Knife possession sentencing quarterly brief: April to June 2017
Source: data.gov.uk (2018-05-25)

Knife Possession Sentencing Statistics. This series of publications contain key statistics describing trends in cautioning and sentencing, probation supervision and the prison population for offences involving the possession of a knife or offensive weapon in England and Wales.

Published 14 September 2017 
Knife Possession Sentencing Quarterly, England 
and Wales – April to June 2017 
Main points 
5,237 knife possession 
offences dealt with by the CJS
  A rise of 6% since Q2 2016. This increase has 
been driven by the increase in blade or point 
offences.  
42% of adult offenders were 
given an immediate custodial 
sentence
 
This was the highest rate for adults since this 
publication series began, almost a decade ago. 
7% of adult offenders and 29% 
of juvenile offenders received a
caution
 These figures have fallen by 23 percentage points 
for adult offenders and 16 percentage points for 
juvenile offenders since Q2 2008. 
The average custodial sentence 
length was 7.6 months
 
This has risen by 3.1 months since Q2 2008. With 
38% now sentenced to more than 6 months 
compared to 15% in Q2 2008. 
87% of adult repeat offenders 
received a custodial sentence
 This figure has increased by 4 percentage points 
when compared to Q2 2016 for offenders convicted 
under section 22 of the Criminal Justice and Courts 
Act 2015.  
 
Presented are key statistics describing the trends in both the number of offenders receiving 
cautions and convictions, and those in prison for knife possession offences in England and 
Wales. Knife possession offences in this publication include offences involving the 
possession of a blade, point or offensive weapon and offences involving threatening with 
one of these types of weapon. It should be noted that figures for the latest quarter (April to 
June) are provisional. For technical detail, please refer to the accompanying technical guide 
to knife possession sentencing statistics1.  
 
                                               
1 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly  
We are changing how our quarterly bulletins look, and would welcome any 
feedback to xxx@xxx.xx 
For other feedback related to the content of this publication, please let us know at 
xxx@xxx.xx 

2 
 
1. Knife possession offences overview 
5,237 knife possession offences were formally dealt with by the Criminal Justice 
System (CJS) in Q2 2017 
 
The number of knife possession offences dealt with by the CJS has risen by 6% since 
Q2 2016. This change has been driven by the increase in the number of blade or point 
possession offences. 
Figure 1: Knife possession offences resulting in a caution or conviction, and prison 
population under sentence for a knife possession offence2, England and Wales, Q2 
2008 – Q2 2017 (Source: Table 1) 
 
Due to technical problems relating to the supply of statistical information, it is not possible to provide prison population figures 
from July 2009 to March 2010 
Between 2008 and 2014 there was a gradual decline in the number of knife possession 
offences dealt with by the CJS. Over the same period there was a decline in the number of 
knife possession offenders in prison. 
Since Q2 2014, both of these trends have reversed. However, the number of offenders in 
prison for knife possession offences has risen faster than the total number of offences dealt 
with in this period, as shown in Figure 1. 
This can be explained at least in part by the fact that the proportion of offenders being 
sentenced to immediate custody has increased from 30% to 36% during this period and 
their average sentence length rose from 7.5 to 7.6 months. Therefore, more of these 
offenders are going to prison, and are staying there for longer. 
                                               
2 Knife possession figures for last four quarters are estimates and denoted with a dotted line – see the technical 
document for more details. 

3 
 
2. Cautions vs. Custodial sentences 
42% of adult offenders and 13% of juvenile offenders were given an immediate 
custodial sentence 
 
This represents an increase of 20 percentage points for adult offenders and 6 
percentage points for juvenile offenders since Q2 2008. This is the highest rate for 
adults since Q4 2007. 
7% of adult offenders and 29% of juvenile offenders received a caution 
 
These figures have fallen by 23 percentage points for adult offenders and 16 
percentage points for juvenile offenders since Q2 2008.  
The average custodial sentence length was 7.6 months 
 
This has risen by 3.1 months since Q2 2008. With 38% now sentenced to more than 6 
months compared to 15% in Q2 2008. 
Figure 2: Proportion of adult and juvenile offenders given cautions or immediate 
custodial sentences for knife possession offences in England and Wales, Q2 2008 to 
Q2 2017 (Source: Table 2) 
 
The most common disposal for a knife possession offence received by adults continues to 
be immediate custody (42%) followed by suspended sentence (25%) and community 
sentence (15%). For juveniles the most common disposals were community sentence 
(51%), caution (29%) and immediate custody (13%). 
Of sentencing occasions in the year ending June 2017 involving a knife possession offence, 
72% had no previous possession offences involving a blade, point or offensive weapon. 
This has fallen 8 percentage points since the year ending June 2009 (80%).  

4 
 
3. Minimum sentencing for repeat offences involving 
possession of a knife or offensive weapon offences 
87% of adult repeat offenders received some form of custodial sentence3 
 
This figure increased by 4 percentage points when compared to the same quarter in 
the previous year for offenders convicted under section 22 of the Criminal Justice 
and Courts Act 20154. 
Figure 3: Adult repeat offenders dealt with by the criminal justice system, by disposal 
type, in Q2 2016 and Q2 2017 
 
 
7,136 repeat knife possession sentencing or cautioning occasions have been identified 
under this act since it was introduced in July 2015.  There has been an increase in the 
number of cases from 969 in Q2 2016 to an estimated 1,147 in Q2 2017.  
 
Of the 1,147 occasions, 1,036 were adults, 63% of whom received immediate custodial 
sentences which has remained the same as Q2 2016. An additional 24% received a 
suspended sentence order, this has increased 4 percentage points since Q2 2016.  
For those adults receiving immediate custody the average sentence length in Q2 2017 was 
7.6 months, this was 6.4 months for 16 and 17 year olds. 
The remaining 111 occasions were 16 and 17 year olds; 46% received an immediate 
custodial sentence and 51% received a community sentence. The proportion receiving a 
community sentence has gone up by 6 percentage points since Q2 2016, and up by 3 
percentage points over the same period for immediate custody.  
The proportion of 16 to 17 year olds getting a community sentence is higher than that of 
adults because this form of non-custodial sentence may be given where the young offender 
pleads guilty5 . 
                                               
3 A custodial sentence includes immediate custody and suspended sentence order 
4 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/2/part/1/crossheading/repeat-offences-involving-offensive-weapons-
etc 
5 90% of 16 to 17 year olds pleaded guilty in this period, and young offenders cannot receive a custodial 
sentence of less than four months in the Youth Court 

5 
 
Further information 
The data presented in this publication are provisional. Figures provided for more recent 
quarters are subject to change in future publications as ongoing cases pass through the 
Criminal Justice System. 
A technical guide providing further information on how the data is collected and processed, 
as well as information on the revisions policy and legislation relevant to knife possession 
sentencing can be found at 
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly  
 
Accompanying files 
As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release: 
 
Excel tables containing data on knife possession offences up to Q2 2017 
 
A Sankey diagram looking at outcomes of those offenders sentenced for knife 
possession offences. The diagram provides further breakdowns by gender and 
offence type.   
    
Official Statistics status 
Official statistics are produced under the remit of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. 
They are produced impartially and are free from political influence. More information can be 
found on the UK Statistics Authority website, accessible via the link below. 
https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/monitoring-and-assessment/code-of-practice/ 
 
Contact 
Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office: 
Tel: xx-xxxx-xxxx 
Email: xxx@xxx.xx  
Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to the Justice Statistics Analytical 
Services division of the Ministry of Justice: 
Craig Medhurst, Ministry of Justice, 7th Floor, 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ 
Email: xxx@xxx.xx 
 
Next update: 14 December 2017 
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly  
 
© Crown copyright 
Produced by the Ministry of Justice 
Alternative formats are available on request from xxx@xxx.xx