'The Kidnap of Angel Lynn' story to be retold in new Channel 4 documentary
A documentary telling the story of kidnap victim Angel Lynn from Loughborough will be shown on Channel 4.
It will show how the then teenagers life was changed forever after she was snatched by her abusive boyfriend and left severely injured in the middle of the road.
Angel was 19 when she was bundled into the back of a van by Chay Bowskill and his associate Rocco Sansome in September 2020, with the shocking moment captured on camera.
Angel, who's from Leicestershire, was left with life-changing injuries after she fell from the van. She was discovered on the carriageway of the A6. Round-the-clock care has been in place for Angel ever since.
The events surrounding the crime will be explored in the Channel 4 programme, which is being aired tonight - Tuesday 9 May.
Angel’s parents, Nikki and Paddy, will also relive their horror at what befell their daughter, and their hope that the show will help give Angel - and other victims of abusive relationships - a voice.
The documentary is made by Wonderhood Studios, which spoke to Angel’s family and friends as they continue to help her on her road to recovery, with the hope she will be able to speak again one day.
The programme will also look at her messages with Bowskill, to uncover how early into the relationship he was in control of Angel.
Will Rowson, Channel 4’s commissioning editor, said: "Angel and her family have been so brave choosing to share their story in the hope it will help others.
"The team have produced something powerful and affecting which I hope repays the trust they placed in us."
Bowskill was jailed in January last year for seven-and-a-half years for the kidnap as well as coercive and controlling behaviour in a relationship and perverting the course of justice.
This was later increased to 12 years after the Court of Appeal ruled the initial sentence "unduly lenient".
Accomplice Sansome was also found guilty of Angel’s kidnap and jailed for 21 months. He was also disqualified from driving for 22-and-a-half months.
CCTV footage shows the shocking moment Chay Bowskill runs after his girlfriend Angel Lynn, before grabbing her in a bear hug and carrying her back to the transit van
Samantha Anstiss, of Wonderhood Studios, said she hoped the documentary would shed light on the horrors of abusive relationships.
She said: "Horrifyingly, one woman is killed every three days in the UK as a result of domestic abuse, so, sadly, Angel’s story will be familiar to many other women and their families across the UK."
She adds: "Through using Angel’s own text messages, social media posts and her conversations with friends and family in our film, [it] provides a window into how what starts off as a love story can go horribly wrong, as coercion and control turns abusive, and victims feel trapped and too scared to escape."
The Kidnap of Angel Lynn airs at 9pm on Channel 4 on Tuesday 9 May. The documentary will also be available to watch online.