Reading crook locked up for knife crime and theft spree
Hamza Zeyadi nabbed for multiple thefts and knife offences
Hamza Zeyadi, 47, homeless and on the run, has been jailed for a string of brazen crimes across Reading. The career offender pled guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court on 23 February to shoplifting, stealing from a pensioner, handling stolen goods, and threatening behaviour.
52 weeks behind bars for daring thefts and carrying a knife
Zeyadi was handed a 52-week prison sentence after a crime spree that shocked locals. His offences include:
- Robbing a woman in her 70s at a cash point on Erleigh Road on 25 November 2025 at 9:30pm
- Pinching a wallet from a Suffolk Road vehicle on 13 December 2025 at 4am and using the stolen cards
- Snatching £40 worth of booze on Deacon Way, Tilehurst, 2 January 2026 at 8:50pm
- Shoplifting £23.65 of food from Tesco Express, Crown Colonnade the same evening
- Stealing £20 of booze and food from Co-Op on Oxford Road, 4 February 2026 at 8:50pm
- Finally caught carrying a huge 20.5cm kitchen knife late on 19 February 2026, leading to immediate arrest
Fast police action ends Reading thief’s reign
The police swooped after spotting the intimidating kitchen knife, bringing Zeyadi’s dangerous antics to an end. His cocktail of street theft and menacing behaviour has now earned him a solid jail term. Authorities have sent a clear warning: Reading’s streets won’t tolerate knife crime and crooked criminals.
