MPs set to tighten laws around crossbow sales

A Labour MP has said tightening the law around crossbow sales is "important" as an ex-soldier who murdered a woman and her two daughters awaits sentence.

Matt Turmaine, MP for Watford, told the BBC the Labour government had introduced a bill which started to deal with the circumstances of Kyle Clifford's crimes.

Clifford is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after admitting stabbing Carol Hunt, 61, to death and shooting her daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28, with a crossbow at their family home in Bushey, near Watford.

Archery's governing body raised concerns that restrictions might affect elderly and disabled archers who found using crossbows easier, but said it would work with the government.

The women were the wife and daughters of BBC horse racing commentator John Hunt.

Clifford, 26, of Enfield, north London, had entered guilty pleas to murder, false imprisonment and possession of offensive weapons, in January.

On Thursday, jurors found him guilty of raping Louise Hunt, his ex-partner, after a trial at Cambridge Crown Court.

Louise had ended her 18-month relationship with Clifford about two weeks before she died, the court heard.

Clifford legally bought the crossbow he used in the attack online, plus a cocking device and six bolts, for £350.

He also bought a specialist butchering knife and ordered an air pistol, which never arrived.

Turmaine, MP for Watford, indicated that a crackdown was in the offing.

"You will have seen that we introduced a Crime and Police Bill into Parliament very recently that starts to deal with the circumstances around this particular case," he told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"I have spoken to people from the Home Office about crossbows and this particular set of circumstances, because, obviously, while these tragic events are very rare, they do happen and it's important that we tighten up the law so that it cannot happen."

Health minister Stephen Kinnock has echoed Turmaine's sentiments and told Times Radio: "I think crossbows are a lethal weapon and they should be regulated."

Kinnock said he was "sure" Home Secretary Yvette Cooper would be "looking at this".

He added: "It does seem to be too easy to get hold of a lethal weapon like a crossbow and it does seem that something does need to be done about that."

A Home Office spokesman described the murders of Carol, Louise and Hannah Hunt as a "horrific and senseless" act of violence.

He added: "While it is already illegal to carry a crossbow in public without reasonable excuse, we have been reviewing whether controls need to be strengthened further."

• Medieval in origin, a crossbow is a short-range weapon consisting of a bow attached to a wooden or metal frame that can fire arrow-like projectiles called bolts

• Historically, crossbows were used as military weapons but are still widely used in sport

• Under the Crossbows Act 1987, it is legal to buy a crossbow in England, Scotland and Wales, and owners are not required to register the weapon or hold a licence. Similar legislation covers Northern Ireland

• It is illegal for under-18s to own or buy one; for under-21s to shoot one, unless under the supervision of someone older; for owners to rent or lend one to anyone else; to shoot one in a public space or any private place without permission

• While being transported, a crossbow must be kept in a condition in which it cannot be fired

• The legislation applies to all crossbows with a "draw weight" - the force needed to pull the bow into anchor position - of 1.4kg (3lb) or more

• The maximum penalty for the sale or hire of a crossbow to anyone under 18 is six months' imprisonment or a fine

• If a person is found with a crossbow in a public place, they could be prosecuted for possessing an offensive weapon in a public area, which carries a maximum sentence of four years' imprisonment, according to criminal barrister Christopher Moran

• The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 also prohibits using crossbows for hunting

• In Scotland, separate legislation makes it illegal to be drunk in a public place in possession of a crossbow

Archery GB, the national governing body for the sport of archery, said crossbows were "legitimately" used by archers shooting at targets.

The organisation said "high-power crossbows" were available which were "not permitted for use" within "archery disciplines".

Arran Coggan, the organisation's director of sport development, said it was concerning that people "not connected" with the sport of archery could acquire high-powered crossbows and use them in "such a devastating manner".

"The majority of our members use bows and arrows, but crossbows are used, predominantly by older or disabled participants who may be unable to use a traditional bow and arrow," he said.

"We are therefore concerned that introducing restrictions on the ownership and use of crossbows would have a disproportionate impact on those currently least physically active."

He added: "If the government does licence crossbow ownership, we would work with them to assist clubs in supporting any legal requirements to enable disabled and older people to remain active."

John Bingham, president of the National Crossbow Federation, whose members also shoot at targets for sport, also thought laws should be tightened.

He said he was in favour of a licensing system and added: "With a licensing system the police would at least be aware who had a crossbow."

The boss of an indoor shooting range, which offers crossbow target shooting as one of its activities, said licensing crossbows or making them harder to buy would not affect his business.

"I see no reason why they should not introduce face-to-face sales or provide some sort of ID," Alan Gregory, managing director of Target Sports World, in Romford, east London, told the BBC.

"That would mean there would be record of the sale - which is important."

Figures show that crossbow attacks led to fewer than 10 deaths between 2011 and 2021.

In 2018, Shane Gilmer was killed by Anthony Lawrence, in Southburn, East Yorkshire.

The same year, former nurse Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo broke into the home of his pregnant ex-wife, Sana Muhammad, in Ilford, east London, firing a crossbow into her stomach. Her unborn child survived the attack that killed her.

In December 2021, Jaswant Singh Chail was arrested after going to Windsor Castle with plans to assassinate Elizabeth II with a crossbow. He was jailed for nine years for treason.

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