Latest news with #knifecrime
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Teesside groups aim to deliver knockout blow to knife crime
A total of £80,000 has been shared between organisations aiming to tackle knife grants, awarded through the Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence (CURV), were available to charities and community Boxing Academy was among the beneficiaries, receiving £17,120 to help coaches run sessions twice a week, while St John Ambulance was awarded £14,240 to deliver first aid Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Matt Storey, said knife crime was a "significant concern" for authorities on Teesside. Other groups to be given funding were:ARC Stockton, which received £12,350 for school workshopsMFC Foundation, which was awarded £14,000 for school initiativesBudo for Change, granted £13,560 for targeted intervention such as combat sports classes, holiday sessions and mentoring for vulnerable peopleEducation Training Collective, which will use £7,440 for a college-based education programme involving guest speakersOn a visit to Billingham Boxing Academy, Storey said: "Youth violence continues to be a significant concern for us with hospital admissions relating to knife crime remaining high."It is therefore paramount that we highlight the need for continued, sustained, coordinated action to protect young people and communities from harm."The creativity and passion demonstrated by Billingham Boxing Academy and all the other applicants has been remarkable – the selection process was incredibly tough."CURV sits within the office of the PCC and is one of 20 violence reduction units across the focuses on developing preventative measures, analysing the root causes of crime and bringing organisations together in partnerships. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Lives will be saved': Family of murdered teen speaks out
Laws giving police the power to scan anyone in public with a metal detector have been expanded and made permanent in Queensland. The expanded legislation came into effect on Friday, and the laws are named after 17-year-old Jack Beasley who was fatally stabbed in 2019. 'Jack's Law is now permanent, and police can use these scanners across the State, not just in Safe Night Precincts and other previously prescribed places,' Police Minister Dan Purdie said. 'This is about giving police the tools they need to detect and deter knife crime, and prevent more families from living through the heartbreak the Beasleys have endured.' Jack was killed on a night out at Surfers Paradise. Since then, his parents Belinda and Brett have pushed for reform. 'We made a promise to Jack that we'd make sure something good came from this tragedy, and now, thanks to this law, lives will be saved,' Mr Beasley said. 'We'll never know whose life is saved because someone was caught with a knife before they could use it, but that's the power of this law. It works.' Belinda Beasley said the expansion meant Jack's legacy lived on. 'Jack's Law is for every young person and every family who deserves to feel safe,' she said. 'We're incredibly grateful to the police, and to the Crisafulli Government that has listened and acted.' Trials of Jack's Law began in April 2023 under the previous Labor government. Government figures show since then, 1190 weapons have been seized, 3248 people have been arrested, almost 6000 charges have been laid and more than 122,000 people have been scanned. During the election campaign, then-opposition leader David Crisufalli promised to make the trial of Jack's Law permanent. The expanded, and now enshrined laws, allow police to randomly detain any person to search them with a metal detector, without the requirement that they are reasonably suspected of committing a crime. A state-funded report into the laws cautioned Queenslanders could be subjected to 'stereotypes and discrimination', 'surveillance and harassment' and a 'small number of officers' were wanding people because of 'non-offending behaviours', such as being in groups. Following Jack's death, five teenage boys aged between 15 and 18 at the time were charged; three were acquitted of manslaughter at a judge-only trial. A 17-year-old male pleaded guilty to murder, and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison but will only serve seven. A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Queensland law expanded allowing police to scan anyone in public with metal detectors
Laws giving police the power to scan anyone in public with a metal detector have been expanded and made permanent in Queensland. The expanded legislation came into effect on Friday, and the laws are named after 17-year-old Jack Beasley who was fatally stabbed in 2019. 'Jack's Law is now permanent, and police can use these scanners across the State, not just in Safe Night Precincts and other previously prescribed places,' Police Minister Dan Purdie said. 'This is about giving police the tools they need to detect and deter knife crime, and prevent more families from living through the heartbreak the Beasleys have endured.' Jack was killed on a night out at Surfers Paradise. Since then, his parents Belinda and Brett have pushed for reform. 'We made a promise to Jack that we'd make sure something good came from this tragedy, and now, thanks to this law, lives will be saved,' Mr Beasley said. 'We'll never know whose life is saved because someone was caught with a knife before they could use it, but that's the power of this law. It works.' Belinda Beasley said the expansion meant Jack's legacy lived on. 'Jack's Law is for every young person and every family who deserves to feel safe,' she said. 'We're incredibly grateful to the police, and to the Crisafulli Government that has listened and acted.' Trials of Jack's Law began in April 2023 under the previous Labor government. Government figures show since then, 1190 weapons have been seized, 3248 people have been arrested, almost 6000 charges have been laid and more than 122,000 people have been scanned. During the election campaign, then-opposition leader David Crisufalli promised to make the trial of Jack's Law permanent. The expanded, and now enshrined laws, allow police to randomly detain any person to search them with a metal detector, without the requirement that they are reasonably suspected of committing a crime. A state-funded report into the laws cautioned Queenslanders could be subjected to 'stereotypes and discrimination', 'surveillance and harassment' and a 'small number of officers' were wanding people because of 'non-offending behaviours', such as being in groups. Following Jack's death, five teenage boys aged between 15 and 18 at the time were charged; three were acquitted of manslaughter at a judge-only trial. A 17-year-old male pleaded guilty to murder, and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison but will only serve seven. A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Boy who stabbed pupil to death tells jury why he took ‘scary' knife to school
A 15-year-old boy who stabbed a fellow pupil to death has told a jury he took a 'scary-looking knife' to school that day 'in case anyone tried to pull a knife out on me or try to hurt me'. The teenager told a court on Friday he did not want to go to school on the morning he killed Harvey Willgoose, also 15, because 'I thought I was going to get hurt that day'. The defendant was giving evidence for a third day at Sheffield Crown Court, where he is on trial for murdering Harvey during the lunch break at All Saints Catholic High School in the city on February 3. He told the court he 'ordered' the knife because 'it was a scary-looking knife and, if I pulled it out, somebody wouldn't try to pull out theirs'. Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, defending, asked the boy: 'We know you took a knife to school with you that morning, why?' The defendant replied: 'In case anyone tried to pull a knife out on me or try to hurt me.' Mr Hussain said: 'Did you want to start any trouble that day?' The boy said: 'No.' And Mr Hussain asked him: 'Did you want to hurt anyone that day?' The boy replied: 'No.' The barrister read a Snapchat message Harvey sent to the defendant before school that day, which said: 'Is it beef I what', which the boy said he read as meaning: 'Is it beef or what?' Mr Hussain said: 'Did you want beef with Harvey?' The boy said: 'No.' The defendant explained to the jury of eight women and four men how he met Harvey after arriving at school on February 3 and Harvey said to him: 'Is it beef between me and you?' He said he asked Harvey why he thought he had 'beef' with him but Harvey just asked him about his injured hand. The boy said they then started joking about boxing and started sparring in the corridor. The defendant said Harvey was laughing and he told the jury: 'I was thinking it was alright between me and him.' The jury has been shown CCTV footage of Harvey being stabbed in a courtyard at All Saints later that day. The court has heard that the defendant, who cannot be named, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder. He has also admitted possession of a knife on school premises. Addressing the jury last week, Mr Hussain said: '(The defendant) did not set out to kill or seriously hurt anyone. 'The defence say (the defendant's) actions that day were the end result of a long period of bullying, poor treatment and violence, things that built one upon another until he lost control and did tragically what we've all seen.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Derby councillor 'strongly disagrees knife crime is running rampant'
A leading Derby councillor faced an angry exchange after saying he 'strongly disagrees knife crime is running rampant and unchecked' in the city. The remark from Labour councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, the Derby City Council cabinet member for public safety, led to an angry response from a Conservative councillor during a heated meeting on Wednesday (July 16). Earlier this year it was reported there had been five stabbings in Derby within 12 days. The alarming spree of incidents prompted Derbyshire police to issue a statement to reassure residents and stated that the help of the public was needed to tackle knife crime. But Councillor Onuoha said at the meeting his disagreement was not to deny there had been violence in the city. He said he disagreed with letting violent offenders 'determine the brand of our city'. READ MORE: Travellers evicted from Chellaston park while others settle on Normanton Park READ MORE: Delight over Market Hall comeback but council told its 'not set good example' Join us on WhatsApp to get the latest news straight to your phone Prior to the meeting, Councillor Jamie Mulhall asked the Labour councillor in writing: 'With knife crime running rampant and unchecked across our city, can the cabinet member inform me what proactive measures they are taking to whip the scourge of knife crime from our city?' The opening line of Councillor Onuoha's written response said: 'We strongly disagree that knife crime is running rampant and unchecked across our city.' Councillor Mulhall reacted angrily to the opening part of the answer given. In a shouty response he said: 'Knife crime is personal to me. The cabinet member in his answer said 'we strongly disagree that knife crime is running rampant and unchecked in our city'. 'Earlier this year we had five stabbings in 12 days. Five stabbings in 12 days. So I ask you, councillor, who is to blame for failing to protect the citizens of our city? Is it you? Is it the Labour police and crime commissioner? Is it the chief Constable or is all of the above?' Read more - Concerns that new Derby special needs school is 'not suitable' for pupils Councillor Onuoha responded by saying: 'We've had five stabbings in 12 days, that is horrendous. But I don't think we should then make that into a campaign of 'oh look here's who to blame'. 'The first issue we should address is people for whatever reason feel they can go out into the city and express their emotions through violence. My disagreement is not to deny that there's been violence in the city. My disagreement is that we let five/six people determine the brand of our city. We should not do that and we will never do that.' At the start of the meeting council leader Nadine Peatfield said she was working with the police to introduce a knife amnesty bin in the Council House reception. She said this would be 'a safe space with security, where hopefully, people wishing to hand over a weapon, won't be intimidated out of doing so by having to enter a police station'. We send out the biggest stories in an email every day. Sign up for the main Derbyshire Live newsletter here.
