Police chief George Le Page shows Home minister Geoff Mahy a throwing star from the force’s collection of confiscated weapons. (Picture by Daniel Guerin, 0579720)
A CRACKDOWN on knives is planned by the Home Department in the wake of an increase in violent attacks.
Four serious stabbings, two of them fatal, took place in London during a 48-hour period at the beginning of this week and Home minister Geoff Mahy said he wanted to prevent a rise in knife crime locally. ‘The department has been concerned about the publicity of knife crime in the UK and at one of its last meetings before the general election supported a draft report on the sale and danger of knives,’ he said.
The paper, which is due to go out for consultation next month, looks at revising local laws. It comprises two main elements and Deputy Mahy hoped it would be ready to be brought before the States this year. ‘The first thing it deals with is that it would make it an offence to sell or offer to sell or attempt to sell knives to under-18s,’ he said.
‘The second element would be to make it an offence to market a knife or other blade or sharply-pointed weapon in such a way that it is suitable for combat or likely to stimulate or encourage violent behaviour.’
A 22-year-old man was stabbed to death in London’s Oxford Street on Monday and locally Andrius Duda, 25, was recently sentenced to five months in prison for brandishing a knife in Les Folies d’Amour nightclub.
Assistant-Magistrate Philip Robey told Duda when sentencing him that anyone carrying a knife in Guernsey should expect to be jailed.
This is in contrast to the UK where under sentencing guidelines released this week magistrates are being advised to fine or give community service to offenders carrying blades, which are ‘not used to threaten or cause fear’.
Deputy Mahy said the island’s tough stance was important.
‘Carrying a knife for no good reason should not be permitted.’
‘Because knife culture is proving to be prevalent on the mainland we want laws to stop it becoming prevalent here,’ he said.
‘I think we have to start from the premise that the first role of government is to keep the public safe and if our laws are tough in order to keep people safe, then so be it.
‘Nobody wants a friend or a next of kin to be the victim of knife crime.’
Deputy Mahy thought most people would support the review.
‘This is just a draft,’ he said. ‘The department will take on board the feedback from the community and other departments prior to it going back to the States.’
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