Knife crime: Ex-police chief says higher sentences alone will not work

Sir Peter said it was the "lack of capacity in the court system which will be worrying police most"

Tyson Fury's call for higher sentences will not stop knife crime alone because perpetrators do not consider jail when offending, a former police chief said.

World champion boxer Fury made the plea after his cousin died in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, on Sunday.

Ex-chief constable Sir Peter Fahy told Sky News the "main issue" was a court backlog caused by Covid-19, and this had led to a higher reoffending risk.

The Ministry of Justice said there was "no evidence" to support that claim.

A spokesperson said: "Judges can remand any individual they believe poses a risk to the public.

"Our actions have already brought the pandemic-induced backlog down by 2,000 cases in a year."

The spokesperson said £500m was being invested to speed up trials, adding that the barristers' strike action was undermining those efforts.

Fury's comments came after Rico Burton, 31, was found with stab wounds and died of his injuries at Manchester Royal Infirmary.

Two men, aged 21 and 20, remain in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of murdering Rico Burton

On Instagram, the former heavyweight champion called knife crime a "pandemic", adding: "You don't know how bad it is until it's one of your own".

He also demanded the government "bring back higher sentencing for knife crime".

Sir Peter, who led Greater Manchester Police (GMP) from 2008 to 2015, said harsher sentences "have their part to play, but often when you're talking about a random offence... really it's not in their mind how long of a prison sentence (they are) going to get".

"The crucial thing is that the police are out there to arrest people, they get into the court system quickly and adequate measures are put in place not only to control that person, but to try and rehabilitate them," he said.

'Lack of capacity'

According to figures published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service, the Crown Court backlog increased for the third consecutive month in June, reaching 58,973 cases.

Sir Peter said that "huge backlog" was the "main issue".

"If you're dealing with young criminals, crucially you get them into court quickly," he said.

"If they are out on bail, the chances are that they're going to commit more crime, which puts more work back into the system and creates more victims."

He said it was the "lack of capacity in the court system which will be worrying police most".

Fury's call for higher knife crime sentences followed the fatal stabbing of his cousin

GMP declined to respond to Sir Peter's comments.

A 17-year-old boy who was also found with stab wounds at the scene in Altrincham remains in hospital in a serious condition.

Two men, aged 21 and 20, remain in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder.