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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Plymouth shooting inquests: Police encouraged restorative justice | Plymouth shooting inquests: Police encouraged restorative justice |
| (2 days later) | |
| Jake Davison killed five people in Plymouth, in August 2021 | Jake Davison killed five people in Plymouth, in August 2021 |
| Police "failed to protect the public" from a mass killer by not referring him to the Crown Prosecution Service after an earlier attack, an inquest heard. | Police "failed to protect the public" from a mass killer by not referring him to the Crown Prosecution Service after an earlier attack, an inquest heard. |
| Jake Davison, 22, shot dead five people in Keyham, Plymouth, on 12 August 2021 before taking his own life. | Jake Davison, 22, shot dead five people in Keyham, Plymouth, on 12 August 2021 before taking his own life. |
| An inquest heard he was handed an anger management leaflet after assaulting a teenager in September 2020. | An inquest heard he was handed an anger management leaflet after assaulting a teenager in September 2020. |
| It came at a time when officers were being asked to consider lesser charges in such cases, the hearing was told. | It came at a time when officers were being asked to consider lesser charges in such cases, the hearing was told. |
| Davison killed his mother Maxine, 51; three-year-old Sophie Martyn; her father, Lee, 43; Stephen Washington, 59; and Kate Shepherd, 66, before turning his legally-owned pump-action shotgun on himself. | Davison killed his mother Maxine, 51; three-year-old Sophie Martyn; her father, Lee, 43; Stephen Washington, 59; and Kate Shepherd, 66, before turning his legally-owned pump-action shotgun on himself. |
| Tributes to the victims were placed near the scene of the shootings in August 2021 | Tributes to the victims were placed near the scene of the shootings in August 2021 |
| The hearing at Exeter Racecourse was told police were encouraged to press for lesser charges for violent offences during the Covid-19 pandemic. | The hearing at Exeter Racecourse was told police were encouraged to press for lesser charges for violent offences during the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| On Monday it heard Devon and Cornwall Police were sending regular emails to detectives, urging them to seek restorative justice rather than criminal prosecution where possible. | On Monday it heard Devon and Cornwall Police were sending regular emails to detectives, urging them to seek restorative justice rather than criminal prosecution where possible. |
| Det Insp Deborah Wyatt was "the gatekeeper" in the assault case in which a 16-year-old boy was left unconscious, according to witnesses, with a two-inch (5cm) cut above his eye that required stitches. | Det Insp Deborah Wyatt was "the gatekeeper" in the assault case in which a 16-year-old boy was left unconscious, according to witnesses, with a two-inch (5cm) cut above his eye that required stitches. |
| She made the final decision of a deferred charge of battery - which could be dealt with by restorative justice - rather than the more serious charge of actual bodily harm. | She made the final decision of a deferred charge of battery - which could be dealt with by restorative justice - rather than the more serious charge of actual bodily harm. |
| She told the inquest: "We were receiving regular emails to say we had to consider out-of-court disposals." | She told the inquest: "We were receiving regular emails to say we had to consider out-of-court disposals." |
| 'Clear message' | 'Clear message' |
| The inquest heard Davison admitted the assaults and was dealt with by the Pathfinder restorative justice service. | The inquest heard Davison admitted the assaults and was dealt with by the Pathfinder restorative justice service. |
| Bridget Dolan KC, on behalf of the coroner, asked: "Was there some pressure to send everyone you could to Pathfinder due to Covid pressures?" | Bridget Dolan KC, on behalf of the coroner, asked: "Was there some pressure to send everyone you could to Pathfinder due to Covid pressures?" |
| Det Insp Wyatt replied: "There were regular emails but I was very much of the view that I do things for the right reasons." | Det Insp Wyatt replied: "There were regular emails but I was very much of the view that I do things for the right reasons." |
| Ms Dolan asked if there were "regular emails" from Devon and Cornwall Police's criminal justice unit with a "clear message" to send cases to Pathfinder. | Ms Dolan asked if there were "regular emails" from Devon and Cornwall Police's criminal justice unit with a "clear message" to send cases to Pathfinder. |
| Det Insp Wyatt replied: "If appropriate." | Det Insp Wyatt replied: "If appropriate." |
| She said she believed Davison would be put on an anger management course through Pathfinder. | She said she believed Davison would be put on an anger management course through Pathfinder. |
| Davison later handed himself into the police after a public appeal was made using CCTV images of a suspect wanted for the September 2020 assaults | Davison later handed himself into the police after a public appeal was made using CCTV images of a suspect wanted for the September 2020 assaults |
| Ms Dolan said he was not put on a course due to the £40 cost and was instead given a leaflet about anger management. | Ms Dolan said he was not put on a course due to the £40 cost and was instead given a leaflet about anger management. |
| Ms Dolan said: "You don't need hindsight to know you should not put someone through a gate unless you know what is on the other side, do you?" | Ms Dolan said: "You don't need hindsight to know you should not put someone through a gate unless you know what is on the other side, do you?" |
| Det Insp Wyatt responded: "That's correct." | Det Insp Wyatt responded: "That's correct." |
| Det Insp Wyatt told the inquest she believed the assault was "borderline" in terms of whether it constituted battery or actual bodily harm. | Det Insp Wyatt told the inquest she believed the assault was "borderline" in terms of whether it constituted battery or actual bodily harm. |
| Ms Dolan asked if it could still have been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). | Ms Dolan asked if it could still have been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). |
| Det Insp Wyatt replied: "At the time in Covid if we had put that to the CPS I believe they would have turned around and said the police need to make the charging decision." | Det Insp Wyatt replied: "At the time in Covid if we had put that to the CPS I believe they would have turned around and said the police need to make the charging decision." |
| The inquest also heard from Det Sgt Ed Bagshaw, who had considered evidence against Davison and possible charges. | The inquest also heard from Det Sgt Ed Bagshaw, who had considered evidence against Davison and possible charges. |
| Nick Stanage, representing Davison's brother and sister, asked him "The decision not to treat the skatepark case as actual bodily harm was a decision that failed to protect the public - do you agree?" | Nick Stanage, representing Davison's brother and sister, asked him "The decision not to treat the skatepark case as actual bodily harm was a decision that failed to protect the public - do you agree?" |
| Det Sgt Bagshaw replied: "I would agree with that." | Det Sgt Bagshaw replied: "I would agree with that." |
| Mr Stanage asked: "It was a decision that posed a danger to the public, was it not?" | Mr Stanage asked: "It was a decision that posed a danger to the public, was it not?" |
| "Yes, I would agree with that," replied Det Sgt Bagshaw. | "Yes, I would agree with that," replied Det Sgt Bagshaw. |
| The inquest previously heard an officer missed a "warning marker" on police files to say Davison had a shotgun. | The inquest previously heard an officer missed a "warning marker" on police files to say Davison had a shotgun. |
| His gun and certificate were later seized after a member of the scheme warned the force he was a licence holder, but they were later returned in July 2021. | His gun and certificate were later seized after a member of the scheme warned the force he was a licence holder, but they were later returned in July 2021. |
| The inquest continues. | The inquest continues. |
| Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. |
| Related Topics | |
| Plymouth |