Website linked to knife killings to cease trading

Knives sold by the site were surrendered to police earlier this year

A website that sold weapons linked to several killings is to cease trading under its current ownership.

DNA Leisure, based in Luton, Bedfordshire, announced in June it would no longer sell knives and in September took part in a government surrender scheme, giving away 1,542 knives.

A knife used in the murder of Omar Khan in Luton was bought from the site, but a DNA Leisure spokesperson said fraud had been committed by the offender to make the order.

The company said it had "made a commercial decision to wind down www.dnaleisure.co.uk", but DNA Leisure would continue to operate. "It is still the case that we are ceasing the trade of bladed items," a spokesman added.

Julie Taylor, whose grandson Liam was stabbed to death in Essex, said she was pleased by the news.

"I think it's different being a bereaved family member, that's when you view things a lot differently," she said.

"Everybody has to make a living, I understand that, but with how society is and how long this has been going on, people need to get a conscience."

Julie Taylor gives talks around knife crime and helps install bleed kits for pubs and clubs across East Anglia and London, after her grandson's murder

Mrs Taylor's grandson was 19 when he was stabbed to death outside a pub in Writtle on 31 January 2019.

Three men were jailed for life in August 2021 for his murder and Mrs Taylor has gone on to campaign against knife crime.

'Commercial decision'

DNA Leisure is based in a business park on the edge of Luton and run by former Junior Apprentice candidate Adam Eliaz.

According to its website it supplies "sports cutlery and adventure equipment".

Its closure statement on its website reads: "We have made a commercial decision to wind down www.dnaleisure.co.uk.

"It will not continue under our ownership. Our last trading day will be on the 31st of December 2024."

Mrs Taylor did not want to see the DNA Leisure website reopened under a new name if it would sell items that could "cause harm to the community".

Omar Khan, 38, died when he was stabbed with a knife which was nearly a foot long

Earlier this year, 17-year-old Rayis Nibeel was convicted of murdering 38-year-old Omar Khan. The court heard how he used his mother's ID to buy 39 hunting knives, 15 machetes and 12 swords among other items from DNA Leisure.

A spokesperson for DNA Leisure previously said it complied with UK legislation for the sales of bladed articles as well as laws around remote sales and age verification.

Referring to Mr Khan's murderer, DNA Leisure added: "The person in question committed fraud and made orders under their mother's name and used her ID to purchase from us.

"We used an age-verified courier to deliver the parcel. We did not break the law in any way."

In 2022, Ronan Kanda was murdered with a sword also purchased from the retailer using false ID.

The government brought in stricter laws around zombie-style knives or machetes in September and anyone caught with one could face time in prison.