'The victim is lucky to be alive – the injuries were really severe' - Birmingham knife attacker jailed for five years after facial recognition match
The victim was left with wounds to his shoulder and stomach after being knifed last year.
Jalen Denny, 27, of Pershore Road, Selly Oak, has been jailed for five years and 10 months after officers used advanced facial recognition techniques.
It comes after a 33-year-old victim riding a scooter was confronted by Denny on the corner of Bristol Road and North Road, Selly Oak, at around 8.30pm on June 1, 2024.
Denny was then seen on CCTV being chased by the rider onto North Street, before he pulled out a knife and attacked the rider.
The victim was left with wounds to his shoulder and stomach, and was later rushed to the hospital where he had emergency surgery twice and was placed in an induced coma.
CCTV images recovered from the scene revealed a clear image of the attacker's face.
Using advanced facial recognition software, West Midlands Police investigators compared the CCTV images to those of suspects on the Police National Database.
The search discovered several matches for Denny, who was arrested less than 48 hours later.
Further investigations also linked his phone to the area of the attack at the time it took place.
He was charged with attempted murder, but went on to admit wounding with intent, and was jailed on Friday, August 29, at Birmingham Crown Court. No motive was found for the attack.
PC Zach Bilili, from the West Midlands Police major crime unit, said: "Facial recognition helped lead us to Denny really quickly, and we were able to locate and arrest him within two days of this really violent attack.
"The victim is lucky to be alive – the injuries were really severe and this could very easily have become a murder investigation."
