Family of Keyham gunman Jake Davison accuse police of 'decades of institutional incompetence'

The family of the gunman who shot and killed five people in Plymouth before taking his own life have accused police and government officials of 'decades of institutional indolence, insouciance and incompetence'.

The family have now urged the coroner to act to prevent future atrocities.

During the inquest into Jake Davison's death, which followed a separate five-week inquest into the deaths of his five victims, a statement from Jake Davison's brother and sister, Josh and Zoe, was read to the court by lawyer Nick Stanage.

He said: "The jury’s findings highlighted ‘catastrophic’ failures in local and national policing. Plainly, the jury found that all of these deaths were obviously avoidable.

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"The protection of the public requires action now in contrast to the decades of institutional indolence, insouciance and incompetence locally and at the highest levels of government and policing.

"The bereaved in today’s inquest, and the public, deserve better than more paper promises. Zoe and Josh Davison therefore ask that you do all you can as soon as you can to make recommendations for actions, not words, that might begin at long last to protect the public from future atrocities.'

Senior Coroner, Ian Arrow, will prepare a 'Prevention of Future Deaths' report.

"Underpinning everything is that we should not lose sight of the lessons of previous years," he said.

"There have been repeated reports of what needs to be done. I shall do my best."

On the final day of court proceedings, David Miller, major crime police investigator with Devon and Cornwall Police, briefly recapped the evidence and told the jury Davison could be seen on CCTV in Henderson Place at about 6.20pm on 12 August, 2021, after he had shot seven people, five of whom died.

The Weatherby pump action shotgun, top, used by Jake Davison in the killings next to a standard sporting style 12-gauge shotgun Credit: Plymouth HM Coroner/PA

Davison was approached by an unarmed police officer, PC Zach Printer, who attempted to negotiate with him.

The gunman took his own life, and the jury recorded a verdict of suicide.

PC Printer has been thanked for his "extraordinary bravery".

"I had to confront him to protect the public," he told the court.

"To do that, I had to become the focus of attention in his eyes."

A post-mortem report revealed that Davison had a number of anabolic steroids in his system, but forensic pathologist Dr Deborah Cook said this did not affect the cause of death.

The jury was instructed to record a conclusion of suicide.

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