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People with a record of violence or domestic abuse will be prevented from owning firearms under new rules in the United Kingdom following a series of killings in recent years.
The new guidance, issued on Tuesday, came in response to concerns raised by coroners and campaigners after shootings in England’s Woodmancote and Keyham.
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Police officers will be instructed to interview partners or other household members of people applying for a firearms licence to identify signs of domestic abuse or other factors that could make someone unsuitable to own a weapon.
They must carry out additional checks to ensure people with a record of violence are not permitted to hold a firearms licence.
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The move came two years after an inquest found that “catastrophic failures” in the licensing system had meant Keyham gunman Jake Davison had been allowed to own a shotgun despite his history of violence.
Davison, then 22, killed his mother and four others, including a three-year-old girl, in an eight-minute shooting spree before taking his own life in August 2021.
Evidence of dishonesty will also be considered against an application, including the withholding of relevant medical history.
Robert Needham killed his partner, Kelly Fitzgibbons, and their daughters, Ava and Lex, with a legally owned shotgun at their home in Woodmancote in 2020.
He was given a licence even after admitting that he had failed to disclose a history of depression and work-related stress.
Emma Ambler, Fitzgibbons’ sister, welcomed the changes but said there was “still some way to go.”
She said: “I still believe that holding a gun licence is a privilege and not a right.
“The priority has to be the safety of society, and it’s so important to stop these extremely dangerous weapons falling into the wrong hands, which these changes will go some way to doing.”
Tuesday’s changes will also mean applicants for shotgun licences now require two referees rather than one, bringing the process into line with the rules for other firearms.
Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “Only those who meet the highest standards of safety and responsibility should be permitted to use shotguns or firearms.
“It is crucial that police have full information about the suitability of all applicants for these lethal weapons.
“The events in Woodmancote in 2020, Plymouth in 2021, and other cases provide a tragic reminder of what can happen when these weapons are in the hands of the wrong people.
“We must do everything we can to protect the public.”
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Controls on shotgun ownership could be further toughened after another consultation, due to be launched later this year, that will also seek views on improving the rules on private firearms sales.
The new consultation follows the case of Nicholas Prosper, who killed his mother, Juliana Falcon, and siblings Giselle and Kyle Prosper in Luton in 2024.
Prosper, 19, had been able to purchase a shotgun and 100 cartridges from a legitimate firearms dealer after forging a licence.
He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 49 years after pleading guilty to the murders earlier this year.
(dpa/NAN)
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