A man was sentenced to four months in prison for carrying a six-inch Master Sword in public.
As reported by Eurogamer, 48-year-old Anthony Bray, of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England, was spotted carrying a replica of the iconic weapon from Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda series openly in the local town centre.
Warwickshire Police spotted Bray on June 8 via CCTV walking down the street with something in his hand. Bray was said to have approached officers with the item visible in his hand, at which point he was arrested as he was carrying a bladed article.
Bray subsequently claimed the Master Sword was a “fidget” — something to keep his hands busy — that he had bought online. But police said that because it was a sharply pointed item, it could be used as a weapon, and “put others in fear of it being used against them.” The police said the Master Sword was inside a sheath and could be released with the press of a button.
Despite admitting that the Master Sword could be perceived as threatening if someone else saw it, Bray insisted during his interview that he would not have used it as a weapon, the police said.
Bray was sentenced on June 28 and given a four month prison sentence as well as an order to pay a victims’ surcharge of £154 (approx $195).
Sergeant Spellman of the Patrol Investigations Unit commented: “We take a zero tolerance to bladed articles in public, and Bray has fallen afoul of this.
“It is possible to find fidget toys that aren’t six-inch blades. It is possible not to walk down the street holding them out in front of you. With a bit more self-awareness, Bray could have avoided contact with us completely.”
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.