Crossbow victim’s family demand tougher laws after ‘horrific’ attack kills wife and two daughters

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The victim of a crossbow attack has called for the government to implement tougher laws to prevent further deaths after three women were killed with the weapon in Hertfordshire.

Laura Sugden launched a campaign for the weapons to be licensed after she was shot with a crossbow and her partner, Shane Gilmer, was murdered by their neighbour in January 2018.

The mother-of-two, who is set to undergo surgery later this month to remove a piece of crossbow bolt from her head, said the killings of Carol Hunt, 61, Louise Hunt, 25 and her sister Hannah, 28, brought back memories of the horrendous attack she suffered.

A man has been arrested in connection with the killings of the three members of BBC 5 Live racing commentator John Hunt’s family.

Ms Sugden said: “Initially I was in shock and I felt really sad that another family has been affected by crossbows.

“I couldn’t believe it, I felt quite frustrated as it’s been a campaign I’ve had ongoing since 2021 and this year in particular every month I’ve heard a story related to crossbows.

“This one, in particular, affected me a lot more, three people just losing their lives is absolutely horrendous. Thinking about the husband and the family, I’ve been there emotionally and mentally, the impact.

“It’s just horrific, I can’t comprehend that it’s happened, it reminded me how horrendous my situation was and the loss I suffered. I can’t stop thinking about the family, I’m so so sad for them and heartbroken they’ve had to endure that pain.

Ms Sugden launched her Shane’s Law campaign in April 2021, calling for people who want to buy a crossbow to face similar criminal records and mental health checks to those required for shotgun sales.

She gathered 42,000 signatures on a petition but was told by the government the rules around crossbow ownership would not be reviewed, a situation she said was “frustrating”.

However, the government changed its mind after a 19-year-old man was arrested at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day 2021 while allegedly in possession of a crossbow.

The Home Office launched a call for evidence this year to see if further controls on crossbow ownership should be implemented, but the outcome has not yet been revealed.

The 34-year-old has now urged Labour’s home secretary Yvette Cooper to enact stricter rules around the ownership of crossbows and has vowed to continue campaigning.

She said: “I’m hoping that this horrendous incident will push the government and show that something drastic needs to happen. I’m just hopeful the Labour government will seriously consider bringing in some legislation.

“I just can’t bear to see anybody else suffer from these weapons. It’s overwhelming, I keep reading about this, I feel like I need to do more and keep the pressure on because even somebody being threatened by a crossbow, that still has an impact on me as I think, why are people still allowed to buy them?”

Under current legislation, it is an offence for anyone under 18 to purchase or possess a crossbow and for anyone to sell a crossbow to someone aged under 18.

Crossbows may also be considered offensive weapons and are prohibited from being carried in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

Due to the lethal nature of the weapons Ms Sugden has urged that they be licensed in the same way as shotguns since they are “just as lethal”.

She said: “I’ve got friends that have got shotguns. You can’t have a shotgun licence without having a medical to see if you are mentally well enough to have the weapon. You also have to jump through a number of hoops to shoot that gun in a controlled environment.

“The police have to go to the property, it has to be in a locked cabinet, they are responsible for that firearm. Crossbows are just as lethal, if not more so, yet there is nothing stopping anybody from buying one and I do not, six years later, understand this. It’s a lethal weapon.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We keep legislation under constant review and a call for evidence was launched earlier this year to look at whether further controls on crossbows should be introduced.

“The home secretary will swiftly consider the findings to see if laws need to be tightened further.”