Do not carry a knife in public in the UK, especially if you have a long criminal record.
It sounds a little bizarre, perhaps like a grotesque police overreach or a “tough on crime” policy gone too far, if you just read the headlines. A man in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, was arrested for carrying a replica six-inch Zelda Master Sword in public. Police spotted him and arrested him, after which he was sentenced to four months in prison and fined £154 (or about $195). It’s important to note that this wasn’t just any prop. The blade was sharp.
The man in question is Anthony Bray, pictured below via Warwickshire Police. You can also read the police report here.
Anthony Bray
From the police report:
Bray walked toward the officers with the object visible in his hand and was arrested for carrying a stabbing weapon.
Bray claimed the sword was a ‘fidget’ – something to keep his hands busy. He had bought it online as a fidget toy.
Officers attempted to explain to Bray that despite its intended purpose, it was in fact a sharp object that could be used as a weapon and that others might fear it would be used against them.
He also openly carried it in Nuneaton town centre.
Sergeant Spellman of the Patrol Investigations Unit said: “We have a zero tolerance policy towards stabbing weapons in public and Bray was a victim of this.
“It is possible to find fidget toys that do not have six-inch blades. It is possible to not walk down the street holding them out in front of you.
“With a little more self-awareness, Bray could have avoided contact with us altogether.”
Still, many people think the prison sentence is excessive. Here in the US, you can legally carry assault rifles. I have six or seven swords, and while I don’t often carry them around in public, I do on some occasions, like Halloween. But this is a different country with different laws.
What is missing from every report I could find on this, and what is so crucial to understanding this story, is that Anthony Bray is a repeat offender with a long criminal record and numerous prison sentences, several of which were for burglary, including serial burglary. In 2011, Bray was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted “three times” of breaking and entering into residential burglaries. But his brushes with the law go back to 1989, and he was in court numerous times throughout the 1990s as well.
This wasn’t reported by IGN, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, The Guardian or any other source I could find. They all published pretty much the same version of this story, but without the relevant context. PC Gamer did mention the knife violence issues in the Midlands region (see below for more details).
These publications and countless others portray him as a “Legend of Zelda fan,” although there is no evidence to support this. However, there is ample evidence that he is a repeat offender, responsible for numerous petty thefts and burglaries. He is likely well known to law enforcement given his decades of criminal activity. Law enforcement would likely not be pleased to see someone with this history and reputation walking around with a knife, even if it is a replica of Zelda.
The final wrinkle in this story is the very real problem with knife violence in the UK. Warwickshire is in the Midlands, where knife violence is higher than any other region, even London. In 2023 alone, there were 5,234 knife offences in the county, including a number of murders. Perhaps we should view Anthony Bray’s arrest and jail sentence through this lens.
If you’re looking for a good TV series set in the region, I have two recommendations: the absolutely gorgeous, devastating Happy Valley and the not so good but still excellent Line of duty. Click on these links for my reviews of each product.