Syrian Refugee Jailed for Knife Threat Outside Birmingham Supermarket

A Syrian refugee was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pulling a knife on a man outside a supermarket in Birmingham and fleeing into a mosque.

Salah Barzi, 30, now living in Erdington, was involved in a confrontation with Reuben Davis near the Heron Foods store on Erdington High Street. The incident occurred at around 3:30 pm on February 27 this year.

During the encounter, Barzi and Mr Davis exchanged tense glances before one asked if the other wanted to fight. The situation escalated when Barzi drew a knife and chased Mr Davis, who attempted to evade him by crossing the street and entering the supermarket. Mr Davis even threw an object at Barzi in a bid to protect himself.

The court heard that the alarming episode took place in view of bystanders, including children. Barzi eventually fled to a nearby mosque, where he was later arrested. Authorities recovered the knife from a communal area within the mosque.

At Birmingham Crown Court, Judge George Lubega expressed concern over the presence of many people at the scene and the risk of serious disorder created by Barzi’s actions, noting that Barzi continued to try to stab Mr Davis even as he backed away.

Prosecutor Simon Hanns detailed the events, describing how Barzi pulled the knife and lunged at Mr Davis multiple times. A street warden witnessed the incident and notified the police of Barzi’s conduct.

Barzi, who arrived in the UK in 2021 fleeing conflict in Syria, had no previous criminal record. His defence counsel, Stephen Sweeney, explained that Barzi had left behind his family due to war, was unable to work until his asylum claim was approved in 2024, and was a student at the time the conviction arose.

Barzi pleaded guilty to making threats with a knife and received his sentence on August 20.