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Family of Woodmancote shooting victims call for change in gun licences following Plymouth events

  • ITV Meridian reporter Chlöe Oliver has this exclusive interview with Pam Fitzgibbons

The family of a mother and her two daughters who were shot dead inside their home near Chichester are calling for urgent changes to the current gun licensing rules in the UK.

Pam Fitzgibbons wants tougher checks on anyone that owns a gun in the wake of the mass shooting in Plymouth.

The family say they cannot sit back and let anyone else go through the trauma they have experienced over the past 18 months.

Kelly with her daughters Lexi and Ava in happier times

The family of four were discovered by police at a property in Duffield Lane in Woodmancote on Sunday 29 March last year.

It's thought Rob shot his partner of 14 years Kelly and their children before turning the gun on himself. 

The house in the quiet village of Woodmancote where the entire family were found dead in March 2020

 The family have since revealed concerns about the ease in which Rob obtained his gun licence.

Ahead of the inquest, they've been shown documents detailing his mental health issues and periods of depression. Neither of which, they say, were noted in his gun application. 

Rob Needham had held a legal gun licence to shoot rabbits near to Goodwood

What are the current gun licensing processes in the UK?

  • The police are in charge of issuing shotgun and firearm certificates, the final decision on whether someone gets a licence is the responsibility of the chief officer in each area.

  • Independent referees have to provide confidential character statements

  • The Police National Computer is checked for any criminal records

  • GPs are asked for evidence of alcohol or drug abuse or any reasons why they should not obtain a gun

What changes do Kelly's family want to see?

Pam Fitzgibbons: "When it comes to the actual processes and procedures of what goes on for someone to obtain a licence..they're just far too weak. I mean ridiculously weak.

"I believe that GPs should be commissioned by the government to do these checks and paid accordingly."

The changes Pam and her family want to see

An inquest due to open next month will reveal more about what happened that fateful evening. Until then, the Fitzgibbons family say they won't stop campaigning for changes to this country's gun licence controls.