Published: Monday, 23rd November, 2009 4:27pm

MSP calls on government to get tough on knife crime

by Peter Swindon

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Dunfermline East MSP Helen Eadie

Labour MSP Helen Eadie repeated her call for mandatory minimum jail terms for carrying a knife after Sean Stark's killer began a life sentence last week.

The father-of-two was stabbed to death after intervening in an altercation outside his house in May. John Blake will serve a minimum of seventeen years for his murder.

The Dunfermline East MSP asked justice minister Kenny MacAskill to back Labour's 'Carry a Knife, Go to Jail' campaign during a parliamentary debate.

Mr MacAskill responded that he would rather "leave the matter to the discretion of the judiciary."

Mrs Eadie said, "Mr MacAskill's attitude to knife crime is totally unacceptable. He should bear in mind the stabbing to death of my constituent in Lochgelly, a father who intervened to try to calm a violent situation and was slaughtered on the streets by a person carrying a knife.

"It is clear to me that knife crime is an increasing problem in Scotland. Ours is a simple message: Carry A Knife, Go To Jail. If you've got no good reason to be carrying a knife, then the judiciary should impose a mandatory jail sentence.

"If there were a mandatory jail sentence for carrying a knife, people would simply stop carrying them - it would not be worth the risk.

"Knife crime is a serious problem and it needs to be taken seriously by the SNP Government.

"That is why I was so disappointed by Mr MacAskill's apathy to the question that I raised with him."

Mr MacAskill defended the Scottish Government's record during the debate. "The reality in Scotland is that overall recorded crime is at its lowest level for nearly 30 years," he said. "However, there are areas that continue to give concern, hence the Government drive to tackle both knife crime and alcohol abuse.

"The Scottish Government is working with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, local community safety partnerships and others to tackle crime in Scotland. We are investing £13 million through our cashback for communities projects, £1.6 million to support the community initiative to reduce violence in Glasgow and £400,000 in the safer streets programme to deliver crime reduction measures through community safety partnerships.

He added, "I have sympathy, as does the Government, with anyone who is the victim of crime, especially when a life is lost. On the case to which the member referred, our sympathies go out."

Helen Eadie now plans to bring a petition to the streets of Lochgelly following successful visits to Cowdenbeath and Rosyth.

She added, "I hope that when I come to Lochgelly with my petition to the Scottish Government that local people will sign it since my petition calls for a mandatory prison sentence for anyone found carrying a knife."

To help collect signatures in Lochgelly, contact Helen at her constituency office on 01383 412856.