Grieving mother pushes minister on taking knives off the shelves

43 minutes ago

David CowanScotland home affairs correspondent

News image — John Mcnab and his mum Lisa Petrie, who is now campaigning for safeguards on knife sales

Lisa Petrie A man with short dark hair smiles at the camera. He wears a light blue tracksuit top and a cross body bag and has his arm around his mum, who is shorter than him. She has her dark hair tied back and wears a light coloured hoodie and smiles. — John Mcnab and his mum Lisa Petrie, who is now campaigning for safeguards on knife sales

A grieving mother whose son died in an alleged stabbing in an Edinburgh street six months ago has persuaded the Scottish government to look into tightening security around the sale of knives.

Lisa Petrie started to push for tougher restrictions following the death of her 22-year-old son John McNab in Leith in September.

She wants knives removed from shelves and placed in locked cabinets behind shop counters to eliminate the risk of theft.

After meeting Lisa at the Scottish Parliament, Justice Secretary Angela Constance said she would instruct government officials to explore what more could be done with councils, police and retailers.

Lisa Petrie John Mcnab smiles at the camera while sitting on a couch in a living room. He has short dark brown hair and wears a dark top. — John Mcnab died on Great Junction Street in Edinburgh in September

A 16-year-old youth has been charged with murder in connection with the death of Lisa's son.

The 44-year-old care support worker said she was campaigning for change on behalf of her son.

"I need to do it for John," she said.

"John has given me the strength to keep going, and if I can make change for him, I've got to keep going."

Lisa has already taken her campaign into Edinburgh's city chambers, where she won a standing ovation from councillors.

And she's addressed hundreds of pupils at Fettes College, where she used to work as a cleaner.

More than 53,000 people have signed her petition calling for tighter security around knife sales.

Lisa has also distributed 37 bleeding control kits around Edinburgh - emergency medical packs which can be used to treat severe bleeding.

Lisa Petrie standing outdoors near a modern concrete building and grassy area, wearing a black hoodie with a circular graphic and text on the front. Pathways, trees without leaves, and cloudy skies are visible in the background — Lisa Petrie took her campaign to the Scottish Parliament

Speaking outside Holyrood after meeting the justice minister, Lisa said: "I'm learning as I'm going along, but it's my passion right now.

"Computer games are in empty boxes, and you don't get the game until you've purchased it, and the sales assistant goes and gets it for you.

"Why can't it be the same for knives? This way kids won't be able to get hold of them and steal them."

Asked what she would say to people who might question the need for tighter security, she replied: "How would feel if you had lost your kid?

"That's the only answer I can give - if I can make change, where knives are going to be less accessible on our streets, why wouldn't I?"

Three individuals standing together inside a building with wooden handrails and wide steps in the background. One person is wearing a brightly patterned outfit and holding a small red-and-black bag labelled ‘BLEEDSAFE.’ The person in the middle is wearing a dark hoodie with a circular graphic on the front. The person on the right is dressed in a suit with a light-colored shirt and patterned tie.” — Lisa (centre) met justice Secretary Angela Constance and MSP Ben Macpherson at Holyrood

The justice secretary told BBC Scotland News she wanted to commend Lisa "for her courage and her campaign for change".

"She has made an ask of me and the Scottish government to explore what further steps can be taken to ensure that knives don't end up in the wrong hands, in the wrong circumstances," Constance said.

"I've commissioned my officials to undertake some further work on this very important matter, and I will engage with local local authorities, police but also retailers themselves.

"We want to ensure what further action can actually be implemented and that it will have the desired effect."

Use of weapons

Lisa's local MSP Ben Macpherson said John McNab's death had affected many people in Leith.

"Obviously knives are used in households every day, but when it comes to selling knives in communities, I do think that there are measures that big retailers in particular could look at seriously," the SNP MSP said.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said if his party is elected at Holyrood, it will introduce regulations that all knives must be kept in locked cabinets or behind customers service counters before they can be purchased.

He has also pledged to make security tags mandatory for all knife packaging, and to review the current rules on the sale of domestic knives to under-18s.

Unlike England and Wales, Scotland allows teenagers aged 16 and 17 to buy some knives for domestic use.

Figures published by Scotland's chief statistician have revealed a rise in non-sexual crimes of violence, and a significant increase in the use of weapons.

Last year, 308,532 crimes were recorded in Scotland, a 3% increase on the previous 12 months,

Non-sexual crimes of violence were 5% higher, and the use of weapons went up by 13%.

At the same time, murders and culpable homicide decreased by 4%, and serious assault and attempted murders were down 2%.

Lisa Petrie and others have called for tougher penalties for people caught with knives.

The SNP government increased the maximum possible sentence for knife possession from four to five years in 2016.

Constance said: "Sentencing across all cohorts of crime is increasing, in particular for crimes of violence and sexual violence but also for the carrying of offensive weapons.

"People are spending longer in custody for these offences."