Amie Harwick Lost Her Life Tragically.

Even pepper spray is against the law. You're at the mercy of those who want to harm you.

In her situation being stalked by an ex-boyfriend extra protection seems logical and if you live alone again a gun makes sense in that environment. Sadly in the UK it seems if you live in certain cities carrying your own knife might make some sense or probably better some sort of pepper spray.

BonzoBanana

'Sadly in the UK it seems if you live in certain cities carrying your own knife might make some sense...'

No it doesn't make any sense, and is totally irresponsible and unacceptable.

The more knives people carry, the more stabbings and deaths there will be.

Carrying a deadly weapon can get you, your friends, or a bystander killed with it.

The maximum penalty for an adult carrying a knife is 4 years in prison and an unlimited fine.

You'll get a prison sentence if you're convicted of carrying a knife more than once.

Whilst it's great to see increasingly tougher sentences for knife crime, personally I think there should be zero tolerance and a minimum 2 year custodial sentence for anyone carrying a knife for their first offence.

Johnny I don't carry a knife but there are areas in this country where a huge number do. Unfortunately if you are unlucky enough to be in a situation where you cannot defend yourself you have a good chance of dying. If you are killed the person who killed you may not even get a particular long sentence it can be as low as 2 years. If you actually put in prison everyone who is carrying a knife I dread to think how many more prisons you would need besides I think it is perfectly legal to carry a knife if its the folding type with a blade something like 75mm or less or something like that plus I think if you have a valid reason to carry it you can carry a longer knife, i.e. you are a construction worker or maybe warehouse worker etc.

Personally I prefer the pepper spray idea where you spray it in their faces and make a quick exit but I'm guessing its not easy to acquire so most may be faced with the situation of whether to take a knife.

I guess in your perfect world as the drugged up mugger, gang member or person you had a pub argument with approaches you outside, in the absence of one person not having their own knife both of you raise your fists and prance about taking well aimed punches at each other according to the Queensbury rules. Idealism is great but back in the real world things are quite different. What is the alternative defence method you are suggesting? An extra hard stare, loud tutting, wet yourself and run down the road screaming I mean there aren't many alternative options.

BonzoBanana Think carefully before encouraging people to carry knives - it’s idiocy.

Johnny My point is you adapt to the environment you are in. You may be completely disrespectful of religion but you wouldn't do that if you visited Dubai. If you had to live in Detroit or some ghetto area of the US where violent burglaries are common you would get a gun. I'm not suggesting you walk around with a machete or samurai sword in a quaint Devon village. When I was a kid we all went round with pocket knives usually those swiss army style knives but we never decided to stab each other or other people with them.