Wisbech teen sentenced after being caught with “Rambo” knife and baton
The teenager's been sentenced to youth referral order after being found with knife and baton in Wisbech town centre
A 16-year-old boy from Wisbech has been sentenced after he was caught carrying a “Rambo” style knife and a police-style baton in Wisbech town centre earlier this year.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on 27 February after shopping centre security officers at the Horsefair shopping centre reported concerns about two people potentially carrying weapons. Police responded swiftly and located the boy, along with a man and woman, in a gated area near the White Lion Hotel.
As officers prepared to search the teenager, he handed his coat to the woman with him, but they noticed a baton and a large knife hidden inside his coat. The teenager admitted to both charges of possessing an offensive weapon and a bladed article in a public place when he appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on 29 April.
He was sentenced to an eight-month youth referral order, which is typically given to first-time young offenders. This sentence will require him to attend a youth offender panel, where he will agree to a set of commitments with local community members and an advisor from the youth offending team.
PC Ryan Windass, who investigated the case, praised the actions of the security officers. He said: “This was a great spot by security officers who acted on their instincts and reported their concerns to us straight away. We were able to intervene before the weapons could be used and potentially cause serious harm to someone.”
The police have provided information on how to report concerns about weapons on their dedicated knife crime webpage.