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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Matthew Dresch

Kidnapper who left teenager, 19, brain damaged to have ‘soft’ sentence reviewed

The thug who left 19-year-old Angel Lynn brain damaged after kidnapping her will have his 'soft' sentence reviewed.

Angel suffered life-changing injuries after she was kidnapped by her ex Chay Bowskill, and his friend Rocco Sansome.

The pair, both 20, were jailed on Thursday, with Bowskill handed a seven-and-a-half year sentence and Sansome 21 months.

The Attorney General Suella Braverman has now reportedly confirmed a complaint has been filed about Bowskill's sentence.

It will now be reviewed and the legal chief will decide whether to refer it to the Court of Appeal.

The move comes after Angel's family said they were "furious" at Bowskill's "unduly lenient" prison term.

Angel Lynn has been left unable to walk following the crime (FACEBOOK)

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

She was injured when she exited a speeding vehicle going an estimated 60mph on the A6 towards Loughborough, Leicestershire.

It is unclear how she left the vehicle during the horrific incident on September 17 2020, LeicestershireLive reported.

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.

The thug who kidnapped Angel Lynn will have his sentence reviewed (Leicestershire Police / SWNS)

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 prosecution failed to prove Angel 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 abusive towards Angel during their year-long relationship (Leicestershire Police / SWNS)

Bowskill was convicted of kidnapping, 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.

He was handed a seven-and-a-half year sentence to serve at a young offender institution.

Commenting on the sentence, Angel's mum Nikki, 47, told the Sun: "It makes me furious. What kind of message is that sending to monsters like him?

Attorney General Suella Braverman will review the case (Getty)

"He can be back out trying to wreck other women’s lives while my daughter is trapped forever."

Dad Patrick, 53, said he could never forgive Bowskill, adding: "He has stolen everything from Angel and paid such a small price with that sentence."

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 has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years (Leicestershire Police / SWNS)
Video footage showed him snatching Angel off the street (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.

Judge Spencer said Sansome's role, as driver of the van, was less serious than Bowskill's involvement (Leicestershire Police / SWNS)
Bowskill has been sent to a youth offender institution (Leicestershire Police / SWNS)

"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."

Shocking CCTV footage shows Bowskill running after Angel, 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.

The road where the kidnapping took place in Loughborough (Leila Coker / SWNS)

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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.

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