We are appalled by the article written for the Sun on Sunday on 19 March 2023 about the fact that during the filming of a recent episode of Britain’s Got Talent, the Judges tricked the new judge Bruno Tonioli into thinking he had shot Simon Cowell with a Crossbow.
We have been supporting Laura Sugden for the past 2 years in her campaign to tighten the restrictions around the sale, purchase and ownership of crossbows in England and Wales, following the death of her partner Shane Gilmer. Both Shane and Laura were attacked in their own home by their neighbour who had armed himself with a crossbow and was intent on murdering them. Shane’s injuries were tragically fatal; the evidence at his Inquest was that he died from catastrophic injuries caused by a crossbow bolt. Laura was shot in the head and neck, but miraculously managed to escape and survived. Crossbow injuries are no joke.
Gemma Vine, Specialist Inquest Solicitor attended with Laura at the Home Office on Friday 13 May 2022 to present them with the evidence that had been gathered during the course of Shane’s inquest to demonstrate the lethality of a crossbow and data collected from various police forces throughout England and Wales regarding violent incidents where crossbows have been recorded as being used. The review into the law around crossbows is still ongoing.
Given the horrific injuries which crossbows are capable of inflicting, we find it utterly astounding that the producers of Britain’s Got Talent felt it was appropriate to allow a prank involving the fake “shooting” of Simon Cowell with a crossbow, in the name of entertainment. We anticipate that those producers would never dream of recording the same sketch with a firearm so why they felt it was appropriate to do so with a crossbow is beyond belief.
If this sketch is aired it is highly likely to be triggering not just for Laura and her children but also for anyone else who has sadly been affected by a crime where a crossbow has been used.
Recent Crossbow Cases in the News
- https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/police-investigating-after-crossbow-bolt-26427866
- https://www.thenational.scot/news/23364356.car-parked-lochgelly-damaged-suspected-crossbow-attack/
- https://www.hampshire.police.uk/news/hampshire/news/news/2023/february/southampton-man-jailed-for-shooting-man-in-the-head-with-a-crossbow-who-survived-attack/
- https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2023-02-03/man-caught-in-windsor-castle-grounds-with-crossbow-admits-trying-to-harm-queen
