A Birmingham father, Balbir Mahay, has been issued a 12-month conditional discharge after being found in possession of a samurai sword in his bedroom. The 57-year-old’s weapon was discovered during a police search at his Leslie Road property in Handsworth on November 6 last year, following an unrelated arrest.
Mahay confessed to purchasing the samurai sword approximately 25 years ago from Bescot Market in Walsall and claimed he was unaware that owning it was illegal. The weapon was found propped against a wall next to a window beside a chest of drawers in his bedroom.
At Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on March 24, Mahay pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in a private place. Prosecutor Jennifer McDowall confirmed the sword was discovered during the search conducted after his arrest for an unrelated matter.
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Defence lawyer Ms Clark explained that Mahay had never taken the sword outside his home and had cooperated fully with the police investigation. She highlighted his history as a former support worker aiding drug recovery and noted his lack of previous weapon-related offences, apart from a cannabis possession conviction from 2010.
Magistrate Patrick Wing acknowledged the circumstances and opted for a conditional discharge instead of a fine or community order. He praised Mahay’s honesty about the sword’s presence and noted that it had never left his residence. The magistrate emphasized the importance of staying out of trouble during the discharge period and warned Mahay that he would never possess the weapon again.
In addition to the discharge, Mahay was ordered to pay a £26 surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs, totaling £111.