Peterborough teenager who carried taser, knife and knuckle duster for protection, sentenced

The 18-year-old, from Peterborough, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was stopped by officers in Clayburn Road, Hampton on June 23 last year after he’d been seen with a Taser in Belsize Avenue, Woodston earlier that day.

Officers searched the man and found he was carrying a Taser disguised as a flash light, knuckle duster, lock knife and spanner. They also discovered a box containing two more Tasers in the vehicle he was travelling in.

In interview the teenager told officers he carried the knuckle duster and Taser for ‘self-protection’ but had no intention of using them.

At Cambridge Crown Court he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a bladed article. He was sentenced last week (2 May) to 18 months in a young offenders’ institute.

Detective Constable Kevin Poole said: “Those who carry weapons like this do so without understanding the real consequences of using them. If you have a son or a daughter, brother or sister and know they are carrying something they shouldn’t, encourage them to stop.”