Judge orders apology to gardener in knife case

A Penzance businessman received a public apology after a judge slammed the Crown Prosecution Service for taking him to court for carrying knives he needed for his work.

Peter Drew spoke of his relief after Judge Paul Darlow took the extraordinary step at Truro Crown Court of demanding prosecution barrister Philip Lee apologise to the defendant.

Mr Drew said afterwards he felt disgusted the CPS had pursued him, after Penzance police pressed charges over knives that were found in his work van in February.



The 49-year-old, who until recently ran Peter Drew Old and New in St Clare St, had consistently maintained he used the tools for ground clearance and said he provided references from solicitors whose gardens he had cleared.

Judge Darlow let Mr Drew free and then poured vitriol on the CPS, demanding: "I want to find out why we've got to the start of the trial – and the CPS are suddenly saying 'Oops'. I don't think the CPS can escape criticism or blame if they leave it to the last minute to make up their minds: we despair of trying to run these courts in any sort of efficient way."

The judge went on: "I think some sort of public apology to Mr Drew from the court would not go amiss." Mr Lee responded: "On behalf of the CPS I apologise that it has taken this long: some decisions are very obvious and some less so, and I wouldn't say this was an obvious decision."