The government is planning to outlaw zombie knives and some types of machete in England and Wales and says those buying or selling them could face up to two years in jail.
The Home Office has opened to public consultation the plan to outlaw blades that are “designed to look menacing” and “with the intention to threaten,” but there have been questions about how difficult it might be to interpret any potential legislation.
Zombie knives—often bought from websites based abroad—first began to emerge in London and other cities in the early 2010s and in June 2015 Stefan Appleton, 17, was stabbed to death in a park with one in Islington, north London.
Earlier this month a judge urged jurors to write to their MPs about the danger of zombie knives after Emadh Miah, 18, was convicted of murdering Ghulam Sadiq in Leytonstone, east London, with a 22-inch blade.
Judge Christine Laing, KC, said: “The weapon we are concerned with here has absolutely no place in this society. I advise you to write to your MPs and ask why it is that weapons like the one you saw in this case can be bought from a website legitimately.”
She told jurors: “These weapons are there for anybody to purchase and it is beyond me as to why that is. Knife crime in general is becoming the scourge of our society but at the moment people can get weapons like that, it’s really quite shocking.”
The Home Office proposals—which were outlined on Tuesday—would give police more power to seize and destroy such weapons.
The Home Office accepted some machetes can have “legitimate uses” in gardening and farming, but they have too often fallen into the hands of criminals who use them to “intimidate and cause others serious harm.”
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“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,” she said.Unveiling the plans, Home Office minister Chris Philp wrote on Twitter: “There is no legitimate use for these weapons, and they endanger the public. Violent crime is down 38 percent since 2010 according to the crime survey, but we’re determined to do even more.”
Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley said, “I cannot help but reflect that large knives and machetes being sold online is open to abuse and lamentably continues to be a risk to the public.”
Offences covering the importing, manufacturing, selling, or supplying of prohibited offensive weapons, and selling blades to children, would carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison if the plans come into force.
Under current laws, if police find a machete or other legal blade in someone’s home they cannot seize or act on this, even if they believe the items will be used in crime.
Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, which was set up in 2008 following a knife murder, supported the government’s plans and 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,” he added.
From Wednesday four police forces will start piloting civil court powers called serious violence reduction orders allowing officers to stop, detain, and search offenders who have previously been convicted of knife or offensive weapon offences.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said zombie knives should have been banned “years ago” and said: “Knife crime devastates lives and rips apart communities and the government must do all it can to prevent it. Sadly, the Conservatives have dragged their heels and are only launching a consultation.”
As part of cracking down on crime and anti-social behaviour the government announced plans last month to virtually ban the use of nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas.”
