Technology1 min ago
Weapons Law
Whenever i go out i always carry a kubotan with me on my keyring (it does not have a pointed end by the way.) I know the law is an ass but what can i actually do if say someone tries to attack me or nick off with my phone
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.So you could push an assailant away and cause him to fall to the ground thus giving you time to run away, but you would be out of order if you then went in and kicked him senseless.
If you were attacked and used the kubotan, you would need to prove that you carried it only for defensive or symbolic purposes, that you only used it as necessary and that you did not go out with the intention of causing harm with it.
It's one of those areas where the law is an ass, I'm afraid. My hairdresser carries scissors in her bag because they're a tool of her trade. They would also come in very handy as a defensive weapon should she be attacked on her rounds (she's mobile), yet if she used them as such, she'd probably be prosecuted for carrying and using an offensive weapon.
If I were mugged, I would hand over my wallet.
It's not worth somebody getting knifed over a couple of quid and a credit card.
That goes equally well if I came out on top - I wouldn't fancy explaining to the Police how a martial artist came to put some 16 year old with a pen knife in intensive care, they might not see it as self defense.
Happily I've never been mugged, happy slapped or anything similar but then I'm in my 40's, I don't drink and treat other people with respect.
It's worth remembering that almost 80% of violent crimes involve alcohol, and young men are most likely to be victims as well as assailants.
If I had a habit of getting drunk and mouthing off in pubs it might be different.
And as saxyjag has already told you, we already have the right to defend ourselves. If you use unreasonable force then you are no different than the thug that attacks you.
You might also want to consider that just carrying around an offensive weapon is an offence, you don't have to use it to get yourself in trouble.