A man who bundled his girlfriend into a van before she was later found seriously injured in the middle of a road, has had his seven-and-a-half year sentence increased by Court of Appeal judges.
Chay Bowskill snatched his then girlfriend Angel Lynn, who was 19 at the time, off the street in Rothley, Leicestershire, in September 2020 after an argument with her.
She was later found lying seriously injured in the carriageway of the A6 near Loughborough, Leicestershire Police said.
Her injuries meant she has been left paralysed and unable to communicate.
Bowskill, then aged 20, of Syston, Leicestershire, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in January after being convicted of kidnap, coercive and controlling behaviour, and perverting the course of justice, following a trial at Leicester Crown Court.
During the original trial, the prosecutor said Ms Lynn had been pushed from the van but the jury didn’t convict Bowskill of causing grievous bodily harm.
Bowskill has now had his sentence increased and will serve 12 years. The judge has ruled he must serve at least two-thirds of that sentence.
Bowskill’s accomplice, Rocco Sansome, then also aged 20, of Birstall, Leicestershire, was also initially found guilty of kidnap and sentenced to 21 months in prison. His sentence has not been changed by Court of Appeal judges.
The appeal hearing was overseen by Dame Victoria Sharp, who said the original sentence “failed to reflect the seriousness of the kidnap” and the harm caused to Ms Lynn.
She said: “We have concluded that the sentence passed on him for the kidnap was unduly lenient.”
Members of Ms Lynn’s family gasped as the judge told the court of the increased sentence.
Bowskill, who appeared over a video-link from prison wearing a grey sweatshirt, shook his head as he heard the result.
The judge added that Sansome’s sentence “should have been longer” but that, in all the circumstances, including the fact he is close to being released, the court decided not to alter it.
Ms Lynn’s aunt, Jackie Chamberlain, said the family was “relieved” by the sentence increase.
She told reporters outside the Royal Courts of Justice: “We were told at the time not to appeal, but we felt so strongly that we should have appealed, and we did and we got what we wanted today and Chay’s sentence has been increased.”
Dame Victoria told the court Bowskill was in a relationship with Ms Lynn for about a year before the kidnap, and he acted in a coercive and controlling manner towards her throughout that period, threatening her with violence several times.
Video footage caught the moment when Ms Lynn was grabbed by Bowskill and thrown into a silver Transit van, which was driven off at speed by Sansome.
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Ms Lynn, now 21, is receiving 24-hour specialist care in a rehabilitation centre, but her family are trying to raise money to adapt their house so that she can return home. They have been told that it’s unlikely she will ever recover from her injuries.
Ms Chamberlain added: “We’re very grateful to the British public who have supported us as a family all the way along. We can put this behind us now, we can move on, we can get Angel home, we can get her extension built, so we just want to thank the British public, the judges and the press who have carried our story for the last few months.
“We’re relieved because we don’t want him to walk away from prison, we want him to get what he deserves.”
In a statement released after the hearing, Ms Lynn’s family said: “Angel was so full of life and had such a great future ahead of her. That future has sadly been taken away from her.
“The catastrophic injuries Angel suffered will mean life will never be the same for her or our family.
“Every day is not only a huge struggle for Angel but also a huge struggle for our family and friends.”
Since the original sentencing, Ms Lynn’s family had been campaigning to have the pair’s sentences reviewed.
Her mother Nikki told Sky News in February 2022 that she was “disgusted” with the jail time they had been told to serve.
