Number of knife crime offenders given suspended sentence doubles

THE number of knife crime offenders who are avoiding jail through a suspended sentence has more than doubled amid accusations of soft justice.

According to the latest figures, suspended sentences given to those convicted of knife and offensive weapons offences soared from 2,286 in 2012 to 4,768 in 2022.

Suspended sentences are supposed to be a lesser alternative to an immediate prison sentence, allowing an offender to avoid incarceration if they stay out of trouble and comply with requirements set by the court.

These requirements can include doing unpaid work such as cleaning up graffiti, painting railings or picking up litter, as well as being subject to a curfew and undergoing treatment for problems related to alcohol or drugs.

According to the figures highlighted by Labour, in 2012 of the 18,297 convictions relating to knives and offensive weapons, 12 per cent resulted in a suspended sentence. In 2022 there were 19,378 such convictions, of which 25 per cent were dealt with through a suspended sentence.

However, the Ministry of Justice pointed out that the proportion of adult offenders given an immediate custodial sentence for such offences rose from 31 per cent in 2012 to 36 per cent in 2022, with people less likely to be given a caution.

Last month, judges were advised that they should take account of overcrowding in prisons when deciding whether to imprison convicted criminals.

Lord Justice Edis issued the guidance in the Court of Appeal as he quashed a six-month jail sentence on a man who assaulted an emergency worker and replaced it with a suspended sentence.

The number of crimes recorded by police in England and Wales involving a knife or sharp instrument has risen by a third from about 34,000 in 2010-11 to 45,000 in 2020-21.

Labour said it would tackle knife crime through a number of measures, including doubling the number of prosecutors, which it said it would achieve by lifting current restrictions on associate prosecutors and recruiting more crown prosecutors.