Rambo knives like in Ryan O'Connor murder trial sold online

A quick online search returns dozens of websites where people can buy similar knives to those used by his killers in just a few clicks - often without any kind of age verification.

Newport dad Mr O'Connor was attacked and fatally stabbed in his home neighbourhood of Alway last June. Of the five Cardiff men to face trial, two were convicted of his murder, and another of manslaughter, and yesterday the three were jailed for a total of 58 years.

During the trial, defendant Joseph Jeremy - who went on to be found guilty of murdering Mr O'Connor - told the court he had bought two large knives online, at a website that specialises in survival equipment.

The Cornwall-based company behind that website has since stopped selling knives, telling customers in a Facebook post in February it was "unfortunately" halting sales, partly because of "recent laws that have passed which unjustly target legal knife sellers".

That website did require "stringent" age verification checks for knife sales, the company said in its Facebook announcement.

During the trial, the jury was shown photos of four defendants with knives, including Kyle Raisis (left), eventually convicted of manslaughter and robbery; and Joseph Jeremy, convicted of murder and robbery.

But such checks can be circumvented if someone underage is determined to get their hands on a knife, as shown in the trial. Jeremy - who was 17 when he stabbed Mr O'Connor to death - said he had used his father's driving licence to buy the knives online.

The two knives Jeremy admitted purchasing online were 15-inch hunting knives commonly called Rambo knives, after the action film character. Such knives typically feature large blades and may include curved or serrated sections.

During the trial, there were frequent references to the term 'Rambo', including over a video, recorded by Jeremy, when the defendants allegedly discussed throwing a knife out of their stolen car during a police chase.

The jury was also shown photographs of four of the defendants with large knives, in some cases grinning as they showed off their blades.

Basic online searches for these types of weapon reveal there are plenty of websites offering them for sale. These include survival-type companies and firms selling knives as collectors' items for film and TV fans - based on weapons sported by their favourite characters.

As well as owning a 'Rambo', some sites and vendors offer knives and swords based on those seen in revenge film Kill Bill, zombie show The Walking Dead, and fantasy drama Game of Thrones.

All of these websites the Argus checked carried warnings about ID checks and age verification, but knives are also for sale on popular marketplace-type sites, where vendors are often based overseas. In some - but not all - of these cases, there was no mention of it being illegal for large knives to be bought, sold and owned by under-18s in England and Wales.

Speaking after Mr O'Connor's killers were convicted, Gwent police and crime commissioner Jeff Cuthbert said cases of knife crime in the region are "incredibly rare".

"Gwent has one of the lowest levels of knife crime in the UK," he said.

"In Wales overall, knife crime is comparatively lower than the levels seen in hotspot areas such as London and we have seen a downwards trend in recent years.

"Less than one per cent of young people actually carry a knife. In fact, most knife crime that is reported to the police takes place within a domestic setting, not on the streets."

He added officers have the powers to carry out intelligence-led stop-searches on those believed to be carrying knives, and the use of this power is "closely scrutinised".

Mr Cuthbert continued: "The real key to tackling this issue is education and early intervention.

"It is far better to stop young people from ever picking up a knife in the first place than to deal with the consequences afterwards.

"Not only can it result in physical harm, but could ruin their future education and employment opportunities.

"My office funds a number of initiatives designed to target children in schools and youth settings to educate them about the dangers of knives, and break down barriers to reporting issues in the community.

"We work closely with partners across Wales to ensure that everything we do is underpinned by evidence and best practice.

"This is not something any one agency can tackle on its own but, by working together, we can make our communities safer."

Any form of knife crime can be reported to police on 101, or via the force's website or social media channels.

Information can also be reported anonymously to CrimeStoppers 0800 555 111 or via  crimestoppers-uk.org

In an emergency always call 999.