Half of all Scottish murders committed with blades

Published on Tuesday 23 February 2010 21:42

THE percentage of knife killings in Scotland is at its highest in five years, with more than half all homicides involving a sharp instrument, official figures have revealed.

Amid a drop in Scotland's homicide rate, 58 per cent of all murders and culpable homicides involved knives, swords and other blades – up from 48 per cent in the previous year.

And the number of people stabbed or slashed to death has reached a three-year high, according to statistics issued yesterday by the Scottish Government.

During 2008-9, 57 people were killed by people wielding blades, compared to 55 in 2007-8 and 54 in 2006-7.

Opposition politicians said the figures showed the need to introduce tough sentences for knife crime, with both Labour and the Conservatives reiterating their calls for mandatory jail time for carrying a knife.

Last year, there were 99 victims of murder or culpable homicide in Scotland, 16 fewer than 2007-8.

But Scotland's murder rate of 19 victims per one million of population was significantly higher than in England and Wales, which saw 12 people killed for every million residents in 2008-9.

In Scotland, 57 victims were killed by a blade, ten were beaten or kicked to death and eight were battered with a blunt instrument. Strangulation accounted for five murders, eight victims were poisoned and two were shot. There was one drowning, three died as a result of fire-raising and there were five unclassified deaths.

Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker said the increase in the percentage of knife murders was "deeply worrying", restating his party's desire for a mandatory six-month sentence for those caught with a knife.

"How many more people need to die from at the hands of knife thugs before Kenny MacAskill will take action?" he said.

Conservative community safety spokesman John Lamont added: "Nearly 60 per cent of all homicides are carried out by a sharp instrument, a statistic which highlights the extent of the knife crime epidemic which continues to sweep Scotland."

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said progress was being made on violent crime, but insisted tackling Scotland's problem with drink and drugs was the more pressing issue.

The homicide statistics, compiled from figures supplied by the police, revealed at least two out of every five people accused of murder in Scotland last year were under the influence of drink or drugs at the time of the offence.

This was a slight fall from the 45 per cent reported to be under the influence during the previous year, but Mr MacAskill warned Scotland's drinking culture was taking a heavy toll: "

If we successfully tackle Scotland's drinking culture we can significantly reduce the number of people who get caught up in violent crime," he said. "Hand in hand with action on alcohol we are taking tough action on those who carry and use knives. We've seen jail terms for knife carrying increase by a third, while I have repeatedly made clear that those who actually use a knife should expect to go to jail."

Elsewhere in the report, the Strathclyde police area was revealed to have had the most murders with 59, down seven compared to 2007-8. Lothian and Borders police reported seven homicides a significant fall from the 19 recorded during 2007-8.

Dr Liz Campbell, a criminologist from Aberdeen University, said the high rate of murder in Glasgow was linked to its "pockets of serious deprivation".

She said: "Research indicates the intersection of an urban environment and poverty explains criminality. In particular violent crime may be an expression of a violent and cruel form of masculinity when poverty has limited alternatives for young men."

Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, welcomed the drop in murders, but warned: "Just because we see a decline does not automatically mean this trend will continue. It is when these figures decline consistently over a period of five years or more that it there may be cause to celebrate."

He joined Mr MacAskill in calling for action on alcohol consumption, adding: "While alcohol itself does not make people violent, it lowers inhibitions so they are more likely to take risks that lead to them becoming a victim or an offender."

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