Courts ignoring mandatory jail terms for knife offenders At the time, Mr Grayling said knife crime needed "to be dealt with in the toughest possible way." However, in the first six months of this year a total of 51 offenders aged over 16 were sentencing under the new crime but only 25 were given an immediately custodial sentence. Punishments for the remainder included eight given a suspended sentence, nine handed a community penalty and two cautions. The courts were able to avoid the mandatory jail term because such legislation always allows judges and magistrates room for discretion in "exceptional circumstances." Mr Grayling said: "I am clear people convicted of aggravated knife possession should be going to prison. Whilst sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts I will consider with the senior judiciary whether any further guidance may be necessary. Priti Patel, the Conservative MP, said: "It seems extraordinary that out of 51 offenders eligible for a mandatory jail term, so few have been given one. The courts have a very important duty in public protection and public safety. This (new offence) sends a strong deterrent message and the courts should adhere to it. But Sadiq Khan, the shadow Justice Secretary, said: "David Cameron was very clear before the last election that anyone caught in possession of a knife would face a prison sentence. He needs to explain to the people who voted for him on the back of this explicit promise why it has been broken. In other figures, a total of 4,000 people were sentenced for all offences of knife possession between April and June this year, according to the Ministry of Justice figures. Of those, 1,080 - of 27 per cent - were sent to prison, a fall from 28 per cent during the same period last year. Some 696 were given a caution and 185 offenders received a fine. Only 56 per cent of those who were caught with a knife on at least the third occasion were jailed, while 12 offenders who had been caught on at least three previous occasions were given a caution. The average sentence length for those who were imprisoned has also fallen, down to 209 days in the second quarter of 2013 compared with 230 days last year.