Four men charged as police disrupt illegal knife imports in Avon and Somerset
Four men have been charged with importing prohibited weapons into the UK as Avon and Somerset Police crack down on illegal knife sales in an intelligence-led operation.
On 18 August, Bradley Gould, aged 19, of Twerton, was arrested at his address and charged with importing three prohibited weapons into the UK. He was also charged with two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, which relates to two knives, and a further charge of receiving stolen goods after officers seized a motorbike. Gould was remanded on conditional bail until his next hearing at Bristol Crown Court on 18 September.
On 15 July, Charlie Wilkinson, aged 23, of Nailsea, was arrested by officers in Portishead on suspicion of importing four weapons into the UK, including a prohibited knife. A knife was also seized from his vehicle at the time of arrest. Wilkinson was charged with five offences:
- Importing a prohibited weapon
- Possessing an offensive weapon in a public place
- Driving a vehicle while disqualified
- Driving a vehicle without insurance
- Failing to provide a specimen for analysis
Wilkinson pleaded guilty to all charges at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 13 August. He received three prison sentences totalling one year and one week, suspended for 24 months. He was also disqualified from driving for 36 months.
Danny Williams, aged 19, of Keynsham, and Veyha Perryman, aged 18, of Combe Down, were arrested on 18 June on suspicion of importing a quantity of offensive weapons into the UK. They were both charged with importation offences. Williams, suspected of importing 10 illegal knives, was also charged with possessing or controlling an article for use in fraud, relating to counterfeit currency. Perryman, suspected of importing one illegal knife, was also charged with possession with intent to supply a class B drug. They are due to appear at Bristol Crown Court on 22 September.
Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Edgeworth said: “The purchase, sale and importation of illegal knives poses a significant threat to public safety.
“If you buy a prohibited weapon, such as a flick knife or zombie knife, from an international vendor online, you are still committing a crime.
“Working closely with the National Knife Crime Centre, we are acting on shared intelligence and preventing dangerous weapons from reaching our communities. We won’t hesitate to take enforcement action against anyone suspected of facilitating their importation or sale.”