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A teenager who was left paralysed by her thug ex boyfriend after he kidnapped and threw her into the back of a van has finally been able to hug her mother.
Angel Lynn, who was 19 at the time, was picked up like a ‘rag doll’ by her abusive boyfriend Chay Bowskill, who was 20, after an argument, as she walked in Rothley, near her Loughborough home on 17 September 2020.
The teen then fell out of the vehicle, which was driven by Bowskill’s accomplice Rocco Sansome, also 20, at around 10.45am as it travelled at 60mph, before she was found by horrified members of the public.
In January, Bowskill, now 21, was jailed for seven-and-a-half-years after being found guilty of kidnap, coercive and controlling behaviour, and perverting the course of justice, following a trial at Leicester Crown Court.
Sansome, of Birstall, Leicestershire, was also found guilty of kidnap and sentenced to 21 months in prison.
But in the 18 months since the brutal attack, Angel has been receiving gruelling treatment after being left paralysed – but her mother Nikki Lynn, 47 has revealed the heartwarming moment her daughter hugged her back for the first time.
Mrs Lynn told of how Angel put her hand around her back in return and began tapping her mother, her hand lightly pressing her back and moving it to stroke her hair.
Angel Lynn, 21, who was left paralysed by her thug ex boyfriend after he kidnapped and threw her into the back of a van has finally been able to hug her mother (pictured hugging sister Kelsie, 10)
Speaking to the Mirror, 47-year-old Nikki said: ‘She didn’t hug much before, she was a typical teenager, but she would give you a hug if you were upset. It’s very special to have that hug now.’
Since the attack in September 2020, Angel has been left unable to eat, walk or talk, and this touching moment where she responded to a hug for the first time is a highlight in the family’s hope for recovery.
Angel was airlifted to hospital and given emergency surgery for a bleed on the brain, leaving her with such severe brain injuries that her parents were warned on various occasions that she might not survive.
She has also started to make noises, leading doctors to refer her to speech therapy – something which Nikki, her husband Paddy, 54, hope will mean their daughter can eventually reveal what happened to her.
But in the 18 months since the brutal attack, Angel (pictured before the life-changing brain damage) has been receiving gruelling treatment after being left paralysed – but her mother Nikki Lynn, 47 has revealed the heartwarming moment her daughter hugged her back for the first time
Angel’s father Paddy, who runs a cleaning company with his wife, said: ‘She has blown me a kiss. She has put her hand to her mouth and holds it there for at least a minute, and then tries to blow. She does try, it means a lot.’
In January, Bowskill was handed a seven-and-a-half-year sentence after being found guilty of kidnap, coercive and controlling behaviour, and perverting the course of justice, following a trial at Leicester Crown Court.
Sansome, of Birstall, Leicestershire, was also found guilty of kidnap and sentenced to 21 months in prison.
Both men had their sentences referred to the Court of Appeal by Solicitor General Alex Chalk QC, who argued they were ‘unduly lenient’.
Now, senior judges at the Court of Appeal have concluded his original term for the kidnap was not long enough and have handed him four-and-a-half more years.
Harrowing CCTV footage of Angel’s kidnap showed Bowskill chasing her across a road after she walked off during an argument.
In January, Chay Bowskill, 21 (pictured) was handed a seven-and-a-half-year sentence after being found guilty of kidnap, coercive and controlling behaviour, and perverting the course of justice, but now, senior judges at the Court of Appeal have concluded his original term for the kidnap was not long enough and have handed him four-and-a-half more years
The video, taken in Mountsorrel, shows Bowskill grabbing Angel from behind and carrying her back across the road before bundling her into a van.
After Angel fell out, paramedics attended the scene and she was taken to hospital but despite intensive medical intervention, she was left with life-changing injuries.
The kidnap happened after Angel, who was originally lawfully driving the van, picked up Bowskill and Sansome, before getting into the argument with Bowskill and walking off.
The court heard that moments before she walked off, Bowskill admitted telling Angel he ‘hated’ her and never wanted to see her again, Leicestershire Live reported. Both men were later arrested.
Shocking CCTV footage (left and right) shows Angel Lynn, 19, being forced into a van by 20-year-old Chay Bowskill, her boyfriend at the time
Bowskill, of Syston, Leicestershire, was also convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour and perverting the course of justice.
He was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm after it became unclear how Angel had left the van.
Now 21, Angel is living under 24-hour care, and her family are raising money to facilitate long-term care to take their loved one back home.
‘She is locked in, but every time I see her I tell her “Don’t give up, keep trying, keep telling yourself you can do it”,’ mother-of-three Nikki added.
The court was told Bowskill had been in a relationship with Ms Lynn for about a year before the incident, and he behaved in a coercive and controlling manner towards her throughout that time, threatening her with violence on a number of occasions.
The judge said he tried to intimidate his own mother into retracting a statement she gave to police about his behaviour towards Ms Lynn following the kidnap.
In a statement released after the sentencing 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.’
Bowskill must serve two thirds of his sentence behind bars before he can be released.
Source: Daily Mail
