Only one in nine jailed for knife crimes

Date published: 20 February 2008

Only one in every nine people found guilty of carrying a knife in Greater Manchester is being given a prison sentence, new figures have revealed.

According to the Ministry of Justice, 389 people were found guilty of "having an article with a blade or point in public place" in a year - of which 46 were put behind bars by local magistrates.

The most recent figures available (for 2006) show that nationally 6,320 people were found guilty of the crime and 995 sent to prison - an average of 15 per cent, which is higher than the 11.8 per cent for Greater Manchester.

Last month Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised that police would be ordered to prosecute anyone carrying a blade in the latest crackdown on Britain’s knife crime epidemic.

He said: "Society cannot cope with people carrying guns and knives and threatening to use them. There are boundaries you cannot cross — and one is this country’s zero tolerance on knives."

The Conservatives, who uncovered the figures in a parliamentary answer, said they betrayed Gordon Brown’s "tough rhetoric as yet more spin".

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "This staggeringly complacent attitude to knife crime shows that Labour are part of the problem, not the solution."

Magistrates have powers to impose six-month sentences for any one offence but if the defendant is under 18 and the proceedings are in a youth court a two-year custodial sentence can be handed down.

The Crown Prosecution Service reviews files given by the police to see if there is a realistic chance of conviction. A spokesman added: "But whether or not a custodial sentence is awarded is a matter for the courts. We present the evidence and if someone pleads guilty or is found guilty they are given a sentence felt suitable."

A Home Office spokesperson said the Government takes knife crime extremely seriously. Last year the maximum sentence for carrying a knife was increased from two to four years.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: "It is important to stress that knife crime accounts for only a small portion of overall crime in Greater Manchester.

"Like any crime involving weapons, knife crime can have a devastating affect on people’s lives. GMP takes this issue extremely seriously and we are committed to reducing the number of knives and offensive weapons on the streets. GMP will take tough action against anyone found to be carrying a knife in a public place."