Teen caught with fishing knife in his bag avoids jail

Cole Longshaw, 18, was with two other males in Bag Lane, Atherton, when he was stopped by a police officer at around 7.30pm on January 17.

Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court heard that Longshaw, along with the others, then ran off but he was detained shortly later.

He was asked by the officer if he had anything on him and if he could be searched, and it was then that a fixed blade knife was found in a bag under his clothing.

Tess Kenyon, prosecuting, said the fixed blade was three and a half inches with a handle wrapped in black shoestring, She said: “Longshaw said he used the knife for fishing and that he didn’t realised he had it on him before he left. He knows he should have gone back home with it.

Ms Kenyon said Longshaw had also been found in possession of a small amount of cannabis but that the matter had been dealt with.

It was when Longshaw was walking to his grandmother’s with his friends that he was then stopped by the police officer.

Longshaw’s defence solicitor, Ged Frazer, said: “He’s a young man, only 18, who has clearly had a very difficult upbringing. We’ve heard that he was unloved by his mother, had a drug-dependent father, and that he then had to live with his grandparents. Despite this, he has managed to find himself secure accommodation and full employment.

“On the night in question, his friend wanted to stay with him but Longshaw didn’t wanted him to and he made an excuse and rushed to his grandmother’s. He then picked something up which happened to have the fishing knife in it.”

But justices said it was obvious that Longshaw, of Railway Street, Atherton, had been carrying a dangerous weapon pointed in a public place when he knew he had it in his possession,

They warned him to leave knives at home, saying that people die with them in London.

Magistrates’ handed him a three-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. They ordered he complete 15 rehabilitation activity days. Longshaw also has to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £122.