Angel Lynn: Paralysed kidnap victim says first word after fears she would never speak again

Angel Lynn was left paralysed after suffering catastrophic brain injuries when she fell head-first from a van Credit: Handout

A kidnap victim who was left paralysed after falling head-first from a van has spoken her first word in since the accident.

Angel Lynn, now 22, was kidnapped by her "controlling" ex- boyfriend, Chay Bowskill, and his friend, Rocco Sansome, both then 20, in September 2020.

During the kidnapping, she fell from a van that was travelling at 60mph on the A6 near Loughborough, and suffered catastrophic injuries.

Angel Lynn's parents feared their 22-year-old daughter would never speak again, but have revealed that she said "mum" - her first word in three years.

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Nikki Lynn said she "couldn't believe it" when she heard Angel's voice from her hospital bed.

She said: "I just walked in and she was groaning, so I said 'Angel, you know if you make those sort of sounds you must be able to say something'.

"And that's when it came out, I had no warning that she was going to speak and I thought she'd never speak again."

Nikki remembers how the doctor and nurses became emotional at the clear sign of Angel's progress.

"They sat there and said 'wow she's just so strong'," she said.

In May 2023, Angel's parents revealed that their daughter was able to stand again with help from physiotherapists.

The couple are having their house adapted in the hope their daughter will be able to return home soon.

  • Shocking footage shows the moment Angel was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend

Angel's ex-boyfriend Bowskill was jailed in January 2022 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.

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