A HIGH-FLYING engineer jailed for possessing live ammunition and importing a banned “stealth knife” has failed to convince top judges that his jail term was too harsh.

Emil Bakeev, of Hidcot Court, North Swindon, received a 16-month sentence at Swindon Crown Court last November after he admitted possessing some “expanded” ammunition and importing the knife, which he bought online.

London's Criminal Appeal Court heard Bakeev had a “fascination” with weaponry, belonging to two gun clubs. He was described as highly intelligent and a successful civil engineer, with a Phd to his name.

The 33-year-old was prosecuted after Swindon police were tipped off by Customs officers at Manchester Airport about a parcel en route to him at his Swindon home.

The parcel contained a “stealth” dagger – highly dangerous lethal knives made from plastic and fibre glass which can slip through metal detectors.

When Bakeev's home was searched in April last year, detectives found four live ammunition rounds.

Bakeev claimed he had no idea the knife was too dangerous to import, also insisting that he thought the bullets found were no longer live.

His case reached London's Appeal Court as he challenged the total 16-month sentence, which Mrs Justice Slade yesterday upheld.

The judge, sitting with Lady Justice Hallett and Mr Justice Davis, said the knife seized was “by its nature very difficult to detect and quite capable of causing serious injury”.

The total sentence “appropriately reflected the offending behaviour in this case”, she concluded.