Overview

• Shkar Jamal, 24, previously admitted threatening a man with a snooker cue on Old Christchurch Road in Bournemouth on May 6.
• He was due to be sentenced at 12:30 p.m. at Poole Magistrates’ Court but was located about 15 minutes later sitting outside eating fish and chips.
• An interpreter in Kurdish Sorani had been booked, and a search that included his defence representative was launched when he did not appear.
• By the time he returned, another case was called and the bench later adjourned the matter at 4:30 p.m.; Jamal remains on bail.
• Coverage notes wider pressure on the courts, with Ministry of Justice figures showing a record 76,957 Crown Court cases outstanding as of March 31, 2025.