Blade shunners
Maximum five-year jail term only imposed ONCE in a year
ONLY one criminal has been handed the maximum five-year jail sentence for carrying a knife in Scotland, figures show.
While there were 917 convictions for the offence of “having in a public place an article with a blade or point” in 2016-17, there was only one case where this resulted in the longest possible prison term.
The figures – which do not include cases where a knife was used in a robbery, assault or killing – were obtained by the Scottish Conservatives BY KATRINE BUSSEY under freedom of information legislation.
It prompted the Tories to accuse SNP ministers of talking “hot air” on knife crime.
The Scottish Government increased the maximum prison sentence in 2016.
Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: “The maximum sentence for carrying a knife was increased to five years to tackle the issue of knife crime.
“If these figures are anything to go by, this tactic has failed. For only one criminal to have received the maximum sentence shows just how toothless the sentence guideline is.
“The SNP talk a good game on knife crime but it is clearly nothing more than hot air.”
The figures showed the average jail sentence imposed for carrying a knife increased from 377 days in 2015-16 to 421 days behind bars in 2016-17.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said all parties at Holyrood had backed the increase in sentences for knife crime when it was introduced, saying this ensured courts have the powers needed “in the most serious knife possession cases”.
She added: “Sentencing in each case, however, remains a matter for the independent court, where they have all the facts and circumstances before them.
“The twin-track approach of pioneering violence-prevention programmes, coupled with enhanced penalties and tough enforcement has helped deliver huge falls in violent crime over the last decade.
“We will continue to pursue our strategy to help keep crime down and communities safe.”