Inquest hears of Jake Davison’s violent attack on innocent teenager
Husband Jake Davison reigned supreme in beatings on an innocent 16-year-old boy after he was called a “fat c***” by another teenager, a court has heard.
The boy who insulted Davison ran away and the 22-year-old responded with such extreme violence that his innocent victim sustained injuries to his eyebrow, nose and lip.
Video surveillance of the incident at a Plymouth park showed Davison punched the boy at least five times, but he could have unleashed between seven and nine punches during the attack, an inquest has been told.
When a 15-year-old girl rushed to her boyfriend’s aid – when he was on the floor and unable to withstand the beating – she was hit by Davison.
Davison was not charged in the September 2020 attacks, instead a detective sergeant referred him to a restorative justice program as an alternative to prosecution.
His legally stored pump-action shotgun and certificate were confiscated by Devon and Cornwall Police after the incident but were later returned.
Less than 12 months later, Davison shot five people, including his mother Maxine, with his legal firearm in August 2021.
Details of the incident emerged during the investigation into Davison’s five victims, when those assessing his fitness to hold a gun license testified.
The teenager ran away after yelling at Davison near a skate park in Central Park, Plymouth.
The apprentice crane operator then vented his anger on two of the teenager’s friends – he thought they were “associatively guilty”.
Bridget Dolan KC, attorney for the inquest, said: “The CCTV shows the young man more than five hits, maybe between seven and nine.
“The video surveillance appears to show that he (the boy) lost consciousness – or at least did not move or resist – on the ground and the beatings continued at this stage.
“Surveillance showed the young woman approaching them and Davison extending his arm to her.
“The boy was hit so hard he had a two inch cut above his eyebrow and was bleeding from his nose, eyebrow and lip.”
The boy had to have superficial stitches on the eyebrow and the girl remained without visible injuries.
Davison later turned himself in to police after a public appeal was made and CCTV images of a suspect were released.
After seeing the video surveillance last week, I was quite shocked by the severity of the attack. I wish I had questioned the porter’s (Detective Sergeant’s) decision-making process
The boy’s parents wanted Davison to be charged, but he was accepted into the Pathfinder program instead.
After Davison was alerted by project staff, Davison’s certificate and gun were confiscated by Firearms Examiner David Rees, but were later returned.
Mr Rees told the inquest: “Having seen the CCTV last week I was quite shocked at the ferocity of the attack. I wish I had questioned the porter’s (Detective Sergeant’s) decision-making process.
“I should have questioned it.”
The inquest has previously heard that Davison was so angry after the incident that he wanted to kill the teenagers and went home to get his shotgun.
Darren Wood, Ms Davison’s partner, said her son was “insanely angry” and began loading the gun until his mother calmed him down.
“He came back and ran upstairs. Maxine went upstairs and I could hear him say, ‘I’m going down there and kill her,'” he said.
“He said he was going back to the park and went to his room to get his gun from the closet. I could hear something loading.”
The investigation continues.
