Police 'relying on judgement' not guidance when giving shotgun licences

The inquest into the Plymouth shootings today heard the police's 'risk matrix' was not being followed - and a supervisor was even not aware the requirement to check it was part of the form to grant a shotgun license.

Stephen Carder, a firearms licensing supervisor, and longest-serving staff member in the department has today been giving evidence at the inquest into the deaths of five people.

The jury were told the process followed at the time was one 'we always followed' and he was regularly 'relying on my judgement", which he later accepted was unsafe.

The inquest hard there was a 'default' position within the firearms licensing department at the time that revoking a weapons license was a 'big thing to do'.

Mr Carder was asked if a better ethos would have been to remove a weapon and then focus on whether it should be returned - which he now accepts.

The jury heard the 2016 updated guidance and Home Office-backed 'risk matrix' was 'irrelevant' and there had been a 'systematic misunderstanding' in the department - with staff members not aware of the process of referring up potential red flags in gun license applications.

Despite today admitting his 'understanding (of the risk matrix was) based on a flawed premise', in February 2017, Mr Carder sent an email to staff saying: "I am slightly concerned the risk matrix has been in use for the past five years! Would you all please refer to the document when determining the risk level.”

It added: “If there are gaps then please forward to myself so that the list can be amended in due course. I attach a copy of the document for reference."

Mr Carder struggled to answer how the risk matrix should have been applied by staff in their day to day and revealed that concerns about the system in place at the time had been raised during an audit - but no meaningful changes were actioned as a result.

The ongoing inquest has previously heard that Devon & Cornwall issued more weapons certificates than other forces in England and Wales - with a slightly lower refusal rate than the national average.

Related articles

Davison 'was due to review his work situation the day after shootings.

Police made 'indefensible’ decision to award shotgun licence

Davison's shotgun was not kept where police thought it should be

Mum 'feared her son' and her sister urged Jake to stop threatening her

Teacher saw 'no indication' when she spoke to gunman night before killings

GP was 'unable to say if Davison was fit to hold a shotgun licence'

Police 'only shared recommendations with staff, not specific details of problems'

Plymouth gunman's dad 'warned police not to issue firearms licence'

'Three red flags' were not referred up about Jake Davison's gun application

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 licence 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.

Gunman searched 'why do incels feel the need to kill themselves' just before shootings

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.