TOUGH new guidelines for sentencing business operators convicted of selling blades to children have been backed by Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness.

Two local families left devastated by knife crime have supported Kim’s views as part of their ongoing campaigning to end violence. Her comments have been made as part of a national consultation on the sale of knives to persons under 18.

Young mum Samantha Madgin was stabbed to death in Wallsend in 2007, and teenager Connor Brown’s life was tragically cut short on a night out in Sunderland City Centre in 2019.

Both families set up their own charities Samantha’s Legacy and The Connor Brown Trust to help raise awareness of the dangers of carrying knives and to offer support to other victims of such crimes.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “The very idea that some young people, up and down the country, are choosing to arm themselves with knives is a concern to us all. It’s only right that we focus efforts on who is selling them and how this is being punished. How are blades ending up in the hands of children?

“Retailers must recognise their responsibility to help keep communities safe and the role they can play in taking knives and other weapons off our streets. The less knives out there in pockets, the more lives we save.

“Every police officer will tell you that knife crime is not a problem we can arrest our way out of. Education plays such a crucial part in the fight against serious violence and the sale of these knives needs to also be a national priority.

“Clear guidance and tough punishments are much needed, particularly for larger retailers as evidence shows that it is these larger organisations who have been responsible for most sales. And so, I’ve welcomed the opportunity to respond to this consultation on behalf of the North East. We’re one of the safest regions. And, thankfully, we have lower levels of knife crime than many comparative areas. But we have had our share of horrific cases – tragic reminders that knife crime is real and that we must do everything we can to fight this crime.”

Carly Barrett, Samantha’s sister from Samantha’s Legacy, said: “Retail stores should never sell knives or any bladed articles that could cause harm when the buyer is under-age. We think this campaign is vital to today’s society as we see more and more victims of serious violent Crime. However, some retails stores, supermarkets etc should be provided with some basic training so they are able to identity those they believe are buying these knives to cause harm.”

Samantha’s mum Alison, Madgin, added: “It is not just about the age of those buying the knives but also identifying the people that could cause harm to others. We hope to see an increase in this law and see more support around this. Together we can all make a difference and help support this knife crime pandemic and ultimately save lives.”

Connor Brown’s mum Tanya Brown who set up the Connor Brown Trust, said: “The team behind the Connor Brown Trust are guided by the strength of the community and it is the community we want to protect from knife crime. We need everyone to be aware of the dangers of young people carrying knives, so we need to address the sale of knives to these young people.  message to all retailers is to think carefully as to whether you need to stock knives in general and who will be purchasing these knives, as well as what measures are in place to ensure knives are sold responsibly. Our youth today is our future tomorrow and we need to protect them.”

Northumbria Police carries out a large range of operations to tackle knife crime and the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit is at heart of knife crime awareness raising work throughout the region.

More information on the Sentencing Council’s national consultation can be found here.

ENDS