Knife and Offensive Weapon Sentencing Statistics: July to September 2023
Published 15 February 2024
Applies to England and Wales
© Crown copyright 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-and-offensive-weapon-sentencing-statistics-july-to-september-2023/knife-and-offensive-weapon-sentencing-statistics-july-to-september-2023
1. Main Table
| The overall number of knife and offensive weapon offences dealt with by the Criminal Justice System (CJS) has decreased since the year ending September 2022. | This represents a 2% decrease compared to the year ending September 2022 but an increase of 17% over the last decade. |
| The proportion of offenders receiving an immediate custodial sentence for a knife and offensive weapon offence was 31% in the year ending September 2023. | The proportion of offenders receiving immediate custody has seen a decrease of 1.7 percentage point since the year ending September 2022. Compared to a decade ago, there has been an increase of 2.3 percentage points. |
| The average immediate custodial sentence length received by offenders sentenced for convictions under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020 was 7.8 months in the year ending September 2023. | This is an increase from 7.5 months in the year ending September 2022 and an increase from 7.2 months in the year ending September 2017. |
| The proportion of first-time offenders for a knife and offensive weapon offence for the year ending September 2023 was 69%. | The proportion of first-time knife and offensive weapon offences has seen a decrease of 6 percentage points over the last decade. It also represents the lowest proportion of first-time offenders over the decade. |
This publication presents key statistics describing the trends in the number of offenders receiving cautions and convictions for possession of a knife or offensive weapon offence in England and Wales. This also includes offences involving threatening with either type of weapon.
For any feedback related to the content of this publication, please let us know at MOJPNCteam@justice.gov.uk
2. Statistician’s Comment
“This publication covers the period to the end of September 2023, including analysis of single threatening offences dealt with under the Sentencing Act 2020. Please be aware that figures from 2020 onwards have been impacted by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown restrictions imposed. Figures for Q2 and Q3 2022 will have been impacted by industrial action taken by the Criminal Bar Association.
Over the most recent year, the number of knife and offensive weapon cases dealt with by the Criminal Justice System (CJS) saw a decrease of 2% to 18,997, with 31% of those resulting in immediate custody. Additionally, in the most recent year, ‘possession of an article with a blade or point’ constituted 71% of all knife and offensive weapon sentencing offences.
In the last decade there has been an upward trend in the average immediate custody length for adults, now sitting at 7.7 months (an increase of 8% since September 2013). We have seen the opposite trend within the 10 to 17-year-old cohort, where the average immediate sentence length has declined over the last decade. Since the year ending September 2013, we have seen a decrease of 20% in the average sentence length of 10 to 17-year-olds sentenced to immediate custody.”
3. Overall - Knife and Offensive Weapon Sentencing
The overall number of knife and offensive weapon offences formally dealt with by the Criminal Justice System (CJS) over the latest year ending September 2023 was 18,997. This is a decrease of 2% compared to the previous year ending September 2022.
3.1 Overall offences by offence type
The overall number of knife and offensive weapon offences formally dealt with by the CJS over the latest year was 18,997, with the total amount of offences staying within the previous range of 16,222 and 22,508 over the last ten years. ‘Possession of an article with a blade or point’ represents the highest proportion (71%) of all knife and offensive weapon offences over the latest year.
Figure 1: Number of knife and offensive weapon offences by offence type, in England and Wales, annually from year ending September 2013 to September 2023
‘Possession of an offensive weapon’ offences accounted for 28% of total offences in the year ending September 2023. The number of these offences was 5,361, which represents the lowest number of ‘possession of an offensive weapon’ offences over the last ten years. This was a decrease compared to both the previous year (7% decrease) and the year ending September 2013 (20% decrease).
‘Threatening with a knife or offensive weapon’ offences accounted for 1% of total offences in the latest year. The number of ‘threatening with a knife or offensive weapon’ offences has seen a decrease of 66% compared to the previous year, but an increase of 59% since the offence was introduced in the year ending September 2013.
3.2 Overall changes in offences by sentencing type[1]
In the year ending September 2023 5,796 offences resulted in an immediate custodial sentence. These offences were responsible for 31% of total knife and offensive weapon offences, compared to 28% in the year ending September 2013 and 32% in the year ending September 2022. Over the latest year the number of offences resulting in immediate custody has decreased by 8%, but over the decade the number of offences resulting in immediate custody increased by 26%.
Figure 2: Percentage change of knife and offensive weapon offences by sentencing type, in England and Wales, annually from year ending September 2013 to September 2023
Compared to the year ending September 2013, the number of offences resulting in suspended sentences showed the largest increase (98%). Over the same period, the number of offences resulting in an absolute or conditional discharge showed the largest decrease (48%).
Offences resulting in immediate custody were still the most common outcome of all knife and offensive weapon offences (31%) in the year ending September 2023. The second and third most common outcomes were offences resulting in a suspended sentence (25%) and community sentence (24%), respectively.
3.3 Overall by age[2]
There were 15,811 adult knife and offence weapon offences in the latest year, an increase of 16% compared to ten years ago. The latest year saw 3,178 10 to 17-year-olds knife and offence weapon offences dealt with by the CJS, an increase of 20% compared to ten years ago.
Figure 3: Number of adult offenders who have received certain sentence types in England and Wales, annually from year ending September 2013 to September 2023
The number of offences involving adult offenders which resulted in immediate custody in year ending September 2023 decreased by 8% compared to the previous year but increased by 29% compared to ten years ago. The number of offences involving adult offenders which resulted in a suspended sentence has increased both compared to the previous year and a decade ago, by 4% and 98% respectively.
For offences dealt with involving 10 to 17-year-old offenders in year ending September 2023, 261 offences sentenced to immediate custody, representing a 12% decrease over the decade. The most common sentence that 10 to 17-year-olds received was community sentence, this represents 59% of all knife and offensive weapon offences for 10 to 17-year-olds.
4. Sentencing Lengths
The total number of offenders who received an immediate custodial sentence in the year ending September 2023 was 5,796, this represents 31% of all offences.
4.1 Immediate Custody Sentencing Proportions
Of knife or offensive weapon offences in the year ending September 2023, 12% of offenders received an immediate custodial sentence for three months or less, 48% received an immediate custodial sentence of three to six months and 40% received an immediate custodial sentence of six months or more.
Figure 4: Proportion of offenders who received immediate custody by sentence length, in England and Wales, annually from year ending September 2013 to September 2023
Over the last decade the proportion of offenders receiving a sentence length of 3 to 6 months, has seen an increase of 19 percentage points compared to the year ending September 2013. Over the same period there has also been a sharp decrease in the number of offenders receiving a sentence of 3 months or less, a decrease of 24 percentage points compared to the year ending September 2013.
4.2 Immediate Custody Average Sentence Lengths
The average immediate custody sentence for all knife and offensive weapon offences was 7.6 months in the year end September 2023. This is an increase of 1% compared to the previous year and an increase of 6% compared to ten years ago.
Figure 5: Percentage change of knife and offensive weapon offences by average sentence length, in England and Wales, annually from year ending September 2013 to September 2023
Compared to the year ending September 2013, threatening offences showed the biggest increase in average sentence length for offenders receiving immediate custody (42% increase, average sentence length 15.4 months compared to 10.8 months).
In the same period, juvenile offenders showed the biggest decrease in average sentence length (20% decrease, average sentence length of 6.7 months compared to 8.4 months).
5. Repeat Offenders Sentenced under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020
Over the latest year 4,400 repeat possession occasions were sentenced under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020.
5.1 Overall - Offenders Sentenced under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020
Over the latest year a total of 4,400 repeat possession occasions were sentenced under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020, with 4,127 repeat adult possession occasions and 273 repeat 16 to 17-year-olds possession occasions.
Figure 6: Number of repeat possession occasions sentenced under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020, annually from year ending September 2017 to 2023, in England and Wales
In the year ending September 2023, 61% of all repeat possession occasions received immediate custody, a decrease of 2 percentage points compared to the previous year. In the same period there has been an increase in adults receiving suspended sentences (10%) and a decrease in 16-to-17-year-olds receiving a youth rehabilitation order (4%).
5.2 Sentencing Length - Offenders Sentenced under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020
In the year ending September 2023 the average sentence length for repeat offenders sentenced under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020 was 7.8 months. The average sentence length for repeat adult offenders was 7.8 months and the average sentence length for 16-to-17-year-old repeat offenders was 6.2 months.
Figure 7: Percentage change for average sentence length for repeat offenders sentenced under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020, by age in England and Wales
Compared to the previous year, 16-to-17-year-olds have had the only decrease in sentence length (decrease of 5%), however, this number should be handled with care due to the small volume of offenders. Adults have seen an increase of 4% compared to the previous year and an increase of 8% since 2017. The average sentence length for repeat offenders has stayed stable over the period, fluctuating between 7.2 months and 7.8 months.
5.3 By plea[3] - Offenders Sentenced under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020
In the latest year, 92% of all repeat offenders pleaded guilty. This is a 14% increase compared to the year ending September 2022 and a 7% increase since the year ending September 2017.
The proportion of repeat offenders who pleaded guilty and received immediate custody in the year ending September 2023 was 61%. The number of repeat offenders who pleaded guilty and received immediate custody increased 7% over latest year and decreased 5% since year ending September 2017.
6. Offender History
In the year ending September 2023, 69% of offenders who were formally dealt with had committed their first knife or offensive weapon offence.
The proportion of first-time knife and offensive weapons offenders has seen a decrease of 6 percentage points over the decade. Although this proportion has fallen, the total number of first-time offenders has increased from 11,375 a decade ago to 11,869 in the latest year.
Figure 8: Percentage of total number of previous cautions or convictions in England and Wales, year ending September 2023 compared to year ending September 2013
The fall in first-time offenders has increased the percentages for offenders who have had one or more previous offences.
7. Further Information
The data presented are provisional and updated in each publication. Figures provided for more recent quarters are subject to change in future publications as ongoing cases pass through the Criminal Justice System.
A technical guide providing further information on how the data is collected and processed, as well as information on the revisions in policy and legislation relevant to knife and offensive weapon sentencing, can be found here.
Some changes have been made to the publication. Percentages have been replaced by whole numerical numbers in tables 5, 9 and 9a.
The bulletin now includes an analysis of convictions for threatening offences under the Sentencing Act 2020. The minimum sentences are the same as repeat possession offences, except threatening offences can be a first offence or a subsequent offence.
We welcome feedback on the publication and changes mentioned. Please direct any comments or questions to MOJPNCteam@justice.gov.uk.
7.1 Accompanying files
As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release:
- ODS format tables containing data on knife or offensive weapon offences up to the end of September 2023
- An interactive table tool to look at previous offences involving possession of a blade, point or offensive weapon. The tool provides further breakdowns by gender, police-identified ethnicity and prosecuting police force area.
- A Sankey diagram looking at outcomes of those offenders sentenced for knife or offensive weapon offences. The diagram provides further breakdowns by gender and offence type.
7.2 Official Statistics status
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact the OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
7.3 Future publications
Our statisticians regularly review the content of publications. Development of new and improved statistical outputs is usually dependent on reallocating existing resources. As part of our continual review and prioritisation, we welcome user feedback on existing outputs including content, breadth, frequency, and methodology. Please send any comments you have on this publication including suggestions for further developments or reductions in content.
7.4 Contact
Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice Enquiries Team:
Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to the Data and Analysis division of the Ministry of Justice:
- Alfie Britland, Ministry of Justice, 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ
- Email: MOJPNCteam@justice.gov.uk
Next update: 16 May 2024
© Crown copyright
Produced by the Ministry of Justice
Alternative formats are available on request from MOJPNCteam@justice.gov.uk
[1] The ‘other’ category has been removed from figure 2 and following percentage change comparisons as the rates are more susceptible to change. It includes cases awaiting final sentencing decisions, which may then move to other categories once the decision is known.
[2] Adults and juvenile offenders do not include offenders where there is no age recorded on the system.
[3] The plea breakdown in this statistical bulletin does not include offenders who have no plea of guilty or not guilty recorded on the system.