Man jailed for 12 months for buying £7 flick knife with a massive blade from China

A man who ordered a £7 flick knife from China on the internet has been sentenced to 12 months in prison.

The weapon was found when a parcel being mailed to Swansea marked “kitchenware” was intercepted and opened.

Police were alerted to the discovery and officers arrested the intended recipient, Simon Craig McDonald.

The defendant later told officers he had been sent the wrong kind of knife, and he had actually intended to buy a “Rambo-style” knife.

Sending the defendant to jail, a judge said such weapons only had one use – to inflict violence upon someone.

Swansea Crown Court heard that on July 21 this year a package which had arrived in the UK from China via the Netherlands was checked at a Royal Mail logistics centre.

Ashanti-Jade Walton, prosecuting, said when the parcel – which was labelled as “kitchenware” – was opened, officials found a flick knife with a 10cm blade.

South Wales Police were alerted, and officers went to 38-year-old McDonald’s house in Blaenymaes the following day.

The court heard that in his subsequent interview the defendant said the knife was not what he had ordered – he said he had intended to purchase a “Rambo-style” knife for his miniature collection.

The prosecutor said McDonald told police he had paid £7 for the item.

McDonald, of Waldhof Court, Blaenymaes, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the importation of a prohibited weapon when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

The court heard the dad-of-two has seven previous convictions for 11 offences including for battery, but none for weapons matters.

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Ieaun Rees, for McDonald, said it had been an “unsophisticated offence” – the defendant had used his own bank card to buy the item, and had it shipped to his home address.

The barrister said his client had not realised he was committing an offence until the police turned up at his front door, adding he “bitterly regrets” what he did.

Judge Huw Rees said flick knives only had one purpose, and that to inflict violence on someone.

He said was unconvinced by McDonald’s claim that the knife was for his collection, adding: “Your actual intention was, in my mind, not an innocent one.”

Giving the defendant a one-third discount for his guilty plea the judge sentenced him to 12 months in prison. McDonald will serve up to half of that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.