Laura Sugden and her legal team welcome the weapons reforms
Laura Sugden and her partner Shane Gilmer, who was murdered by crossbow attacker Anthony Lawrence at their home in Southburn, near Driffield(Image: supplied image)
A decade-long legal loophole that allowed lethal weapons to be sold without oversight is set to close following a sustained campaign by a law firm and a bereaved woman from East Yorkshire. The Government has formally announced it will prohibit the sale of crossbows and introduce a mandatory licensing scheme for all existing owners.
This decision follows years of pressure from Laura Sugden and her legal team at Ison Harrison, who have fought for reform since the 2018 murder of Shane Gilmer, at Southburn, near Driffield. A then pregnant Laura was critically injured when a crossbow bolt aimed at her head by neighbour Anthony Lawrence sliced through her neck; when Shane ran to her aid, he was fatally injured with a wound through his stomach.
The inquest into Shane’s death, which took place in April 2021, heard how Lawrence had sneaked into their home through his loft. Humberside Police searched the village of Southburn, scouring through the surrounding fields, and on the third day of their hunt discovered Lawrence’s body in a remote area of North Yorkshire inside a campervan.
Under the new weapons measures, the Home Office plans to introduce a licensing system where current owners may only retain their weapons if they pass strict suitability checks. The Government also intends to prohibit broadhead arrows, a specific type of ammunition highlighted during the recent call for evidence as being particularly dangerous.
While the exact legislative mechanism is still to be determined, officials have confirmed they will consult shortly on how best to achieve the sales ban and the technical details of the licensing process. For more than six years, Ison Harrison has spearheaded the push for change alongside Laura.
READ MORE: Pregnant, shot in the neck and running from her partner’s killer
Their work included a parliamentary petition that garnered over 42,000 signatures and a comprehensive evidence-gathering exercise involving all 43 police forces across the UK. Recent tragedies, including a triple murder in Bushey and an attack in Headingley, served to underscore the urgency of these reforms.
The previous legal framework, which dated back to 1987, meant there was no registration requirement or effective oversight of how many crossbows were in circulation. Until now, the only significant restriction was a ban on sales to those under 18, leaving a dangerous gap in public safety – there were no broader ownership controls.
The Government’s proposal to prohibit the sale of crossbows and introduce the mandatory licensing scheme to all owners brings an end to what campaigners have long described as a dangerous legal loophole. Until now, there has been no licensing system, no registration requirement and no effective oversight of how many crossbows are owned or in circulation.
Since Shane’s inquest, Ison Harrison and Laura have pressed for reform of laws that had remained largely unchanged since 1987. Laura said: “We are relieved and grateful to see that there will be new controls introduced and see that the Government is committed to banning the sale of crossbows as well as licensing those in existence. For years, we have argued that it was far too easy for people to obtain these lethal weapons.
“Shane lost his life because of a system that failed to recognise the risks. To know that we have been instrumental in securing this change means a great deal.
“We firmly believe any new legislation should be formally known as Shane’s Law in his memory. If this ban prevents even one family from going through what we have endured, then Shane’s legacy will be one of protection and change.”
Gemma Vine, Laura’s solicitor at Ison Harrison, said: “We are proud to have been at the forefront of the campaign that will lead to the banning of the sales of crossbows. This is a landmark moment and the culmination of years of sustained legal and public pressure.
“From the inquest to the parliamentary petition, from nationwide evidence gathering to direct engagement with the Home Office, we have worked relentlessly alongside Laura to highlight the dangers of an unregulated market. We are honoured to have been instrumental in achieving this outcome and we strongly support the recognition of these reforms as Shane’s Law.
“For too long, crossbows sat outside the robust controls applied to other lethal weapons. This ban represents long overdue reform and will play a vital role in preventing further tragedies.”
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.