Police had a 'flawed and embedded' practice when issuing gun licences

A senior police officer today admitted 'mistakes' in the decision to award Plymouth gunman Jake Davison a shotgun license.

Firearms licensing supervisor Stephen Carder has given a second day of evidence at the ongoing inquest into the five people shot dead in August 2021.

After the Keyham shootings, audits had to be carried out to see if other decisions to return seized weapons had been taken safely.

The jury heard one aspect of Mr Carder's training was 19 years old when he counter-signed Davison's 2017 shotgun application.

Mr Carder, the firearms licensing supervisor from October 2017, is the force's longest-serving staff member in the department who started in 1996.

The jury were also told a number of people above Mr Carder had responsibility for the department, with the chief constable having ultimate responsibility for the firearms licensing department. Evidence was given that the superintendent for the department was not in daily contact with the licensing supervisor and a deputy role above him was vacant.

The inquest heard Mr Carder did not have two of the 'essential requirements' for his position's job specification including experience as a firearms’ enquiry officer and significant investigative experience - and was not offered specific training.

The jury heard Mr Carder, who had a role ensuring those underneath him were trained, did not ask for personal training and his line manager did not suggest it either.

The jury were told Mr Carder had an 'extremely busy workload' with the majority of the almost 12,000 shotgun and firearms decisions during 2017-18 going through his desk.

The inquest heard his ‘national decision model’ training was five years old, as well as his firearms licensing training being 19 years old.

Yesterday the court heard Mr Carder had never noticed a tick box relating to a 'risk matrix' when he approved shotgun applications and this was never picked up by anyone above him.

The jury were told there was nothing on the police form - to approve a shotgun license - asking to look into factual details of an applicant's medical history, only to declare if they have self declared.

The inquest heard the form 'invites taking an applicant at their word' and staff would have been helped by further information of what was required.

The jury heard that the 'misunderstanding' of the 2016 Home Office guidance - across the department at the time - was an example of how a 'practice become embedded'.

Mr Carder admitted his work was 'flawed' but the jury were today shown his PDR in 2018-19 which suggested he was able to sign off low risk decisions - even when red flags had been mitigated.

Questions from the coroner revealed different police forces had different forms - which may or may not have included guidance on the risk matrix.

Mr Carder was unsure if other forces had their own version of a risk matrix.

What else was discussed today?

The inquest has previously heard the GP who declined to provide information about Davison when asked by police was sent a standard letter asking for information and requesting he put a firearm code on the patient records about having a gun.

At the time the GP said he didn't add the code, as he wanted patient records to be up to date.

Today the jury was shown a new Home Office-backed in April 2016 'post grant' letter template had been created - which would have told the GP if Davison was awarded a shotgun license, something the force did not send.

The inquest saw a note that the automated 'post grant' letter was in the process of being placed in the system 'later this year'.

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• Plymouth gunman's dad 'warned police not to issue firearms license'

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• The inquest heard that senior police officers were "distracted completely" by the G7 summit in Cornwall

• 'Not unusual' for police licensing officers not to get everything they wanted from GPs

• The process of a 'high-risk' decision to award a shotgun license to someone where it has previously been removed was outlined at the inquest - along with details of a 2015 report looking into the way 11 forces operated their firearms licensing department.

• A video montage detailing the events of the night of the Keyham shooting was played to the jury at the inquest in Exeter.

• The accounts of neighbours in Biddick Drive have been read to the jury at the ongoing inquests into the five people shot dead in Plymouth in August 2021.

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