A BASINGSTOKE man has been handed a suspended sentence for possession of a lock knife outside a London hotel.

John James Giles, 23, and of Barbel Avenue, Basingstoke, was sentenced at a Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, September 22.

He was charged with two offences – one for unlawful use of a motor vehicle on a public road or place without third-party insurance, and the second for carrying the lock knife.

Giles was found to have used a White Volkswagen Golf near the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly on September 4, 2023, without possessing the required third-party insurance policy.

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He pleaded guilty to this offence, and the court imposed a six-month disqualification from driving, coupled with a fine of £81.

He also pleaded guilty for the possession of a knife blade or a sharply pointed article in a public place on the same day.

Giles was discovered to have a lock knife in his possession without reasonable cause or lawful authorisation.

The court issued a four-month sentence, suspended for 16 months.

Giles was also ordered to pay £85 as costs, along with a surcharge of £154.