‘Lenient’ sentence of kidnapper who bundled girlfriend into van to be reviewed

  • The moment Chay Bowskill grabbed Angel Lynn on the street

The prison sentence handed to a kidnapper who bundled his girlfriend into a van before she was found seriously injured will be reviewed to see if it was “unduly lenient”.

The Attorney General said they have received a request for the seven-and-a-half year jail term given to Chay Bowskill to be considered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

Angel Lynn, 19, was found lying seriously injured in the carriageway of the A6 near Loughborough on 17 September 2020.

Chay Bowskill was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in custody after being convicted of kidnap Credit: Leicestershire Police/PA

Bowskill, 20, of Syston, Leicestershire, was convicted of kidnap, coercive and controlling behaviour, and perverting the course of justice following a trial at Leicester Crown Court.

He was found not guilty of a causing grievous bodily harm.

A second man, Rocco Sansome, 20, of Birstall, Leicestershire, was also found guilty of kidnap.

He was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

Video footage showed the moment Ms Lynn was forcibly picked up by Bowskill and taken into a van, driven by Sansome.

Police said Ms Lynn exited the vehicle at some point in the journey and she now requires “round the clock care” due to the injuries she suffered.

What is the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme?

You can ask for someone’s Crown Court sentence to be reviewed if you think it’s too low.

The process is carried out by the Attorney General’s Office. It only applies to serious crimes like murder, rape and terror-related offences.

Your request has to be submitted within 28 days of the sentence being handed down. It will then be decided if the request will be sent to the Court of Appeal.

In a statement released after the sentencing hearing, Ms Lynn’s family said: “Our lives have been changed beyond recognition forever.

“Angel was so full of life and had such a great future ahead of her. That future has sadly been taken away from her.

“The catastrophic injuries Angel suffered will mean life will never be the same for her or our family.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Yarwood, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit Major Crime team, said:

“No verdict or subsequent sentence can make up for the quality of life this young woman has lost.”