The partner of the man who was killed with a crossbow by a neighbor who was waiting for him at his home has said that it is “incredible” that the ownership of “such a lethal medieval weapon” remains unregulated.
Laura Sugden spoke after a coroner said she is writing to Home Secretary Priti Patel about her concerns about the sale of crossbows following Shane Gilmer’s death.
Gilmer, 30, died after his next door neighbor, Anthony Lawrence, broke into his home in the village of Southburn, near Driffield, East Yorkshire, in January 2018, and shot him and Sugden, who survived the attack.
Later, Lawrence was found dead in a caravan in North Yorkshire.
On Friday, an investigative jury in Hull concluded that Mr. Gilmer was illegally murdered.
Speaking outside of court, Sugden said: “Shane was killed in the most cruel and terrifying way imaginable.
“It is incredible that the sale and ownership of such a lethal medieval weapon remains unregulated in our modern society.
“There are no laws to help prevent crossbows from falling into the hands of twisted and dangerous individuals like Anthony Lawrence.”
Sugden, who was pregnant at the time of the attack and has since had another daughter, said: “This deadly weapon has been forgotten in the government’s strategy to tackle gun and knife crime.
“That is why today, in loving memory of Shane, and in honor of our beautiful daughter who he never met, I am launching a campaign to demand that the legislation governing crossbows be aligned with the laws of firearms.
“Over the next few weeks I will speak with the parliamentarians and the interior minister to see what can be done to reform the crossbow laws.
“I would like to thank my family, friends and legal team for their unwavering support through such a heartbreaking experience.”
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Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-04-16 13:50:22
