A 23-year-old man has been jailed for 18 months after admitting threatening police officers with two knives outside his home in Northamptonshire.
Judge Richard Bray at Northampton Crown Court said the "days of lenient sentences" for knife crimes were over.
Thomas Boyce, of Eaton Close, Weedon, had pleaded guilty to common assault against his ex-girlfriend and affray.
The court heard Boyce had assaulted his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his child, when she bumped into him on a night out in Northampton town centre in the early hours of 18 May.
DRINK AND DRUG PROBLEMS
Alexandra Bull, prosecuting, said she had approached him, asking him why she had not been able to get in touch with him because he owed her money.
"When he walked away, she shouted at him, at which point he turned around and punched her in the stomach before running away.
"Later that day on Eaton Close, Boyce had threatened to stab a police officer who tried to search him. He was seen brandishing two knives."
Boyce was finally restrained by officers and a police dog.
Steven Evans, defending, said Boyce had a long history of drink and drugs which led to problems.
He said he was reconciled with his ex-girlfriend, who had been visiting him while he was on remand.
"He has decent parents, a decent job, and has always worked.
"He now has responsibilities for a young son so the prospects for him avoiding further trouble are there."
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Footballers make knife-crime plea
Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and David James spoke to launch an anti-knife campaign called It Doesn't Have to Happen.
Beckham said: "We can help people, we can help youngsters, because we've got a voice that kids listen to."
The government says more than 2,500 arrests have been made and 1,600 knives have been seized since June under its action plan to tackle knife crime.
David Beckham told the news conference at the team hotel he had experience of knife crime.
His best friend's brother had been due to sign a contract with Leyton Orient when he was stabbed aged 13.
Beckham said: "One day he was walking the streets, saw a fight, went over to help, got stabbed in the back and was paralysed.
"No one wants to see the devastation I saw my friend and his family go through. We have to lend our support to this campaign."
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand attended the same school as murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.
"I will never forget when the headmaster brought the school to a halt and said he had been killed. There was a sombre and chilling atmosphere.
"One day the guy was enjoying life and talking about his A-levels and the next day he was gone. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
He said getting tough on knife crime would help, but there also needed to be schemes to keep young people busy.
"Communities and youth centres also need to play a bigger part. Boredom can set in a lot of times, there is a lot of peer pressure and then something happens that everyone regrets," he added.
Beckham said: "We can help people, we can help youngsters, because we've got a voice that kids listen to."
The government says more than 2,500 arrests have been made and 1,600 knives have been seized since June under its action plan to tackle knife crime.
David Beckham told the news conference at the team hotel he had experience of knife crime.
His best friend's brother had been due to sign a contract with Leyton Orient when he was stabbed aged 13.
Beckham said: "One day he was walking the streets, saw a fight, went over to help, got stabbed in the back and was paralysed.
"No one wants to see the devastation I saw my friend and his family go through. We have to lend our support to this campaign."
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand attended the same school as murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.
"I will never forget when the headmaster brought the school to a halt and said he had been killed. There was a sombre and chilling atmosphere.
"One day the guy was enjoying life and talking about his A-levels and the next day he was gone. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
He said getting tough on knife crime would help, but there also needed to be schemes to keep young people busy.
"Communities and youth centres also need to play a bigger part. Boredom can set in a lot of times, there is a lot of peer pressure and then something happens that everyone regrets," he added.
Teenagers injured in knife attack
Two teenagers were seriously injured in a knife attack in a car park in Watford - just hours before a high-profile anti-knife-crime drive in the town.
The 19-year-olds were walking from the Flag pub in Station Road in the early hours when they had an altercation with four men and a woman in a silver car.
The car stopped and they were chased into the pub car park and stabbed.
The attackers were described as four white men and one white woman, all in their late teens to early 20s.
One of the men was described as being of slim to medium build, 5ft 10in (178cm) to 6ft (183cm), clean-shaven, with dark, spiky hair. He wore blue jeans and a green t-shirt with a white motif on the front.
Another of the attackers has a skinhead haircut, and is thought to have been wearing a polo-type top with a striped pattern.
The woman was in her late teens to early 20s with shoulder-length blonde hair.
Both victims, who are from the Watford area, were taken to hospital for treatment. One has been released while the other remains in a stable condition.
The 19-year-olds were walking from the Flag pub in Station Road in the early hours when they had an altercation with four men and a woman in a silver car.
The car stopped and they were chased into the pub car park and stabbed.
The attackers were described as four white men and one white woman, all in their late teens to early 20s.
One of the men was described as being of slim to medium build, 5ft 10in (178cm) to 6ft (183cm), clean-shaven, with dark, spiky hair. He wore blue jeans and a green t-shirt with a white motif on the front.
Another of the attackers has a skinhead haircut, and is thought to have been wearing a polo-type top with a striped pattern.
The woman was in her late teens to early 20s with shoulder-length blonde hair.
Both victims, who are from the Watford area, were taken to hospital for treatment. One has been released while the other remains in a stable condition.
Family in tribute to stab victim
The family of a 17-year-old youth stabbed to death in a street fight in south London have paid tribute to the "energetic and helpful" teenager.
Nilanthan Murddi's sister Santhiya said her parents were "destroyed" by their only son's death.
A 31-year-old man arrested in connection with Nilanthan's murder has since been released on bail.
Nilanthan was among six to eight people involved in the fight in Croydon early on Saturday.
The teenager died three hours later in hospital. A post-mortem examination found he died from a single knife wound to the neck.
The Murddi family are from Sri Lanka but have lived in Britain for more than 20 years.
Police want to contact a mini-cab driver, believed to have been in a blue Ford Mondeo, who stopped at traffic lights near the scene of the fight at about 0100 BST on Saturday.
Police believe his passenger, a white man, argued with him and "exchanged words" with Nilanthan and his friends who were standing nearby.
A Met Police spokeswoman said: "The suspect returned a little while later and was again involved in an exchange of words with Nilanthan and his friends, which resulted in the victim being injured."
Nilanthan was the 23rd teenager to be killed in a stabbing or a shooting in the capital this year.
Nilanthan Murddi's sister Santhiya said her parents were "destroyed" by their only son's death.
A 31-year-old man arrested in connection with Nilanthan's murder has since been released on bail.
Nilanthan was among six to eight people involved in the fight in Croydon early on Saturday.
The teenager died three hours later in hospital. A post-mortem examination found he died from a single knife wound to the neck.
The Murddi family are from Sri Lanka but have lived in Britain for more than 20 years.
Police want to contact a mini-cab driver, believed to have been in a blue Ford Mondeo, who stopped at traffic lights near the scene of the fight at about 0100 BST on Saturday.
Police believe his passenger, a white man, argued with him and "exchanged words" with Nilanthan and his friends who were standing nearby.
A Met Police spokeswoman said: "The suspect returned a little while later and was again involved in an exchange of words with Nilanthan and his friends, which resulted in the victim being injured."
Nilanthan was the 23rd teenager to be killed in a stabbing or a shooting in the capital this year.
Murder probe after boy's stabbing
A teenage boy has been stabbed to death after attending a party in Manchester.
Connor Black, a 16-year-old joinery student, suffered a one inch stab wound to his upper left shoulder in Moston Lane, Harpurhey, in the early hours
Kirsty Scullion, 18, who works as a beauty therapist, said: "He was a loveable lad who was never really in trouble.
"He was respectful but there had been trouble at this party.
Detectives are carrying out tests on two knives found in the area
"Someone told me that Connor was thought to have said something to someone, which he denied.
"It all then got out of hand and there was a commotion and he ended up getting stabbed.
"He wasn't the sort of lad who would look for trouble but he would back himself up."
Kirsty's brother, Jordan, 15, said: "He was a really good lad, I can't believe this has happened.
"He had everything to live for and was a normal young lad, into football. All his friends are stunned."
Police have appealed for anyone with information about the attack to get in touch.
They are particularly interested in speaking to anyone who saw a hooded figure seen running from the scene.
Connor Black, a 16-year-old joinery student, suffered a one inch stab wound to his upper left shoulder in Moston Lane, Harpurhey, in the early hours
Kirsty Scullion, 18, who works as a beauty therapist, said: "He was a loveable lad who was never really in trouble.
"He was respectful but there had been trouble at this party.
Detectives are carrying out tests on two knives found in the area
"Someone told me that Connor was thought to have said something to someone, which he denied.
"It all then got out of hand and there was a commotion and he ended up getting stabbed.
"He wasn't the sort of lad who would look for trouble but he would back himself up."
Kirsty's brother, Jordan, 15, said: "He was a really good lad, I can't believe this has happened.
"He had everything to live for and was a normal young lad, into football. All his friends are stunned."
Police have appealed for anyone with information about the attack to get in touch.
They are particularly interested in speaking to anyone who saw a hooded figure seen running from the scene.
Stab family backs football scheme
A football team setting out to educate children about the dangers of knives and guns has been backed by the family of an 18-year-old stabbing victim.
Charlton Athletic is in talks with Sally Knox, mother of Rob Knox, who was stabbed to death in Sidcup in May.
The club is using football to tackle the problem of street violence through activities in schools and estates in south east London and Kent.
The community programme involves football coaches visiting schools and estates across Greenwich, Bexley and Kent to talk to children and educate them about the dangers of weapons.
Mr Morgan said: "The power of football is extraordinary, and youngsters respond far more to someone in a tracksuit than the traditional delivery approaches.
"It is our intention to get education resource packs to every child in Greenwich, Bexley and Kent."
Karl Bishop, 21, from Sidcup, has been charged murdering Rob Knox and wounding five other people. He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on 2 September.
Charlton Athletic is in talks with Sally Knox, mother of Rob Knox, who was stabbed to death in Sidcup in May.
The club is using football to tackle the problem of street violence through activities in schools and estates in south east London and Kent.
The community programme involves football coaches visiting schools and estates across Greenwich, Bexley and Kent to talk to children and educate them about the dangers of weapons.
Mr Morgan said: "The power of football is extraordinary, and youngsters respond far more to someone in a tracksuit than the traditional delivery approaches.
"It is our intention to get education resource packs to every child in Greenwich, Bexley and Kent."
Karl Bishop, 21, from Sidcup, has been charged murdering Rob Knox and wounding five other people. He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on 2 September.
Knives amnesty nets 600 weapons
653 weapons and knives have been handed in during a two-week amnesty across Tyne and Wear.
Police launched the crackdown after a spate of stabbings and incidents of disorder in the area.
Chief Constable Mike Craik, of the Northumbria Force, said the next phase of the campaign was to target known offenders and carry out spot checks.
But Mr Craik said there was no room for complacency and the campaign had a long way to go.
He said: "We do not have the gang culture that places like London have, but it is still a problem - last night alone there were three incidents in the area involving knives.
"People carry knives for lots of reasons. They are often ill, on drugs, or are psychologically damaged in some way - sometimes young people just think it's cool.
"That is why we have been into pretty much every school in the Northumbria force area and will be going in again.
"Fear is a very personal thing - but we want people be to be able to leave their homes and feel confident they are not in danger."
Police launched the crackdown after a spate of stabbings and incidents of disorder in the area.
Chief Constable Mike Craik, of the Northumbria Force, said the next phase of the campaign was to target known offenders and carry out spot checks.
But Mr Craik said there was no room for complacency and the campaign had a long way to go.
He said: "We do not have the gang culture that places like London have, but it is still a problem - last night alone there were three incidents in the area involving knives.
"People carry knives for lots of reasons. They are often ill, on drugs, or are psychologically damaged in some way - sometimes young people just think it's cool.
"That is why we have been into pretty much every school in the Northumbria force area and will be going in again.
"Fear is a very personal thing - but we want people be to be able to leave their homes and feel confident they are not in danger."
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