Colchester drug dealer jailed after zombie knife found in his home
Officers discovered the knife, a drug line phone and quantities of cocaine and amphetamines
An Essex drug dealer has been jailed for 30 months after officers recovered a banned zombie knife from his home in Colchester.
Tanna Ireton, 20, of Poplar Hall Close, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday, 18 September, after admitting charges of possessing an offensive weapon in a private place and being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.
When officers executed a warrant at Ireton’s home in January, they discovered the drug line phone, quantities of cocaine and amphetamines, and a list of transactions with users.
A zombie knife — concealed behind a television in his bedroom — was also seized.
Zombie-style knives, which have no legitimate purpose, were added to the list of prohibited weapons under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 in September 2024. This means it is now illegal to possess or sell them.
Police said the case highlights how new legislation is already being used to target the link between knife crime and drug dealing.
Detective Sergeant Danielle Markoutsis: “We’ll use every tool at our disposal to combat knife crime, ensuring weapons are taken out of circulation and offenders are rightly punished.
“The law around zombie-style knives recognises that these blades have no legitimate purpose beyond their use by criminals.
“They are terrifying weapons, typically seized during our investigations into county lines drug dealing.
“Whether used to inflict serious injury or to cause fear, they can no longer be owned or kept under any circumstances.
“As in this case, we can now charge offenders where these weapons are seized from private properties.
“We’re working around the clock to dismantle drug lines, convict offenders and safeguard those exploited by the trade in crack cocaine and heroin.”