Zombie knife crackdown as criminals who buy Rambo style blades face two years in jail | The Sun

RAMBO-STYLE machetes face being banned as criminals who buy or sell them set to receive two years in jail.

Dangerous blades such as zombie knives designed to look menacing and  with  the intention to threaten will be outlawed under the plans.

The crackdown will also see cops be given more powers to seize and destroy knives of a certain length even if they are in a private home.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “The thugs wielding these deadly knives aim to terrorise their victims and the public, and too often even carry out horrific or fatal attacks.

“They are emboldened by the cowardly idea that carrying these blades inflates their own status and respect.

“This can’t go on. These plans seek to give the police greater powers to seize and destroy these weapons and impose harsher penalties on the criminals selling them, keeping them off our streets and making communities safer.”

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The move follows a judge asking jurors to write to their MPs about the availability of knives online. 

It followed the case of a man being found guilty of killing an 18-year-old with a 22-inch zombie knife.

Emadh Miah, 18, faces a life sentence when he is sentenced next week after killing Ghulam Sadiq near his home in Leytonstone, east London, last summer.

A public consultation will inform ministers over which machetes and large knives to outlaw.

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It will also ask whether the criminal justice system should treat the possession in public of a prohibited  blade more seriously.

A separate offence could be created for those carrying a knife with the intention to injure or cause fear of violence.

Policing Minister Chris Philp said:  “There is no legitimate reason for someone to carry a machete or zombie knife on the streets of Britain.

"These knives, which have no practical purpose, are carried by criminals.

“So-called ‘Rambo’ and ‘zombie style’ knives, spark fear and can cause unimaginable harm.

“They are often used to intimidate victims as part of a street mugging for a phone or a watch or used by drug gangs on the streets.”

Commander Stephen Clayman, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, said:    “Ultimately, these measures provide a greater means to protect the public and safeguard our communities.”

Patrick Green, boss of the Ben Kinsella Trust said:   “These weapons have no legitimate purpose and only serve to glamorise violence and intimidate others.

“They are often used by gangs and criminals to inflict serious harm and create fear on our streets. By taking them off the streets, we will reduce the risk of serious violence and save lives.”

Minister:No reason to carry a machete or zombie knife

by Chris Philp, Policing Minister

There is no legitimate reason for someone to carry a machete or zombie knife on the streets of Britain. These knives, which have no practical purpose, are carried by criminals.

So-called ‘Rambo’ and ‘zombie style’ knives, spark fear and can cause unimaginable harm. They are often used to intimidate victims as part of a street mugging for a phone or a watch or used by drug gangs on the streets.

That is why we are moving to ban all these terrifying weapons. Sun readers will agree that we need to take these knives, used by gangs and county lines kingpins to intimidate and control, out of criminal hands and off our streets completely.

Under our proposals, they will no longer be sold online or in shops. And we are looking to ensure that anyone who sells a dangerous knife to a child will face a bigger penalty – up to two years in prison.

And when police officers find dangerous knives in homes, we will give them powers to make it easier to seize and destroy the blades they find.

I believe those who continue to carry these vicious knives should face more time behind bars, in recognition of the damage they could have inflicted by taking or ruining a life. And we will also look at creating a new offence of carrying a blade to cause fear.

There are some legitimate uses for certain types of machetes in agriculture or horticulture, so we are consulting on these proposals to ensure they are targeted and balanced. But we are determined to move fast, as we cannot wait for another person to be seriously injured before we act.

Violent crime is down 38% since 2010, but I want to drive it down even further. That’s why thousands of extra police officers are already out on the beat making our streets safer. When the Police Uplift Programme to recruit 20,000 more cops is complete, we are confident there will be more police officers in England and Wales than ever before.

We are also committed to giving them the powers they need to protect communities and put criminals behind bars. From tomorrow we will be piloting Serious Violence Reduction Orders, a court ruling allowing officers to stop and search a person previously convicted for carrying a knife, in four parts of the country with a view to rolling it out nationally.

We are also improving our understanding of homicides in England & Wales, looking at the circumstances that bring victim and perpetrator fatally together. Recently we launched a new pilot in fourteen local authorities across England & Wales to review homicides with an offensive weapon, aiding to equip partners to prevent them, and save lives.

Dangerous and deadly knife-carrying is a complex issue. We are pushing forward with our twin-track approach. One, enforcement via common sense policing; more officers on our streets, patrolling violence hot spots, supporting police with the right powers to seize illegal weapons and punish offenders.

The second, early prevention to help youngsters groomed into a life of violent crime to get back on track. Our Violence Reduction Units in 20 areas of England and Wales with the highest levels of serious violence do just that, making early interventions and steering them onto a better path.

We will make our streets safer, take back control of all our neighbourhoods, showing that it is the police, not violent criminals, who are in charge.

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