A warrant was carried out at the home of 58-year-old Adrian Francis in Queens Walk, Fletton, by the local Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) on 28 July last year (2021).
The team discovered and seized several weapons inside the home, including samurai swords, throwing knives and a knuckle duster.
A new law came into place on 14 July last year under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, making it illegal to be in possession of certain weapons, including knuckledusters, zombie knives, curved swords and telescopic truncheons in private, not just in public.
In January this year, Francis was charged with four counts of being in possession of an offensive weapon in a private place, namely samurai swords, Shuriken throwing knives, concealed swords and a knuckleduster.
He was summonsed to appear at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 4 February where he admitted the offences and was handed a 12-month conditional discharge, meaning he will not be sentenced for the offence unless a further offence is committed within the stated period.
The weapons have been forfeited for destruction.
Sergeant Sam Tucker, from Peterborough’s southern NPT, said: “It was previously only illegal to be in possession of items such as these in public, but the law has recently been updated to make it illegal to own them in private as well.
“I would urge members of the public to familiarise themselves with the new law and dispose of any items which are now prohibited.”
Weapons can be disposed of by taking them to your nearest police station in a taped-up box where they will be disposed of safely.
Information on the law around offensive weapons can be found on the force website at https://bit.ly/33euQjb.
