Offensive weapon.

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This term is often quoted and I wonder what would constitute an "inoffensive weapon".

 

[harry42]

The definition of an offensive weapon is any article made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person, or intended by the person having it with him for such use by him, or by some other person. (N.B. this definition includes a disguised knife).

It is an offence to have in your possession an offensive weapon in a public place.

In other words, an inoffensive weapon could be:

Orange toy gun
Toy sword

But you can be classified as a criminal:
this story here shows that.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I see that you have had sight of the same piece of 2003 journalism that inspired me to make this thread..

 

[richw]

A rolled up Daily Mail. Its got offensive content and if you hit someone with it whilst rolled up will become a weapon.

**oops read that wrong, thought it said offensive not unoffensive***

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

A rolled up Daily Mail. Its got offensive content and if you hit someone with it whilst rolled up will become a weapon.

**oops read that wrong, thought it said offensive not unoffensive***

Actually said "inoffensive"...

 

[richw]

Actually said "inoffensive"...

I read the title of the thread "offensive weapons", scan read the first post and missed the key prefix.

 

[michael769]

This term is often quoted and I wonder what would constitute an "inoffensive weapon".

Umbrellas, walking sticks handbags?

An offensive weapon is something whoose sole purpose is to be used to cause harm to another person, or something which is being carried only for that purpose.

A non-offensive weapon is something not intended to be such which is used in the heat of the moment.

Fending off a robber with a umbrella will get you a award for being a "have a go hero", doing the same with a hunting knife would get you 10 years.

There is no such thing as an inoffensive weapon. (Inoffensive means "not harmful" and all weapons are harmful by definition). The object in the article is clearly not a weapon, and the officers in question appear to have a serious problem with their sense of proportion.

 

[Oswyntail]

Aha, a debate I have in the other part of my life!
I am an archer, and so have a good reason for carrying "weapons" around in full view of the public. When not at the archery field, though, my bow is taken apart and in a case - technically still a weapon, but rendered "inoffensive" (because, in the time I took to assemble it, I could be overpowered even by an aggressive tortoise.). On the other hand, longbows and compound bows are not taken apart, so are less "inoffensive" if carried openly.
On the other hand, the arrows do not take apart, and, if stopped by the police and asked to explain my having them, I would have to provide a reasonable cause. This would generally be that I was going to or from an archery shop, or to or from the archery field. If I was just swaggering around Ilkley with a quiver of ACCs for no good reason, I could expect to have them confiscated. Even if I left them in full view in my car i could expect questions to be asked.
There are also questions about what restrictions there are on shops, but I am not sure about the details of those.

 

[edwin_m]

Isn't the opposite of an offensive weapon a defensive weapon?

 

[harry42]

Isn't the opposite of an offensive weapon a defensive weapon?

Defensive would be to protect your self. So probably no...if somebody came and attacked you with a knife and yoy 'de'fended yourself with a gun, that gun is still an offensive weapon...(correct me if im wrong!)

 

[maniacmartin]

Defensive would be to protect your self. So probably no...if somebody came and attacked you with a knife and yoy 'de'fended yourself with a gun, that gun is still an offensive weapon...(correct me if im wrong!)

That is how I understand it. An offensive weapon is designed specifically to be used in offense, not defence.

 

[edwin_m]

I suppose in fact any weapon or even something that isn't a weapon can be classed as an offensive weapon if it is used in an offensive way. Offensive in the sense of attacking not of annoying!

 

[michael769]

I suppose in fact any weapon or even something that isn't a weapon can be classed as an offensive weapon if it is used in an offensive way.

Not legally no. The legal definition is:

"any article made or adapted for use to causing injury to the person, or intended by the person having it with him for such use". Not that this definition includes knives and the like being carried for "defence".

Using (say) an umbrella to fend of a robber would not cause it to be classed as an offensive weapon no matter how much harm it caused, provided that it was being carried for its intended purpose. Which is why (as I mentioned earlier) those OAPs that fend of robbers with theirs get awards from the police rather than prosecutions.

Obviously the everyday meaning of the terms is slightly different from the legal ones.

 

[deltic1989]

As far as I can tell from looking in the media the definition of what is an offensive weapon can change depending on your location as well.
For example a kitchen knife, when being used in my kitchen to chop carrots is an inoffensive weapon. However the moment I step out of my front door, it becomes an offensive weapon. Which can be the same for a whole host of other household items.
If I had a kitchen knife on me in the street I had better have a good explanation for it (not that there really would be any).

 

[michael769]

That's a pretty accurate reflection of the law as it stands.

https://www.gov.uk/find-out-if-i-can-buy-or-carry-a-knife

 

[12CSVT]

As far as I can tell from looking in the media the definition of what is an offensive weapon can change depending on your location as well.
For example a kitchen knife, when being used in my kitchen to chop carrots is an inoffensive weapon. However the moment I step out of my front door, it becomes an offensive weapon. Which can be the same for a whole host of other household items.
If I had a kitchen knife on me in the street I had better have a good explanation for it (not that there really would be any).

Supposing you were taking a kitchen knife with you to prepare a meal for a housebound elderly relative (ie only intending to use it for its correct purpose), where would the law stand ?

And how about a plumber or electrician carrying several sharp objects in their tool box during the course of their work ?

 

[michael769]

Supposing you were taking a kitchen knife with you to prepare a meal for a housebound elderly relative (ie only intending to use it for its correct purpose), where would the law stand ?

And how about a plumber or electrician carrying several sharp objects in their tool box during the course of their work ?

Both examples are valid excuses. There is case law that holds that an occupation or activity is sufficient on its own to establish a lawful reason to carry a knife if it is an occupation or activity that could normally require the use of a knife. In the former you might have to show that the elderly relative did not have suitable knives in their kitchen though.

Furthermore there is a statutory exception for blades being kept in a toolbox.

 

[deltic1989]

Supposing you were taking a kitchen knife with you to prepare a meal for a housebound elderly relative (ie only intending to use it for its correct purpose), where would the law stand ?

And how about a plumber or electrician carrying several sharp objects in their tool box during the course of their work ?

I take your point and Micheal has made a good point above.
To clarify the end of my last post and to put it into the context you explain in your post. If I were to be taking a set of kitchen knives to prepare a meal for my Granddad. I would be likely to be carrying them in a bag or box or (given my Granddad lives 50 miles away) in the boot of my car, i.e. a place where they are not quickly and easily accessible to me, and with my valid reason of cooking my Granddad's Sunday roast I would be ok if questioned by the Rozzers.
However if I had a kitchen knife in my pocket or tucked in my belt, even saying that I was going to make dinner for my Granddad would not be enough to let me off the hook. Simply because it is in a place that is easily accessible to me to cause injury to another if I was of a mind to.