Man sentenced to prison for knife attack in Piccadilly Gardens
Man given three years and nine months in jail after violent assault
A man has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison following a knife attack in Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens.
Said Sadat, from Block Lane, Chadderton, was jailed at Manchester Crown Court on 19th February 2026 after pleading guilty to section 20 assault.
The attack occurred on 27th July 2025, when officers were called to a fight involving several males and a stabbing near the centre of Piccadilly Gardens. Upon arrival, a man in his 20s was found with a severe neck laceration.
Evidence from CCTV showed that Sadat had approached the victim earlier in the evening, telling him he was "not allowed" to be in the area. Sadat left and then returned with a knife, leading to the violent confrontation.
Sadat was arrested and charged with section 18 assault, following a review of the footage and witness statements.
Detective Constable Peter Viney of GMP’s City of Manchester CID who led the investigation said: “This was a violent and unprovoked attack in one of the busiest areas of the city centre. I would like to commend the quick actions of officers and the bravery of members of the public at the scene who helped the victim who had been severely injured.
“Sadat’s sentencing today reflects the gravity of his actions and our ongoing commitment to tackling knife crime and violence in Manchester.”
Chief Inspector Mike Tachauer who leads GMP’s Piccadilly Gardens neighbourhood policing team said: “Knife crime has no place on our streets and as shown by today’s sentencing, officers across GMP are committed to working tirelessly to bring offenders to justice. We understand incidents like this cause concern within the community, and we are constantly working with partners and the local community taking a problem-solving, evidence-based approach to make tangible changes to the area to make it a safer place for all those that visit.
“Our dedicated Piccadilly Gardens team are out constantly out on proactive patrols and their commitments to tackling crime have resulted in hundreds of offenders being brought before the courts, numerous weapons taken off our streets and drugs seized and destroyed.
“We are also able to draw on resources from across GMP including our Specialist Operations team who are helping to bolster our presence in areas that we know have previously been hotspots for knife crime, including Piccadilly Gardens.
“Reports from members of the public also help us to build intelligence pictures and tackle issues within Piccadilly Gardens and the wider area. Please continue to report incidents to ourselves via 101 or the channels on our website. Being able to prevent crime before it happens and targeting resources where we know issues occur is crucial to keeping our communities safe.”
A Home Office pilot was launched in December 2025, targeting areas most impacted by knife crime in Manchester City Centre with increased policing.