Warnings of serial killer were missed

THE aftermath of the bloodbath in Plymouth will take time to process. Lives were snuffed out and communities shattered by senseless, unimaginable, violence.

Why did this happen? Could it have been stopped?

First we must praise the police. They were called by distressed residents watching the horror unfold. Officers got there in six minutes. That’s a magnificent, brave response and nothing should distract from that.

But why were they needed in the first place? The more we learn about Davison – and it is still early – the more twisted and horrifying his life is shown to be.

A pattern is becoming clear. This wasn’t a man who had only recently descended into darkness. He was a timebomb.

Narcissistic

Pals told of his love of pornography, his violent behaviour from the playground onwards. He broke his wrist hitting another child. He was obsessed with violent video games.

Unbelievably, this character was allowed a gun. When he had it confiscated, police gave it back to him. This is unthinkable.

A quick look at Davison’s Facebook reveals his narcissistic tendencies. A look at his Youtube channel showed his warped views on women, his fatalistic outlook, his terrible view of the world.

There were red flags everywhere yet they slipped by the authorities to the point he was allowed to arm himself.

Sometimes the people who commit atrocities live below the radar. Davison didn’t. He was public in his abhorrent views and the authorities had a chance to intervene, not least when it came to his gun licence.

It’s imperative now we find out why they failed to. And how we can save lives by stopping such a failure again.