Man sentenced to 9 months in prison for knife crime

A 26-year-old Northampton man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison after being caught carrying a meat tenderiser in December last year.

Simon Rhys Lawrence, of no fixed abode, was carrying the weapon “for protection” on the night of December 18, in Kettering Road, Northampton.

When challenged by police officers who stop searched him, the tenderiser was found tucked into his waistband. He was subsequently arrested and charged with the possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

At Northampton Crown Court last week (Tuesday, February 15), he was handed a 10-month prison sentence.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Beth Warren said: “Lawrence was arrested as part of Operation Magpie - a jointly funded operation supported by West Northamptonshire Council and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

“This funding paid for an extra four officers, two in uniform and two plain-clothed, to be on duty in the town centre across every weekend in December, targeting those who may have been carrying weapons, engaging with licenced premises, and supporting with the deployments of knife arches.

“I am really pleased that this operation has paid dividends with people like Lawrence arrested and jailed, and the prison sentence here shows the seriousness with which knife crime is taken in this county.

“Tackling knife crime remains a priority for Northamptonshire Police and we will continue to work hard in order to take as many knives off our streets as possible.”

Councillor David Smith, WNC's Cabinet Member for community engagement and safety, said: “While knife crime remains low in West Northants in comparison to other parts of the country, we are committed to doing everything we can to tackle this serious crime which can have a devastating impact on victims, their families, and communities.

“It is pleasing to see that Operation Magpie is delivering results like this and we will continue to work closely with the police to crack down on offenders.”

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Stephen Mold added: “I have made a commitment to the people of Northampton to ensure that robust action is taken when offences are committed and funding these additional officers has proven to be the right decision.

“Carrying any weapon in a public place will have consequences and I will continue to support our police in proactively tackling this type of crime.”