People with a history of violence or domestic abuse will be prohibited from owning firearms under new regulations introduced in the UK, following a series of fatal incidents in recent years.
This new guidance, issued on Tuesday, addresses concerns raised by coroners and campaigners after shootings in Woodmancote and Keyham, England.
Police officers will be required to interview partners or other household members of individuals applying for a firearms licence to identify any signs of domestic abuse.
Additionally, they must conduct more thorough checks to ensure that individuals with a history of violence are not granted a firearms licence.
The move came two years after an inquest found that “catastrophic failures” in the licensing system had meant Keyham gunman Jake Davison had been allowed to own a shotgun despite his history of violence.
Davison, then 22, killed his mother and four others, including a three-year-old girl, in an eight-minute shooting spree before taking his own life in August 2021.
Evidence of dishonesty will also be considered against an application, including the withholding of relevant medical history.
Robert Needham killed his partner, Kelly Fitzgibbons, and their daughters, Ava and Lex, with a legally owned shotgun at their home in Woodmancote in 2020.
He was given a licence even after admitting that he had failed to disclose a history of depression and work-related stress.
Emma Ambler, Fitzgibbons’ sister, welcomed the changes but said there was “still some way to go.”
