"Self Defence" Keychains

[whenfires]

I came across one of these in someone's EDC online and if you search Ebay UK for "Self Defence Keychain" you get several kinds of keyring which are designed to hold on your hand or put your fingers through and have points or spikes on them for defence purposes.

My question is, are they legal in the UK? Technically they are a just a shaped keyring but could they be classed the same as brass knuckles which are illegal? Attaching brass knuckles to a bit of chain doesn't make them a keyring instead.

[Vespa]

As a guess I'd say probably not.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 and section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act
1988 respectively provide for offences of having an offensive weapon in a public place
without lawful authority or reasonable excuse and having an article with blade or sharply
pointed in a public place without lawful authority or good reason. Section 139A of the
Criminal Justice Act 1988 provides that it an offence to have an article within either of the
above offences on school premises.
Sections 139 and 139A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 apply to any article which has a
blade or point except a folding pocketknife unless the cutting edge of its blade exceeds 7.62
centimetres (3 inches).
Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 provides that 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.
Defences
It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under section 139 of the Criminal
Justice Act 1988 to prove that he or she had good reason or lawful authority for having the
article in a public place. There are also specific defences in respect of:
 use at work
 religious reasons or
 carrying the item as part of a national costume
In addition, to the defences above, it is also a defence in respect of the offence under
section 139A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 to prove that the person had the article for
educational purposes.
An example of what might be considered lawful authority under section 1 of the Prevention
of Crime Act 1953 is a police officer carrying a truncheon. What is ‘reasonable excuse’ under
the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 or ‘good reason’ under the Criminal Justice Act 1988
would depend on the circumstances. It would be for an individual to demonstrate that he or
she has a good reason or reasonable excuse to possess a bladed article or offensive
weapon in public. Whether the individual’s explanation amounts to a ‘good reason’ or a
‘reasonable excuse’ is a matter for the courts to determine.

So take a big maglite torch as an example.... you bash ten bells out of an attacker in the middle of the day with it.. your going to have to try very hard to explain why you had it on your person as Plod will think you was caring it intending to use it as a weapon...

However its now night time and dark someone jumps you and you lash out with your torch it was in your hand and you acted instinctively to defend yourself you had the torch with you because it was dark and you needed to see what you was doing your now entering lawful self defence territory .



Was talking to a Met officer a while back their current gripe is with the "kids" who have realised that plod will lock them up and take their knife off them if caught......

However some have keenly cottoned on that as they are on their bike a screw driver or ninja star Alan key set "to fix my bike if it breaks officer" is a good enough reason and they know if they never say its for self defence there is nothing the officer can do ..


likewise lasses with rat tail combs not much they can do unless they say its for sticking into someone its a "tool" or accessory for their daily life...

[tanstaafl]

What he said lol

But I bought a CRKT Eat’N Tool a while back for eating my lunch at work when out and about, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CRKT-Eat-N-Ca ... 3a9b98a088

I dont know if its deliberate but it fits into my hand with the pointy bits facing out suspiciously easily ...................


Look at the top right small pic with the nice bit of cheese on , now move it in one finger



https://youtu.be/06BEzP_mUXE

[BigF]

With a lot of items that are not specified in law it would come down to the CPS being willing to prove your intent.

Self Defence Pens are a case in fact. They are part Kubotan (illegal) part stabby weapon (illegal) but really officer its just a pen. Main problem is they are marketed as a self defence weapon.

"Weapon" helps the CPS prove its case. Same applies to your Keyring.

I wouldn't.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[whenfires]

That was my thinking as well. It is all down to your reason for carrying it in the event of being stopped. The 'Tactical' pens are a good comparison I think because both they and the key chains serve a different purpose but are both actively sold as self-defence 'tools' (is 'weapons' too strong a description?)

I suppose it boils down to interpretation at a given time by a given individual.

[jansman]

Of course, if you have your keys in your hand ( walking to your car at night perhaps) and you have a key sticking out between your middle and index finger, and are attacked...
I was jumped officer, I lashed out in self defence and my keys were in my hand as I was heading to my car.

[preparedsurrey]

Or perhaps you were on your way to play snooker with a friend and had some extra balls with you, stored in a sock so they didn't get damaged....

[ForgeCorvus]

Or perhaps you were on your way to play snooker with a friend and had some extra balls with you, stored in a sock so they didn't get damaged....

Rule 7 applies

[Hamradioop]

Or perhaps you were on your way to play snooker with a friend and had some extra balls with you, stored in a sock so they didn't get damaged....

Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 provides that 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.