Posted on 12/02/2004 10:47:28 AM PST by BritishBulldog
By Laura Scott, PA
A businessman working in the Formula 1 motor racing industry today denied two charges relating to him possessing a penknife and baton in his briefcase.
Nicholas Samengo-Turner pleaded not guilty to one charge of possessing a bladed or pointed instrument in a public place and one charge of possessing an offensive weapon in public.
After the brief hearing at Bow Street Magistrates’ Court, in central London, the 50-year-old former investment banker, who also trained at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, vowed outside the court that he would take his case all the way to the House of Lords if necessary.
He added: “There is something wrong with both the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) and the police when they claim they are overstretched and under-resourced yet they still continue spending public money and time on something in which there was no criminal danger to anyone.”
Mr Samengo-Turner wrote an article in The Spectator, reproduced in some newspapers, about his arrest and his experiences in a police station.
The father of two, of Newmarket, Suffolk, who was joined at the court by his wife Kate, was remanded on unconditional bail until January 12 for a hearing to commit the case to Crown Court.
I do not think lock knifes are illegal here as I have bought them before. I know that flicknifes and blades bigger than 4.5 inches are illegal though.
"He also had a retractable kosh"
I'm umfamiliar with the term kosh, but it sounds like an ASP baton, which is basically worthless.
I hit someone with one once, and he looked at me and said "ouch" and kept fighting.
I got rid of it and just used my flashlight after that.
Possessing a bladed or pointed instrument in a public place? What do they eat with in British restaurants...spoons?
They make both the regular series of Swiss Army Knives that have non-locking blades and a multi-tool with a somewhat longer blade that locks. I have a Leatherman and suspect the Victorinox tool might be superior. The Leatherman's scissors do not work as well as the Swiss Army Knife's do and its crosscut saw bent slightly the first time I used it, not someting a Swiss Army Knife's would do.
Why, yes we do. What are these "knife" things you're all talking about anyway? They sound pretty damn dangerous, like those "scissors" I read about in a book once.
I was driving a loaner jeep one time and had a flat tire. Of course the spare had one of those military brass locks on it and the key was not with the drivers book. The swiss army knife saw went through the lock like soft cheese. I was never without a good, and real, swiss army knife from then on.
After getting a handful of switchblade knives from a friend, I decided I'd better look into the law. In my state, it says that it's illegal to carry a switchblade knife "for the purpose of going armed". Well, since I have this Smith&Wesson for the "purpose of going armed", I've been told that I can't be charged, but if a person does not have a carry permit for a gun they could be charged. Didn't make a lot of sense to me. And, if I read the federal statute correctly, it provides an exemption for "one-armed men".
When I worked on the water years ago, I always carried a switchblade- highly illegal in the state of Georgia.
Why? Because if a line snags you, you will probably only have one hand-- and a second or two- to slice it.
It was extremely handy when one hand was busy, and I needed to cut something- sometimes a knife is a tool.
Switchblades are illegal where I live, but I see them at the flea market all the time.
gotta admire this man spitting into the wind of British socialism.
So true. There are many knockoffs, but the real Swiss Army Knife, which costs a fortune, is the only one that always works.
"Ere, what d'ya think you'll do with that, lad?"
"Excuse me? It's a steak knife. I'm eating a steak."
"Oh sure, so ya felt the need to bring along that pig sticker in case of trouble did ya? Think ya can just take the law inter yer own hands?"
"No, it belongs to the restaurant. I didn't bring it."
"Save it for the Sergeant, lad. Now put yer hands behind you and don't even think about going for the knife."
"Now look here. I am eating a steak. I am not 'going for the knife'. And I certainly will not put my hands behind my back, sir."
"Resistin' arrest are ya? You're just digging your hole deeper laddie. And what's that over there...good Lord, it's some kind of ninja weapon."
"It's a fork!"
I think you are right about that- my family hails from Cape Hatteras, and all were sailors years ago- you'd never catch one without some sort of blade on them. I dropped the habit when I got away from lines, long ago, but to me a knife's a tool, and like any tool, it can be used to harm. I used to carry a sledge, axe, and bush-hook when I did outdoor work, and any of those can kill a man if you are so inclined.
Yes, I do live in Tennessee and my conversations with both law enforcement guys and attorneys have indicated that because I am usually legally armed with a pistol, I would not be subject to prosecution under the "going armed" clause for the switchblade. It just leaves too much open to discretion of either a cop or a judge for me to be comfortable with it. Even is one isn't convicted, the trouble and expense of a defense can be formidable. With handgun carry laws, we are obviously carrying guns for "defense against other human beings" so it seems like the old laws you mention should either be discarded or modified to specifically exempt legally armed citizens.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.