Five-year gun license timescale too long - review

The timescale of holding a gun license for five years without updated information is “too long”, a review has concluded.

Kelly Fitzgibbons, 40, and her daughters Ava and Lexi Needham, aged four and two, were shot dead by Robert Needham in Woodmancote, West Sussex, in March 2020.

A Domestic Homicide Review said Needham lied on his shotgun application to police about previous convictions and depression treatment.

It found that even after his dishonesty was discovered by police, he was granted a licence.

After it was signed off by a GP, a five-year firearms certificate was issued to Needham in July 2017.

A conclusion of suicide was previously recorded for Needham, 42, who turned the legally-owned gun on himself.

The report recommended the current timescale should be reviewed, and that an annual system should be considered.

“Individual circumstances, health and welfare may change significantly during this timeframe, and the procedure in place at the time did not robustly allow for any changes to be communicated to the relevant police authority, thereby potentially prompting a review of suitability,” report author Kevin Ball said.

He said Needham’s disclosure of cocaine usage to a GP and subsequent treatment was an example of such a change within a five-year period, which was not communicated or picked up by Sussex Police.

The review identified that no agency or organisation could have prevented the deaths.

However, it did highlight the lack of a standard template for police authorities seeking information from GPs for someone applying for a gun license, thereby allowing local variation.

It found that the guidance issued to GPs and police was “somewhat open to interpretation”, particularly in respect of forming a mutual and confident understanding about terms used such as ‘unsound mind’, ‘intemperate habits, and ‘emotional instability’.

“This discretion did, and can still, create vulnerability in the effectiveness of the vetting process. More probing and professional curiosity about relevant issues was needed,” the review found.

In a family statement, Emma Ambler said her twin sister Kelly Fitzgibbons’ biggest achievements in life were her children.

“She really was one in a million and I take comfort from the fact that I was lucky enough to have her firmly by my side as my twin sister and best friend for 40 years,” she said.

Ms Ambler said it remained a mystery why Needham carried out the “monstrous, cruel and cowardly act”.

She said she hoped the review would help change gun licencing reforms, adding that Ms Fitzgibbons and her children would not have died if Needham “wasn’t handed a gun licence so easily, despite numerous red flags”.

A joint statement from all the agencies involved said Safer West Sussex Partnership - which undertook the review - will monitor progress on the implementation recommendations, ensure that they are acted upon and that the learnings are widely disseminated.

“SWSP would like to offer their deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by the death of the victims and to thank relatives for their assistance with the review,” a spokeswoman said.

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