Kesgrave shooter Jacob Talbot Lummis' victim alive but life severely impacted
The 15 year-old boy has had to undergo numerous surgical operations since the incident last September.
The 15 year-old boy, who was shot in the face in Kesgrave last year, saw justice served yesterday, with his assailant the 16 year old Jacob Talbot Lummis sentenced to 24 years in prison.
With the legal battle closed, the next step for the boy, whose identity is protected by law, is to deal with the fallout from that fateful morning.
During the trial in September, Ipswich crown court was told of the severity the boy's injuries. He had undergone several medical procedures to reconstruct his face and shoulder. He's had to wear a helmet to protect portions of his head that are affected. He cannot move the left side of his body.
These are, as stated by the judge, "devastating and life changing injuries". He also spoke of the various instruments that the boy knew how to play but wouldn't be able to now.
Detective Superintendent at Suffolk Police David Henderson says the boy is on the road to recovery: "The main thing is that he's alive, which is incredible because of the level of injuries he sustained. But thankfully he's on the road to recovery and having met him myself, I can say he's an incredibly resilient young man."
The prosecution, judge and the boy's family all paid tribute to the health professionals who worked quickly to save his life. The family in particular said they wanted to pass their gratitude to the various NHS trusts and other medical agencies involved in saving their sons' lives, in a statement delivered by Det. Supt. Henderson .
At the heart of this case, is how Talbot-Lummis was able to procure a gun to use in the crime. After the incident it was revealed that he had taken it from his grandfather's house without the latter's knowledge.
This begs the question of firearms licenses and rules regarding their storage. The shooter in Plymouth also had a license for his gun. But in both cases the police could only take action after the crime.
When asked about it Det. Supt. Henderson said: "Firearms licensing rules are strictly monitored and checks are in place in relation to people getting access to them in the first instance.
"There are also regular checks afterwards, depending on what kind of firearms they are and what the license holders say they want to do with it."
He also added that it is a very important issue for police and one which they take very seriously.