Plymouth shootings: Why was Jake Davison allowed a gun?

Jake Davison worked as an apprentice crane operator in Plymouth's Dockyard

Jake Davison shot his mother and four others before killing himself, tearing families apart and leaving a city traumatised. But how was this troubled man with a history of violent outbursts allowed to own a shotgun in the first place - and why did police give the confiscated weapon back to him weeks before the killings?

An inquest jury found the five people shot dead by Davison in Keyham, Plymouth, were unlawfully killed and that a "catastrophic failure" by Devon and Cornwall Police had contributed to their deaths.

Davison had held his shotgun legally, and although it was seized after he assaulted two teenagers, it was later handed back to him.

The inquest heard his case was not a one-off, but a symptom of a police team lacking resources, training and effective oversight.

The boy who wanted to be a sniper

Jake Davison had a history of emotional and behavioural difficulties, the inquest heard

At the inquest, tiny glimpses of a normal childhood emerged, including Davison's camping trips with siblings and cousins.

But the reality was darker. Davison, 22, had an absent father, a volatile relationship with his mother and a "history of emotional and behavioural difficulties".

Diagnosed as autistic in 2011, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) staff noted he had been playing violent computer games and "struggling to separate fact from fiction".

He was also using "sexual talk which is quite extreme" and, at 13, expressed an ambition to be a sniper.

In 2022, his father Mark Davison told the BBC the apprentice crane operator "was in his own world" and struggled to show emotion.

One former teacher, Josephine Duffy, said he was "funny, intelligent and very well-liked" but others disagreed: one thought his obsession with guns was unhealthy and another had concerns about anger management.

Mark Davison (right) said his son was "in his own world"

The inquest heard Darren Wood, partner of Davison's mother Maxine, reported seeing him using steroids in 2020, saying he would consume 12 energy drinks a day and supplements as part of his weight-lifting regime.

"His hair was falling out and Maxine would say to him he needed to stop drinking them," he said.

In July 2021 Davison told a GP injecting steroids had affected his libido and that he was developing breasts.

Davison spent hours online and police found about a million files on his computer, of which 57 contained "shocking and unacceptable content", including posts about incels - a subculture obsessed with being unable to find love.

Davison ranted about his struggles in YouTube videos and on Reddit, which removed his account the day before the shootings.

'A dangerous shambles'

Davison was 19 when he applied for a shotgun licence in 2017.

He disclosed he was autistic and firearms enquiry officer (FEO) David Rees ran a background check, uncovering two assaults on teachers and one on a fellow student at Mount Tamar School, the specialist school he attended.

Police also knew of an alleged bust-up with his father in 2015 and a suspicion he had assaulted someone in 2016 but these were not considered.

Firearms enquiry officer David Rees told the inquest he wished he had acted differently

Mr Rees told the inquest he had "nothing I would describe as training" for his role and agreed the department was a "dangerous shambles" where the "only thing that was systematic was the failure to properly assess risk".

He met Davison and "took his word" he wanted a shotgun for clay pigeon shooting and had no history of stress, anxiety and depression.

Acting as a referee, Ms Duffy said Davison was "a likeable young man" with a positive attitude and an "acknowledged interest in sporting guns", which did not concern her.

Mr Rees reported "his GP is fully supportive and had no concerns" but the inquest heard the doctor had only supplied a templated response, declining to provide any further information.

Mr Rees concluded Davison was "very low-risk" and a licence was granted in January 2018.

The inquest heard there was no national enquiry form or risk assessment so there was inconsistency across forces.

'A ferocious, unprovoked attack'

Davison assaulted two teenagers in Central Park, Plymouth

On 16 September 2020, Davison launched a "ferocious, intense and unprovoked attack" in a Plymouth skatepark, punching a teenage boy nine times before slapping a 15-year-old girl.

Under "pressure" not to send more cases to courts already overloaded due to Covid-19, police instead put him through a deferred charge programme - Pathfinder - and a thinking skills course.

Det Con Pablo Beckhurst failed to spot a firearms marker on the Police National Computer so there was a delay alerting the Firearms and Explosives Licensing Unit (FELU) to Davison's offences.

His shotgun and certificate were seized in early December after a Pathfinder member warned the force he held a licence.

Mr Rees reviewed the case, determining the risk as "low". He expected this decision to be reviewed by a senior colleague.

That never happened and Davison's shotgun was returned to him in July 2021.

'Please, he's just shot somebody'

Davison shot his mother Maxine at their home on Biddick Drive before killing Lee and Sophie Martyn in the street

Five weeks later, Davison used his Weatherby pump-action shotgun and buckshot ammunition - totally unsuited for the clay shooting he claimed he did - to kill first his mother, 51, and then three-year-old Sophie Martyn and her father, Lee, 43, on Biddick Drive.

He then shot and injured two neighbours through their closed front door before walking through nearby Linear Park and killing Stephen Washington, 59.

Frantic neighbours raised the alarm, telling 999 operators: "Please. he's just shot somebody."

Davison shot his final victim, Kate Shepherd, 66, a few minutes later, before shooting himself.

The following morning, the force confirmed Davison was a licensed firearms holder and announced an inquiry.

Ch Supt Roy Linden was brought in to lead improvements, Durham Police was invited to review the force's actions and FEOs were barred from making decisions.

The review highlighted serious concerns about decision-making by FEOs and also firearms licensing manager Michelle Moore.

(Clockwise, from top left) Maxine Davison, Sophie and Lee Martyn, Stephen Washington and Kate Shepherd were killed in August 2021

'A healthy degree of scepticism'

There was an outpouring of grief in the days that followed the shootings

Meanwhile, then Home Secretary Priti Patel asked all 43 chief constables in England and Wales to review cases where weapons had been seized in the previous 12 months.

Devon and Cornwall went further, looking back to January 2020 and finding 123 instances. In 42 of those, weapons were handed back but in 20 cases guidance had not been followed.

At the time it was deemed those decisions were still safe. However, Ch Supt Linden told the inquest that following a further review, 10 licensees had their licences revoked and two surrendered theirs.

The Home Office's head of firearms policy, Nicholas Hunt, said the national review showed about 6,500 cases where firearms licences were reviewed and, of those, 908 where holders had their licences returned to them.

Nine decisions, all from the same unnamed force, were found to be unsafe.

Ch Supt Linden told the inquest he had a "healthy degree of scepticism" the national figures were accurate.

'Lessons haven't been learned'

Bobby Turnbull's mother, sister and aunt were killed by a licensed gun-owner in 2012

In 2012, Bobby Turnbull's mother, sister and aunt were killed by Michael Atherton in County Durham.

Now a gun control campaigner, he sees similarities with the Plymouth shootings. Both gunmen had shotgun licences, despite a history of violence or suspected violence and both had had weapons confiscated and returned to them.

He said Davison's victims would not have died had recommendations made after the Durham shootings been listened to.

"Other families [are] having to go through what I've been through when we've been told lessons have been learned; changes have been made," he said.

"Obviously lessons haven't been learned; changes haven't been made."

Sixteen children and their teacher were murdered by gunman Thomas Hamilton in March 1996 at Dunblane Primary School

An inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, following the Durham shootings, was repeatedly referred to during the Plymouth inquest.

Its 2015 report called for a nationally accredited training regime for firearms licensing staff, echoing an earlier recommendation made by Lord Cullen after the 1996 Dunblane massacre.

By 1997, all handguns had been banned, but the Plymouth inquest heard there was still no national training.

Prof Peter Squires, a criminology expert and member of the Gun Control Network, said the number of firearms tragedies was "quite staggering".

"We have seen over time many coroners making many recommendations... unfortunately, the recommendations are routinely overlooked," he said.

"This is a system of licensing that's not fit for purpose, really, and these tragedies are telling us that time and time again."

What has been done?

In 2017/18, Devon and Cornwall had the highest number of shotgun licence-holders in England and Wales. Last year, it had the second-highest.

The inquest heard the force's application refusal rate was often below the national average. Ch Supt Linden said it had made a series of changes and the rate was now about double the national average.

The inquest heard Devon and Cornwall Police's application refusal rate was lower than the national average

It was taking a public safety-first approach now, he said, asking applicants to prove why they should have a gun.

Other changes made include increasing staffing in the FELU from 44 to 99; sending all its staff on a training course and having four managers, rather than one, making high-risk decisions.

The Home Office said it had issued new guidance, making medical reports compulsory and stipulating that referees should have been in regular contact with applicants for the most recent two years.

Ch Supt Linden told the inquest: "Having been through what we've been through over the last 18 months, we would advocate as much consistency across the 43 forces as possible."

This would be done by changing the legislative framework, he said, adding: "While I can't sit here and say it will never happen again... what I can say is it's extremely unlikely."

'Equally lethal weapons'

Davison's black pump-action shotgun compared to a more traditional shotgun

Firearms and shotgun licensing is governed by the Firearms Act 1968.

Firearms are considered to be for sporting and competitive use, with applications requiring two references,

Shotguns require only one and the applicant does not need to show a good reason for the application in the same way, or meet such tough restrictions on where the weapon is stored.

At the inquest, the Martyn, Washington and Shepherd families called for the two processes to be brought in line. Ch Supt Linden echoed this, saying both were "equally lethal weapons".

Plymouth City Council leader Richard Bingley said he did not feel reassured

Prof Squires agreed, saying the law was very complicated and did not reflect modern weapons such as Davison's shotgun.

Plymouth City Council leader Richard Bingley said he would lobby for much stricter regulations, questioning the need for private individuals to keep firearms at home.

"I don't feel reassured at the moment because there just simply haven't been the changes in local and national policing… I feel quite exposed that I can't look someone in Plymouth in the eye and say to them 'Things have improved since Keyham'," he said.

'Falls on deaf ears'

Another national issue raised during the inquest was the fee structure for licensing.

The Scottish Affairs Committee, which heard the cost of processing licence applications could be up to £500, yet it currently cost £88 for a five-year firearms certificate application and £79.50 for a shotgun.

Prof Squires said the taxpayer was effectively subsidising shooting, leading to police dealing with licensing "on a shoestring".

He added: "They would train their officers better if we had an appropriately financed system. And that's been the stumbling block for a long time."

Mr Hunt from the Home Office told the inquest it was "very difficult to justify" the disparity between shotguns and firearms and the department was considering bringing the two in line.

He said it would be consulting on increasing statutory fees, last raised in 2014/15.

Mr Turnbull said if something was not done, another Keyham could happen

Mr Turnbull said the Plymouth shootings affected him badly.

"It's awful to even think that this could happen again but if nothing's done quickly it is going to happen again, definitely, because there's just massive failings," he said.

"It's scary... to know that maybe in another three or four years there's going to be another massive gun massacre because the police haven't done their job correctly again; the Home Office haven't done anything to help the police - it just falls on deaf ears.

"That's what it feels like as a victim."