Section 70: Using minor to mind weapon

Sentencing Act 2020 · 2020 c. 17View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 4: Exercise of court's discretion — CHAPTER 3: Seriousness and determining sentence

This section applies where—

a court is considering the seriousness of an offence under section 28 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (using someone to mind a weapon), and
when the offence was committed—
the offender was aged 18 or over, and
the person used to look after, hide or transport the weapon in question (“the person used”) was not.

The court—

must treat the fact that the person used was under the age of 18 when the offence was committed as an aggravating factor, and
must state in open court that the offence is so aggravated.

Subsection (4) applies where the offence is found to have involved the person used's having possession of a weapon, or being able to make it available—

over a period of two or more days, or
at some time during a period of two or more days.

If, on a day during that period, sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii) of subsection (1)(b) were both satisfied, they are to be treated as both being satisfied when the offence was committed.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.