Shop ordered to pay £4050 for illegal tobacco finds and knife sale to 14-year-old

The teenager bought the knife at Homix Enterprise Ltd, trading as Value4Money, at 95 Stroud Green Road on October 21 2022, as part of an intelligence-led test purchase operation by Islington Council’s Trading Standards team.

The council also seized a total of 607 illegal tobacco products on 18th October 2022 and 17th March 2023 at the company’s other store on 2A Blackstock Road.

At Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, Homix Enterprise Ltd pleaded guilty to selling a knife to a 14-year-old contrary to s141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. The company also pleaded guilty to three offences under the The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 concerning the sale of illegally packaged tobacco products. The prosecution was led by Islington Council’s Legal Service.

On Thursday August 3 2023, magistrates fined the Homix Enterprise Ltd £1000 for the knife charge and awarded costs of £250 to the council. They also received a £2000 fine for the tobacco charge, with a £800 victim surcharge.

The presiding magistrate noted that there was a “significant problem in London with knife crime”. However, he also noted that the magistrates had been as lenient as the law allowed them to be, after the company cited significant ongoing financial difficulties.

The knife purchased was a craft knife which cost only £2.49. Islington Council takes the illegal sale of knives extremely seriously and is encouraging businesses to sign up to their ‘No Knife Shop’ scheme which asks local businesses to pledge not to sell knives unless it is a core part of their business.

Cllr John Woolf, Islington Council’s executive member for community safety, said: "Everyone in Islington deserves to feel safe, which is why we have zero tolerance for businesses that sell knives to under 18s. We all must do our bit to keep each other safe, like taking our ‘No Knife’ pledge or making use of our 8 knife bins. And while most businesses behave responsibly, we will take robust action against those that break the law and put others in danger.

“This prosecution sends a clear message that knife crime has no place on our streets. Although knife crime in Islington has reduced since 2018 and serious youth violence has continued to decrease too, we know that just one instance is a tragedy. We know that selling knives to underage persons can have terrible consequences. It will not be tolerated. And we will act against those who break the law."

• Find out where Islington’s knife bins are located.
• Islington knife bins take over 1000 knives off the streets
• To book a knife collection, please call 0207 527 2000 or email contact@islington.gov.uk.
• Join the ‘No Knife’ scheme