Police have been accused of giving the Plymouth gunman a “licence to kill” by the families of his victims as the inquests into their deaths concluded.
Jake Davison killed his mother Maxine, 51, before embarking on an eight-minute massacre in the Keyham area of the city that saw him shoot dead three-year-old Sophie Martyn, her father Lee, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66, in August 2021.
The 22-year-old was legally allowed to own the shotgun he used for the massacre despite a history of violence and mental health problems. He turned the gun on himself before he could be apprehended.
Jurors at the five-week inquest held at Exeter Racecourse gave their conclusions on Monday afternoon, ruling that each victim was unlawfully killed.
Following the hearing, the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IPOC) released a number of recommendations to tighten gun control, and confirmed that a criminal investigation into possible health and safety breaches by Devon and Cornwall Police was ongoing.
A statement released on the behalf of the Washington, Martyn and Shepherd families said: “It is beyond us how Davison, a man with a known history of violence, mental health issues, and with no real need to own a firearm, was granted a licence to possess a gun in the first place. Warning signs were ignored and a licence to kill was granted.”
The jury highlighted “serious failures” by police, including granting Davison a shotgun certificate and later failing to revoke it when he assaulted two teenagers in December 2020.
Instead, his certificate and weapon were returned to him just weeks before the shooting, a decision the jury described as “fundamentally flawed”. They concluded that police had consequently “failed to protect the public and the peace”.
Will Kerr, the chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “Steps should have been taken to safeguard our communities, and for that failure I am truly sorry.”
The IOPC called on the Home Office to issue clear guidance on the checks that should be conducted when police forces assess applications for firearms, and told Devon and Cornwall Police to overhaul its firearms licensing procedures.
The watchdog revealed that none of the police officers or staff investigated over the handling of Davison’s licence will lose their jobs, despite the jury finding there were “catastrophic failings” in the force’s firearms licensing department.
One member of Devon and Cornwall police staff received a written warning, but an officer who was investigated retired in 2021 so cannot face disciplinary proceedings, while there was no case to answer for a second officer, according to the IOPC.
David Ford, the IOPC regional director, said: “It has become obvious to all in light of the atrocity that Jake Davison should never have been allowed to possess a shotgun.
“It is vital that meaningful change is implemented to help police personnel responsible for firearms licensing make safe and sound decisions. Those changes are aimed at reducing the risks of a tragedy like this happening again.”
