Family of crossbow victim calls for tougher laws after ‘gruesome’ attack that killed wife and two daughters

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The victim of a crossbow attack has called on the Government to introduce tougher laws to prevent further deaths after three women were killed with the weapon in Hertfordshire.

Laura Sugden launched a campaign to license these weapons after she was shot with a crossbow in January 2018 and her partner Shane Gilmer was murdered by their neighbor.

The mother of two, who will undergo surgery later this month to remove a piece of a crossbow bolt from her head, said the murders of 61-year-old Carol Hunt, 25-year-old Louise Hunt and her 28-year-old sister Hannah had brought back memories of the horrific attack she suffered.

A man has been arrested in connection with the killing of three family members of BBC 5 Live racing commentator John Hunt.

Mrs Sugden said: “At first I was shocked and found it very sad that another family had been affected by crossbows.

“I couldn’t believe it, I was quite frustrated as I have been running this campaign since 2021 and this year in particular I have heard a story about crossbows every month.

“This one has particularly affected me. The fact that three people have lost their lives is absolutely horrific. When I think of the husband and the family, I have seen the emotional and mental impact.

“It’s just horrific. I can’t comprehend that this has happened. It has reminded me of how horrific my situation was and the loss I have suffered. I can’t stop thinking about the family. I am so sad for them and it breaks my heart that they had to endure this pain.

Ms Sugden launched her Shane’s Law campaign in April 2021. She calls for people wanting to buy a crossbow to undergo similar criminal background and mental health checks as those required to sell a shotgun.

She collected 42,000 signatures on a petition but was told by the government that the regulations on owning crossbows would not be reviewed, a situation she described as “frustrating”.

However, the government changed its mind after a 19-year-old man was arrested at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day 2021 for allegedly being in possession of a crossbow.

The Home Office launched an inquiry this year to determine whether further controls on the possession of crossbows should be introduced. However, the outcome is not yet known.

The 34-year-old has now called on Labour Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to impose stricter rules on the ownership of crossbows and announced that he will continue the election campaign.

She said: “I hope that this terrible incident will force the government to apply pressure and show them that something drastic needs to happen. I just hope that the Labour government will seriously consider introducing legislation.”

“I just can’t stand to see someone suffer because of these weapons. It’s overwhelming, I keep reading about it and I feel like I need to do more and keep the pressure on because even when someone is threatened by a crossbow, it still affects me when I ask myself: why are people still allowed to buy them?”

Under current law, the purchase or possession of a crossbow by a person under 18 years of age, as well as the sale of a crossbow to a person under 18 years of age, is a criminal offense.

Crossbows can also be considered offensive weapons and may not be carried in public places without legal authorization or a valid reason.

Due to the deadly nature of these weapons, Ms Sugden urged that they be licensed in the same way as shotguns as they are “just as deadly”.

She said: “I have friends who have shotguns. You can’t get a shotgun license without getting a medical examination to see if you’re mentally fit to carry the weapon. You also have to jump through a lot of hoops to be allowed to fire that weapon in a controlled environment.”

“The police have to go to the property, the gun has to be kept in a locked cabinet, they are responsible for the gun. Crossbows are just as deadly, if not more deadly, but nobody can buy one and I still don’t understand that six years later. It’s a deadly weapon.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “We continually review the legislation and launched an evidence-gathering exercise earlier this year to consider whether further controls on crossbows should be introduced.”

“The Interior Minister will examine the results promptly to decide whether the laws need to be further tightened.”