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Offensive Weapons: Prosecutions

Volume 479: debated on Monday 21 July 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people aged (a) under 16, (b) 16 to 18 and (c) over 18 years were (i) charged, (ii) convicted and (iii) sentenced to immediate custody for possession of a knife in each of the last five years. (219252)

The number of persons aged 10 to 15, 16 to 18, and 19 and over, who were proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for possession of a knife, in England and Wales for the years 2002 to 2006 can be viewed in the following table.

Charging data are not held by the Ministry of Justice. Information on numbers proceeded against has been provided in lieu of charging data.

The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.

Number of persons aged 10 to 15, 16 to 18, and 19 and over, who were proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty, and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for possession of a knife, in England and Wales, 2002 to 2006

10-15

16-18

19 and over

Proceeded against

Found guilty

Immediate custody

Proceeded against

Found guilty

Immediate custody

Proceeded against

Found guilty

Immediate custody

2002

440

360

13

1,200

964

65

5,323

4,014

695

2003

378

323

13

1,137

921

60

5,413

4,152

688

2004

470

400

8

1,214

1,004

78

5,668

4,486

729

2005

486

418

15

1,233

1,034

79

5,600

4,553

876

2006

529

477

18

1,364

1,145

93

5,806

4,747

964

Notes:

1. These data are on the principal offence basis.

2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

3. Includes the following statutes and corresponding offence description:

Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.3. Having an article with blade or point in public place.

Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (l)(5)(a) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(l). Having an article with blade or point on school premises.

Source:

CJEAU—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people aged (a) between 10 and 17 years, (b) between 18 and 24 years and (c) 25 years and over were (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted of knife possession offences in each of the last five years. (219443)

Information on the number of persons proceeded against magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences relating to possession of a knife, by age group, in England and Wales, for the years 2002 to 2006 can be viewed in the following table.

The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.

Number of persons proceeded against magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences relating to possession of a knife, by age group, in England and Wales, 2002 to 20061, 2, 3

Proceeded against

Found guilty

10-17

18-24

25 and over4

10-17

18-24

25 and over4

2002

1,205

2,253

3,505

972

1,712

2,654

2003

1,131

2,176

3,621

939

1,706

2,751

2004

1,244

2,328

3,780

1,035

1,905

2,950

2005

1,295

2,339

3,685

1,113

1,946

2,946

2006

1,449

2,483

3,767

1,265

2,045

3,059

1 These data are on the principal offence basis.

2 Includes the following statutes and corresponding offence description:

Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.3. Having an article with blade or point in public place.

Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (l)(5)(a) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(l). Having an article with blade or point on school premises.

3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

4 May include a few persons aged 18 or over where the age did not form part of the data supplied.

Source:

CJEAU—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice