Rap on the knuckles for weapon collector who ignored police warning

Hobbyist was importing knuckle dusters from China

A collector was placed on a curfew for three months yesterday after he admitted importing more than 20 knuckle dusters from China.

Mark Campbell claimed his hobby was harmless and carried on collecting the menacing weapons after being warned to stop by the police.

Between February and April last year, Campbell had imported 23 knuckle dusters, with some costing as little as £2 each.

Sheriff Keith O’Mahoney said: “This is an unusual charge.

“It’s a new one on me.

“I have never encountered an offence of this nature before – the importation of knuckle dusters.

“I am prepared to accept on face value that it was done because you are a collector and you didn’t have any further offensive use in mind

“But it is quite clear that if they had fallen into the wrong hands they could have been used offensively.” He forfeited the weapons. Campbell, 44, of Harriet Row, Blairgowrie, admitted importing prohibited knuckle dusters with the intention of evading legal restrictions on them.

Solicitor Steve Lafferty, defending, told Perth Sheriff Court: “He accepts his culpability. He got the warning from the police and just carried on.

“His father was in very poor health and has now passed away.

“He was just ordering items as a collector. It was a common interest he had with his late father.

“It was folly on his part to continue collecting these items.”

The court was told that Campbell had been buying knuckle dusters from a website called Wish and they could take several weeks to arrive as they were being dispatched from China.

Campbell was initially ordered to carry out unpaid work, but that was revoked yesterday and replaced with a restriction of liberty order lasting three months.

The website offers a broad range of the weapons for sale for as little as £1.

Among the items Campbell had were knuckle duster lock knives, ring and spike dusters and zombie knife knuckle dusters.

It’s a new one on me. I have never encountered an offence of this nature before – the importation of knuckle dusters. SHERIFF KEITH O’MAHONEY