Knife crime campaigner 'delighted' by report

Published on Thursday 2 April 2009 22:18

A MAN whose son was stabbed to death welcomed a Holyrood report into knife crime yesterday.

The petitions committee stopped short of agreeing with calls for mandatory prison sentences for people caught carrying knives, but asked the justice committee to consider sentencing in legislation currently before parliament.

The report followed a campaign by John Muir, of Inverclyde, who lost his son, Damian, in 2007 after an attack by Barry Gavin, who was on bail for three separate assaults.

Mr Muir launched a national campaign calling for mandatory prison sentences for people caught carrying knives. A petition to the Scottish Parliament attracted thousands of signatures and led to a full inquiry by the petitions committee.

The committee took evidence on the issue and held a knife crime summit in Holyrood.

Yesterday, Mr Muir said he was "delighted" that the committee had supported him on sentencing and that he would be happy for judges to make a decision on a "presumption of prison sentences", instead of mandatory ones.

He added "We are seeing stronger sentences now, and that is a good development."

The committee chairman, Frank McAveety, said: "We believe it is for the justice committee to make recommendations on sentencing, but we have done a lot of the background work."