Plymouth shooting inquests: Jake Davison 'should never have had gun licence'

Police returned a pump-action shotgun to Jake Davison before he shot five people in August 2021

A man with a history of violence who went on to shoot five people dead should never have been given a shotgun licence, an inquest heard.

Jake Davison first obtained a licence in 2017 aged 19 but police seized the weapon in 2020 after he admitted repeatedly punching a teenager.

Police then returned the pump-action shotgun to Davison in July 2021.

He went on to use it to carry out the killings in Plymouth the following the following month.

Davison, 22, killed his mother Maxine, 51, after a row at their home on the evening of August 12.

He then shot dead Sophie Martyn, three; her father Lee, 43; Stephen Washington, 59; and Kate Shepherd, 66, in the Keyham area of the city.

A police firearms licensing expert told the inquest into their deaths there should have been far more questions asked about Davison's history of violence and his self-disclosed autism.

The inquest at Exeter Racecourse heard Davison had been involved in violent incidents at his special needs school in 2011 and that police were aware of alleged violence at his home in 2015 and his suspected involvement in an assault outside a Tesco shop in 2016.

'Pattern of behaviour'

Supt Adrian Davis, co-ordinator for firearms licensing on the National Police Chiefs' Council and firearms licensing manager at Warwickshire Police, told the inquest: "You have the issues at school, the issues in 2015 and in 2016 and there is a thread of violence.

"The applicant has disclosed autism spectrum disorder. You should be aligning the concerns and the behaviours.

"It's not all about convictions; you need to ask if there is a pattern of behaviour."

Jake Davison's mother Maxine, top left, was among his victims

Supt Davis said more questions should have been asked of Davison's GP, who had said he felt unable to give information relating to his licence application.

Bridget Dolan KC, who is asking questions on behalf of the coroner, asked Supt Davis if Davison should have been given a licence.

Supt Davis said: "I would not have issued the licence."

He was also asked by Nick Stanage, who represents the Davison family, if he would expect his force to "make a private apology to the victims of life-threatening systems."

Supt Davis said: "Yes."

When asked if this apology should in fact be "public", Senior Coroner Ian Arrow intervened following an objection from the barrister representing Devon and Cornwall Police.

The inquest previously heard Davison attacked a child in a skatepark in Plymouth in September 2020 after he heard one of a group of teenagers calling him "fat".

Supt Davis said he would have revoked Davison's licence following that assault.

"From a firearms licence perspective, violence has occurred and he has admitted it," he said.

Referring to the previous incidents of violence and suspected violence, he said: "You have a thread and pattern of behaviour that is of concern."

The inquest continues.