Campaigner calls for tighter controls on gun licences
Rachel Williams was shot by her estranged husband
A campaigner who was shot by her ex-husband is campaigning for stronger restrictions on gun laws as a survey closes on the current rules on gun ownership
All Police and Crime Commissioners have come together to ask people's opinions on potential changes to the current rules before the Home Office issues new guidance to police forces. The survey closes today (20th October).
Domestic violence survivor Rachel Williams wants the guidance to be made so that no-one is granted a licence if they had previous domestic abuse, violence, convictions or a history of domestic abuse.
She also wants anyone who has a mental health related illness, including anxiety and depression, or drug and alcohol use to be refused the licence.
Rachel suffered horrific injuries after being shot by her estranged husband Darren at the hair salon where she worked in Newport ten years ago, he then took his own life.
Ever since Rachel has been campaigning on behalf of victims and is founder of Stand Up To Domestic Abuse.
She holds an annual conference and works closely with police forces across the UK sharing her knowledge and experiences to help officers have a better understanding of perpetrators who commit such offences.
Rachel spoke to our Wales News Editor Emma Grant, you can watch the video below.
WARNING it contains content relating to coercive control, domestic abuse, suicide and child death.
Rachel told us: "I was in an abusive, controlling violent relationship for 18 years from the age of 21 to 39. When I met Darren he was lovely, quite charming, and you know within a couple of months, obviously I could see was a little bit jealous of stuff. I was a single mum as well, didn't take much notice of it to be honest with you. And then before I knew it, I was in it over my head. And it's easy to look back now and to see the red flags, but at the time being so young as well, not having much life experience and certainly not knowing anything about coercive control."
Rachel launched campaign back in August to tighten UK gun laws after the Plymouth shootings. Rachel has joined forces with former Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal to force government to review licencing conditions to hold any firearm in wake of the Plymouth incident
"We're asking that no person should be granted a licence if they had previous domestic abuse, violence, convictions or a history of domestic abuse and that anyone who has a mental health related illness to include anxiety and depression or drug and alcohol use to be refused the licence. For those who are granted the licence, the asset, the holders who apply every other year to renew their licence with exceptions - obviously professional shooters, maybe sportspeople, Olympic Commonwealth Games, etc. And the exception also to include farmers. The checks must be carried out with due diligence, including their social media and licence holders should not permitted to keep a firearm in the home. It should be kept at the local gun club with the legitimate exceptions again of farmers. The GP record needs to be tagged so police will be alerted to any licence holder who is or becomes unfit to hold a licence ."
In her petition on change.org Rachel has highlighted how the Keyham gunman had his shotgun certificate removed from him in December 2020 following an allegation of assault, and returned to him in July just a few weeks before the shooting spree in August.
During the pandemic there has been a rise in reports of domestic violence. Rachel has had to turn off her direct messages on Facebook because she could not keep up with the volume coming through. She told us: "Since June last year I've had over 700 women sign up to my domestic abuse programmes. I reckon I'd probably get close to probably 60 and 100 messages a week in some way, shape or form or from somebody who either wants to be signposted, somebody just maybe just asking you - if you think they are being abused. For instance, I had an email last week from somebody I met in a restaurant at least six months ago in London and we got chatting. She worked there. We got chatting about you know what I did and then I gave her my card. She actually reached out to me only last week. So you never know, by sharing your story, who you're going to help or who's going to think that I'm not alone."
If you need support you can contact Stand Up To Domestic Abuse.