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Daily Record
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Suzy Gibson & Lynn Love

Moment teen kidnapped by thug in ordeal that left her unable to walk and talk

A teenage victim was left with life-changing injuries after she was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend in a horrifying ordeal.

Angel Lynn was left unable to walk, talk or feed herself after she was abducted her ex Chay Bowskill, and his friend Rocco Sansome, both 20, on September 17 2020.

The 19-year-old was injured after she exited a speeding vehicle going an estimated 60mph on the A6 towards Loughborough, reports Leicestershire Live.

However it is unclear how she left the vehicle.

Angel has been left unable to communicate, walk or feed herself and needs 24-hour care.

The two young men have now been locked up after the incident.

Angel Lynn (Leicestershire Police / SWNS)

Bowskill was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years and Sansome was given 21 months detention.

Bowskill, of Empingham Drive, Syston was cleared of “unintentionally causing her grievous bodily harm” because it could not be proven how she left the vehicle.

Prosecution failed to prove she was thrown or pushed out and the defence claimed she jumped or fell accidentally out onto the road, Leicester Crown Court was told.

Bowskill was convicted of controlling and coercive behaviour towards Angel during their year-long relationship and perverting the course of justice, by seeking to persuade his own mother to retract or change a police statement she made against him.

Sentencing at Leicester Crown Court, Judge Timothy Spencer QC told Bowskill: "She was a beautiful young woman who should have been enjoying the carefree years of her late-teens into early adulthood.

"You treated her in a vile way. She was belittled by you to a point where she must have felt worthless on a regular basis.

Chay Bowskill (Leicestershire Police / SWNS)

"You bombarded her with repulsive and degrading messages. You controlled her freedom of movement by a variety of means.

"She wasn't allowed any sort of life apart from you. I'm satisfied you meted out violence to her, causing bruising, on at least two occasions."

The judge added: "Were it not for the kidnapping, Angel Lynn wouldn't have been in the van, in which there was a high state of tension, travelling along the A6 at between 60 and 70mph and wouldn't have been in a position where she exited the van with devastating consequences.

"None of that would have befallen her had you not kidnapped her in the first place.

"The ultimate consequences cannot be ignored. It must also be set against the background of many months of controlling and coercive behaviour."

Regarding perverting the course of justice, the judge told Bowskill: "You were selfishly obsessed with your own predicament and made desperate efforts to try and persuade your mother to retract her police statement.

"Your mother comes out of this with no credit - it was disgraceful conduct with her giving lying evidence in court about Angel and the police.

"You should be ashamed of your vile and demeaning conduct towards your mother, seeking to get her to perjure herself - because it was you who brought her to this very low ebb.

"It strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system."

Sansome, of Wanlip Lane, Birstall, admitted possession of cannabis and driving the van when unfit through cannabis use, on the morning of the A6 incident.

Judge Spencer said Sansome's role, as driver of the van, was less serious than Bowskill's involvement.

The prosecutor, Jeremy Janes, said that in a personal impact statement, Angel's father, Patrick Lynn, described the family's devastation by the "profound injuries" she suffered.

He described being shocked and horrified at hearing, during the trial, how appallingly Bowskill had treated his daughter during their one-year relationship.

The kidnap happened after Angel, who was originally lawfully driving the van, had collected Bowskill and Sansome.

At some stage she was arguing with Bowskill and got out and walked off along the road, near Hilltop Garage, in Rothley.

CCTV footage shows Bowskill running after her, grabbing her in a bear hug and carrying her back to the transit van that was then driven away by Sansome - shortly before she ended up injured on the A6 near Mountsorrel at 10.45am.

Moments before she left the vehicle, Bowskill accepted telling her he "hated" her and never wanted to see her again.

Video grab from footage showing the kidnap (Leicestershire Police / SWNS)

He told the court they were driving her home to Loughborough when she fell onto the road, via the van's rear sliding side door, as he sat in the front passenger seat. He told the jury she jumped and caused her own injuries, which left him hysterical and distressed.

Bowskill's barrister, Robin Howat said his client had a "fractured background," did not attend school, had no qualifications and was exploited by a drug dealing gang when he was 14 and was in and out of trouble during his teens.

He had no male role model when growing up and ended up in a "toxic" relationship with Angel, which he had tried several times to end before the A6 incident.

Mr Howat said Angel was not being detained for long, as they had only been taking her home.

Thomas Schofield, mitigating for Sansome, who was 18 at the time of the kidnap, said the offence lasted "a short duration" and his client "never touched" Angel in the van and was "a secondary party" in the offence.

Afterwards, the senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Tony Yarwood, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit Major Crime team, said: “Angel is a young woman who had plans and aspirations in place and the rest of her life to look forward to.

"Because of the extent of her injuries she now faces constant medical treatment and round the clock care.

“Her family remain devastated by what has happened and I praise the strength and bravery they have shown and continue to demonstrate to this day.

“No verdict or subsequent sentence can make up for the quality of life this young woman has lost. I can only hope that in time her family can find some comfort knowing justice has been done.”

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