A man arrested for carrying gardening tools in Manchester has said he was “given no choice” but to accept a police caution because no solicitor was available.
The incident, involving 35-year-old Samuel Rowe, was reported by the BBC earlier this week.
Rowe, a theatre manager and avid gardener, told the broadcaster he was detained by armed police outside his Chorlton home on July 3rd while walking back from his allotment. Officers were responding to a report of a man with a knife.
“I said I didn’t have a knife,” he recalled.
“They told me to drop the knife again.”
Rowe said he complied by dropping a small sickle and a handful of privet hedge cuttings, before being handcuffed and placed in the back of a police van.
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Rowe was found in possession of a small sickle, a peeling knife, and what officers described as a “large dagger,” sheathed on a utility belt.
“He admitted the offence and was given a conditional caution,” GMP said, adding that the caution “entailed advice and guidance around the legislation of knives and bladed weapons in a public place.”
Rowe disputed the characterisation of the items as weapons and said he was unaware that carrying the tools in public could be considered an offence.
“I was doing nothing wrong,” he said.
“They treated me like I had been doing harm to people.”
He told the BBC he was held in custody for 12 hours, during which time officers were unable to secure legal representation for him.
“They said the only way to get out was to accept the caution,” he explained. “So I did. I just wanted to go home.”
Rowe said the tools in question included a Japanese-made gardening sickle, a small trowel given to him as a gift, and a peeling knife that had belonged to his late grandmother. At the time of the arrest, he was also carrying a trug of vegetables.
He added that the incident had left him “terrified” and now fearful of continuing his hobby.
Since the incident, the manufacturer of the trowel has updated its website to include a warning for customers.
“We strongly advise that you keep this tool concealed, sheathed, and out of sight in public places,” it reads.
“Preferably in a gardening bag or toolbox rather than on your belt.”
Rowe has called for the caution to be rescinded, expressing concern that it may appear on future Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and affect his employment at a theatre where he occasionally works with young people.
Cautions do not constitute a criminal conviction but may still be disclosed during standard or enhanced background checks depending on the context.
The incident comes amid a political push in Ireland for tougher knife laws and enhanced enforcement powers.
Earlier this week, Fine Gael TD Maeve O’Connell called for a UK-style knife amnesty in Ireland, highlighting the policies’ success getting knives off the streets.
Notably, recent UK figures showed that over 53,000 knife-related offences in England and Wales in the year to March 2025 – a figure nearly 90% higher than a decade ago.
In response, some UK police forces have piloted home-visit knife amnesties, seizing hundreds of weapons including zombie knives, curved swords, and extendable batons.
Comments are closed.