'Three red flags' were not referred up about Jake Davison's gun application
The inquest today examined the way the police firearms licensing department was run
An inquest today heard Devon and Cornwall Police were less likely to refuse an application for a shotgun than the national average.
The jury were today also told there were three 'red flags' with Jake Davison's application to own a shotgun which meant the 2017 decision should have been referred up for a more senior decision and oversight - but wasn't.
The inquest heard potentially similar 'high-risk' decisions were also not routinely referred up between 2018 and the 2021 Plymouth shootings - with a suggestion, during the inquest, the department was operating in an 'unsafe' manner.
The ongoing inquest into the five people shot dead in Plymouth has today looked into the way the force firearms licencing department used to work. The department was today described as 'very busy' as it oversaw the UK's highest number of applications and renewals.
The jury were today told in 2016-17, 1.76 per cent of applications were refused by Devon & Cornwall Police - compared with a national rate of 2.5 per cent. A similar picture was shown in the following years.
Details of an incident from Davison's childhood were revealed, which automatically made his application 'high-risk'. The jury heard he'd assaulted two children - after a third called him an abusive name and 'scarpered'.
The inquest heard a detailed explanation of how the enquiry officer should proceed with their investigations - in relation to a person being fit to hold a shotgun licence.
The jury were told the updated 2016 guidance which included advice on approaching high-risk decisions, said chief officers should ensure 'high risk decisions are approved an at appropriate level of seniority'.
The inquest was told that from 2018 until after the Plymouth shootings not all high-risk decisions were being referred up to the appropriate level of seniority and the department could have been described as operating in an 'unsafe' manner.
Figures showed of the 123 times a gun licence was reviewed and shotgun seized (data from 18 months to August 2021), 42 of those were then later returned after a review - but of those in 20 the guidance had not been followed.
When asked what happens if someone, like Davison did, had written that they have Autism and Asperger's on their shotgun licence application - which is not an automatic bar to owning a gun - the reply was that staff 'should know' it has a 'potential to affect' the gun licence-awarding decision and should be considered.
The inquest heard the force may ask the person applying for the licence to pay for their own report into their medical suitability. The guidance also says the GP 'should' be asked in writing to provide factual details about the condition - regardless of how it is funded.
The court heard the police internal procedure in 2016-2020 was to send a largely standardised letter - originating from the Home Office - to try and gather further information from a GP. It said 'if you have concerns please contact us within 21 days' and adds the form is 'not asking you to advise whether a certificate should be granted or not'.
The inquest heard the system was not a 'safe process' as potentially the letter could be lost or person absent. In the standardised letter, the GP was asked to place a 'firearms code' on the patient's record - with the force later advising if the application had been refused.
The GP in Davison's 2017 application declined to provide information, saying: 'It seeks an opinion on matters falling outside my medical expertise, namely assessment of behavioural and personality disorders'.
Afterwards the police formed a link with the local medical committee to jointly draw up an 'expectation' of how GPs should respond - and encourage them to provide 'factual' information about the patient.
The inquest did hear that the overall numbers of people with a gun in Devon & Cornwall has fallen in recent years.
Today the jury heard from Michelle Moore, the head of the now joint Devon & Cornwall and Dorset firearms licencing unit - who started in her role in 2017 - with the two forces starting to work closely together in the following years until a formal join in 2019.
Ms Moore explained that her job was to ensure an 'efficient and effective' firearms licensing process. When asked about the lack of 'bespoke training' for firearms licensing officers, she said there had been a one-off week-long course in the late 90s - which ended over concerns about a lack of nationally coordinated training by forces.
In 2017 new staff would follow a 'mentoring system' and undertake 'on the job training' as well as learn about the overall picture - such as national guidance and types of weapons - and officers would attend bi-monthly group discussions with a set agenda (such as exploring a scenario) as part of the training process. Firearms enquiry officers would also be joined by the head of service on some visits to ensure quality assurance as part of their training. It was heard there was no formal national training agreed but the training in Devon & Cornwall was based on the Home Office guidance.
In 2016 an update from the Home Office introduced a whole new section to the firearms licensing framework on 'relevant medical decisions' and 'high-risk decisions'. The jury were told the update was then given to staff during subsequent training.
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