of goods in three separate incidents.

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In the first incident on November 15, Shah, threatened two men with a hammer before stealing an Armani watch and two packets of cigarettes.

In a second incident on November 21, Shah stole a £35,000 Range Rover from outside a house in Blackburn, while the owners slept.

And on December 5, Shah broke into a house with an accomplice and stole £5,000 of electrical equipment.

He pleaded guilty to burglary and aggravated vehicle taking and was found guilty of robbery following a trial at Preston Crown Court.

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PC Dan Burton, of Lancashire Constabulary’s East Division, said: “For three weeks in November and December of last year, Shah was on a crime spree, fuelled by cocaine.

“He stole high value goods but was quickly identified by his victims as he was well known in the local area for being a professional boxer.

“The sentence handed down in court reflects the severity of his crimes and I hope brings some sense of justice to his victims.”

Shah was sentenced to three years for robbery, two years for burglary and six months for aggravated vehicle taking - along with a £170 victim surcharge and a 38 month driving ban.