The Knife Angel sculpture in central Carlisle is a clear sign the public have had enough of knives and knife crime, a judge has said.
As he sentenced a teenager and 38-year-old accomplice Leona Curran for their roles in a terrifying robbery and kidnap during which a blade was brandished, Recorder Peter Atherton said he had gone to see the distinctive angel statue for himself.
Towards the end of a lengthy hearing at the city’s crown court, Recorder Atherton said: “I walked through Carlisle to get a sandwich at lunchtime and my attention was attracted to the sculpture which has been placed in the square in the form of a an angel, some 15ft-20ft high, constructed entirely of knives.”
These blades had been collected during knife amnesties and were accompanied by signs explaining more about the angel, its construction and the aims.
It reinforced the message, said the judge “that the public have had enough of knives and knife crime, and understandably, because of the misery and fear that it causes”.
“They (the public) expect the courts to sentence heavily and impose deterrent sentences,” he added.
Recorder Atherton heard how the youth had robbed a pizza delivery driver of food and alcohol in the Botcherby area just after midnight on January 28. The victim was issued with stab threats although no knife was produced on that occasion.
However, the youth — then aged just 16 — did brandish a blade during a second shocking offence of violence which began less than an hour later when a different man was kidnapped and robbed of cash during a prolonged incident. The knife was waved around his head, his face was cut and he was left deeply upset.
Curran, of Holywell Crescent, Carlisle, was jailed for five years.
The youth, meanwhile, was made the subject of an 18-month rehabilitation order after the judge stepped back from custody having heard details of a torrid period of his family life.
Recorder Atherton accepted court punishments often did not meet the public’s expectations in terms of their severity, with judges having to impose a discount for timely guilty pleas, consider detailed mitigation and background reports, and adhere to stick sentencing guidelines. In the case of the youth, the judge said his attention “must focus” on his welfare and rehabilitation.
The youth had admitted two counts of robbery, kidnap and possession of a bladed article. Curran, meanwhile, was convicted of single robbery and kidnap charges by jurors after a trial.
*The pair were sentenced as a Cumbria police operation to target and stamp out knife crime came to an end. Test purchases were carried out over several weeks and 153 knives or blades were handed in and are now safely locked away before being destroyed.
*Made from 100,000 seized weapons, the Knife Angel was created to highlight the negative impact of violent behaviour. It will be on display in Carlisle city centre during December, before being put on show in Barrow throughout next month.
Sergeant Chris Blain, of Cumbria Police, has said: “We would like to reassure the public that knife-related incidents have not risen significantly. However, we must maintain awareness of the consequences that knife crime has on individuals, families, and communities.”
