JUST four criminals brought to court by Dyfed-Powys Police for possessing knives, guns or other weapons were sentenced to more than a year in prison in 2017.

Ministry of Justice statistics show that 60 people were found guilty in court of weapons possession offences last year. However only seven per cent were handed prison time of 12 months or more.

In fact more offenders received a community order, 14 in total.

Weapons possession offences include having a gun, knife or bottle of acid in public, and more serious crimes include threatening someone with blades or firearms or taking them to schools.

Currently the minimum sentence is a community order and the maximum is four years’ imprisonment. However in June new guidelines will come into place for sentencing offenders for possessing or threatening with bladed articles or offensive weapons, but not firearms.

In 2017 just one of those convicted received a sentence of four years or more. If the defendant was sentenced for two separate offences, the data combines their custodial time.

Out of the 100 suspects Dyfed-Powys Police brought to court, 60 per cent were found guilty.

Of the total, 22 weapons trials were dealt with at crown court, indicating they are the most serious offences. The rest were seen at magistrates’ court where the maximum sentence is six months’ imprisonment.

Of those cases held at crown court, 50 per cent were convicted.

Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity which aims to raise awareness about knife crime, said it was “important that we send a message that we are not going soft on offenders”.

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