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Courts 'must halt epidemic of knife crime'
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor21.05.08
One of the country's most senior judges said today that the "most severe" sentences were needed to combat the "epidemic" of knife crime on Britain's streets.
In an Appeal Court edict which will set a precedent for other cases, Sir Igor Judge said that only then could knife crime be "confronted and stopped" and "mayhem" and murder prevented.
The call by Sir Igor, who as President of the High Court Queen's Bench is the country's second most senior judge, follows a series of stabbings in London and elsewhere, many involving teenage victims.
Critics have blamed some of the violence on the lenient sentences handed out to knife offenders.
Sir Igor's comments come after the killing of 40 teenagers in London since the start of last year, many of whom have been the victims of knife crime.
Prosecutors and the Met announced last year that offenders caught with a blade would in future escape with a caution. This month the Sentencing Guidelines Council, which advises judges and magistrates, said that those caught with a blade could be let off with a fine or a community punishment.
Official figures show that fewer than one in five of those caught carrying a blade are sent to prison.
Today, however, Sir Igor called for a far more robust approach from judges and magistrates as he spoke out before delivering rulings on appeals by offenders caught with weapons.
"Carrying a knife or offensive weapon without reasonable excuse is a crime which is being committed far too often by far too many people," he said.
"That is because, even if carried only for bravado or carried for some misguided sense that it would be used in possible selfdefence, it takes only a moment of irritation, drunkenness, anger, perceived insult, or something utterly trivial like a 'look', for the weapon to be produced.
"Then you have mayhem, and offences of the greatest possible seriousness follow, including murder, manslaughter, GBH, wounding and assault."
Sir Igor - who was sitting with Mr Justice Griffith Williams and Mr Justice Saunders - delivered his edict as he rejected appeals by three offenders carrying knives or bladed articles in public places.
He said his call for tougher sentences should apply even when offenders were merely caught carrying a blade because of the risk that it could lead to serious consequences. "In our view, it is important for public confidence in the criminal justice system that the man or woman caught in possession of a knife or offensive weapon without reasonable excuse should normally be brought before the courts and prosecuted," he added.
Reader views (12)
I've always been of the opinion that two sharpened #2 pencils are just as dangerous as a knife, if the issue is stabbing. Just ask Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Possessing something that has multiple uses, only one of which is "a weapon", should not be a crime.
- Michael Brutsch, Garland, Texas, USA
John from Dallas : "When the common man is armed, criminals no longer own a monopoly on the use of force. A more just and safe society is the logical result." and yet illogically or so it would seem, the number of crimes involving firearms in the USA is more than just significantly higher, its astronomical. Clearly this approach has failed in your country, it's not going to work here either.
More adequate policing on the other hand is likely to effect a change in the number of knife carrying individuals on the street. People carry knives because everyone else is, the approach of much harsher penalties may work but presumably there would be no immediate effect, however greater publicity alongside this potential change in judgements could.
Murder is possible without a weapon, there are plenty of cases in the UK of this happening. On the other hand, there are a lot more involving weapons, imposing harsher penalties on those carrying weapons, is likely to make them less common in public and to their involvement in a crime.
Common sense is key
- Will P, Manchester, UK
The mind just boggles at where Britain has gone. As a teen, I carried a hunting knife on my belt every day, including to school. As an adult, I still often legally carry a knife and/or a handgun for utility and self defence. I am trained in armed self defence and legally licensed for carrying a concealed handgun in Texas. This is normal for a free man in a free state.
England has lost it's liberty. Where is your freedom, if you have no right to self defence? What is more basic than self defence? What kind of society allows evil to flourish by removing the means for his defence and the defence of others?
Once you've given over your rights to the collective, they are no longer yours. Without the right to self defence, you are nothing more than chattel, property of the state to be lorded over by your "betters."
Honest citizens with arms are not a threat. Criminals with arms are a threat. Put the criminals in jail. Make it a jail offence for a violent offender to bear arms in public. You're making more armed criminals by not allowing honest citizens to defend themselves with arms. Criminals learn that having a weapon gives them a tremendous edge over the common, unarmed man.
When the common man is armed, criminals no longer own a monopoly on the use of force. A more just and safe society is the logical result.
- John, Dallas, Texas, USA
This is ridiculous. The UK should seriously look at their policies here and what they are doing. I am in awe at the lack of understanding of human actions. Do people honestly believe that once knives are taken away there will be no more murder? Is it going to come down to utility knives, box cutters, and shanks of all sorts?
- Eric, Detroit, USA
Soon it will be illegal to make a fist in London...
- Tim, USA
Take away the guns, the knives, and then the rocks and bricks, but a culture sliding into a degenerate condition will always find a way to perform mayhem on itself.
As the nanny state enslaves itself to the great overlord, it will in the end be neither safe nor free. Lovers of liberty should seek citizenship elsewhere.
- Nathan Mcdaniel, Apache Junction, Arizona USA
Knife Crime?
What about the seriousness of Rock or Stone Crime and Broken Glass Crime? And these foolish misguided people thinking of defending themselves? Maybe we can come up with a way to detect such irrational thoughts and remove these people from the streets before they can harm themselves or worse yet what if they harm their attacker? No that would not do at all.
- Rok, Tallmansville US
I fail utterly to understand this. I carry a dangerous knife every day and use it many times each hour for legitimate purposes. What are we supposed to cut with - our teeth?
- Mike, Western USA
Forty deaths! Do something. Please.
Everyone must know that carrying a knife is wrong.
If we lock up 40 people for carrying a knife then that is better than forty deaths.
- John Of Enfield, Enfield, UK
We've found a cure for this problem in America, and it's something you Brits used to do yourselves before your leaders stopped trusting you. If you find yourself in an unprevoked knife fight, simply draw your pistol and dispatch the assailant post haste.
A clever rule of thumb we like to follow is: "Never bring a knife to a gunfight."
- I-Live-2-Ride, FL, USA
I thought that when the Brits eliminated the epidemic of gun violence all murders were going to stop?
- Mentat Masterson, Chicago Usa
Thankfully someone finally speaks some sense with regard to this issue.
Quite how the Sentencing Guidelines Council came to the conclusion that the best way to deter knife-carrying would be "that those caught with a blade could be let off with a fine or a community punishment", is utterly beyond me.
How many more young people have to die before this judge's advice is heeded?
- Ben, London
