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Man jailed for carrying weapons

9:38am Friday 4th July 2008

comment Comments (8)   Have your say »


A 23-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed after he was found carrying a knuckleduster and a cut-throat razor blade.

Billy Coleman, of The Mead, New Ash Green, was given a six-month prison term at Croydon Crown Court after being arrested in August last year.

Police officers found Coleman carrying the weapons after following and stopping his car when they saw him driving erratically through Bromley.

A knuckleduster and cut-throat razor were found in the vehicle's glove box, along with a lock knife in the driver's door pocket.

Coleman was also carrying another lock knife in a trouser pocket.

He pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon - the knuckleduster - and to careless driving.

Coleman denied three counts of having a pointed and bladed article but was found guilty after a two-day trial.

He was sentenced to six months in prison on each of the three knife offences as well as four months in jail for carrying a knuckleduster - all to run concurrently.

Coleman was also given five penalty points on his driving licence.

Sergeant Lee Howes, the head of the Bickley Safer Neighbourhood Team which arrested Coleman, said: "This conviction and term of imprisonment clearly show possessing a knife is likely to lead to prison, even with no aggravating circumstances."

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**E**, Bromley says...
9:52am Fri 4 Jul 08

Thank God for that...another looser off our streets!!!

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anita, dartford says...
10:07am Fri 4 Jul 08

Is that all - out in 12 weeks!! I thought there was a 5 year jail term for carrying illegal weapons - oh well obviously not.

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paulus the wood gnome, nutwood says...
10:22am Fri 4 Jul 08

no wonder people still carry knives
at this rate we will be having a ben kinsella every day
when will the courts start to take stronger action?
ill tell you when ,when when of theirs gets a blade in the guts,but while its happening to the little people outside the gated community with 24/7 security where they live it will continue to happen
this government has a lot to answer for and on election day they will be found wanting

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l crane, bromley says...
10:35am Fri 4 Jul 08

i think that wiv all this tradegy going on and more of a daily thing,there shud b an immediate sentence of 2 years for any1 carrying a weapon and that will be halved to 1 year wether it be a knife,hammer or anything that is carried for no other reason but to seriously hurt and more so KILL a person,and for those caught with a gun should indeffinately get a 4 or 5 year sentence which wud then go to a 2 or 3 year sentence regardless of age,race,background.
maybe then it wudnt be so hard or cool to carry them in the first place.im up for stop and searching ANYONE who acts or poses a threat to others and gangs who are out loitering at any time of day or night.anyone who wishes to reply me are welcum as i wud like all views from people for and against my comments.

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Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott, The Cells says...
11:37am Fri 4 Jul 08

Coleman should have his own razor used on him to give him a taste of what it is like to be slashed.

I would personally volunteer to administer the punishment and would save the knuckleduster til last.

Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott

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Someone, says...
4:08pm Fri 4 Jul 08

l crane wrote:
i think that wiv all this tradegy going on and more of a daily thing,there shud b an immediate sentence of 2 years for any1 carrying a weapon and that will be halved to 1 year wether it be a knife,hammer or anything that is carried for no other reason but to seriously hurt and more so KILL a person,and for those caught with a gun should indeffinately get a 4 or 5 year sentence which wud then go to a 2 or 3 year sentence regardless of age,race,background. maybe then it wudnt be so hard or cool to carry them in the first place.im up for stop and searching ANYONE who acts or poses a threat to others and gangs who are out loitering at any time of day or night.anyone who wishes to reply me are welcum as i wud like all views from people for and against my comments.
When is a tool a weapon?

When it is in the hands of a person who's intentions are 'criminal'!

How do you know the difference between a criminal and a person travelling to and fro from his industry?

Easy in the above case as the guy was carrying a knuckle duster and a cut throat razor, and I assume he wasn't a barmy 'blinging' barber!

But the way is paved for a lot of innocent people to be prosecuted simply for carrying their 'tools' on their person.

The government will no doubt issue fines on these offences soon in order to produce more revenue from society and ease the burden of the overcrowded prisons.

I do not advocate the carrying of offensive weapons, and undoubtedly support the decision of prosecution of felons captured red-handed, provided there is no doubt that those prosecuted definately had ill intentions. For the rest of 'decent' society the freedom to carry a hammer, drill, chainsaw, knife and even a rifle should not be restricted! There are too many restrictions meted out on us already! So many bear the brunt for so few!

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Jo, blackfen says...
6:31pm Fri 4 Jul 08

Anyone found in possession of a knife should automatically get a prison sentence.

Every single one of them.

Magistrates should stop taking into account their circumstances such as damaging upbringings etc. They should always hold in mind the rights of the majority of our law abiding young people who have a right to live without fear of a knife being pulled on them.

Our children are dying.

The message of you have a knife you are going to jail has just got to get start to get accross.

Otherwise I really fear for this society and the country that we will become.

I myself am seriously considering to emigrate within the next ten years with my children to a safer country if the criminal justice system does not start to be accountable and use common sense.

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Mark, Dartford says...
6:38am Tue 8 Jul 08

It's out of control now and there's not a darned Billy Bob, thing we can do about it.Unless we build more of these 'Academys' to teach young people, how to live ' normally'.

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