An Armed Man Breaks Windsor Castle, UK Tightens Crossbow Ownership

British Home Secretary Priti Patel. (Wikimedia Commons/US Department of Homeland Security)

JAKARTA - Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel has ordered a review of laws surrounding the possession of arrows after a man with a crossbow was arrested for breaking into the grounds of Windsor Castle as Queen Elizabeth II celebrated Christmas there.

Under current law, people over the age of 18 can legally buy or own a crossbow without the need for a license or check.

It is an offense for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase or keep a crossbow or anyone who sells a crossbow to someone under the age of 18.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the department had been instructed by the interior minister to look into possible ways to "strengthen controls" on weapons.

This plan came out after a 19-year-old man armed with arrows was arrested at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day. The Metropolitan Police said the individual, originally from Southampton, had been detained under the Mental Health Act.

"Crossbows are subject to controls and laws are in place to deal with those who use them as weapons," a Home Office spokesperson said.

"At the request of the interior minister, we are considering options to strengthen controls on crossbows. This work has been ongoing throughout the year, and we are continuing to review all relevant legislation to maintain public safety," the spokesperson continued.

Crossbow illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Polaris)

Police are also reviewing videos that appear to show a masked figure in a dark hood holding an arrow and speaking to the camera in a distorted voice, saying they want to "kill the Queen" on a "revenge" mission.

Queen Elizabeth II is known to have spent Christmas in Windsor this year with Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, after canceling traditional plans at Sandringham due to COVID-19.

A Whitehall source reportedly said officials had been ordered to "include any lessons" from the Windsor Castle incident into the crossbow statute review, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Currently, arrows can also be considered as offensive weapons and are prohibited from being carried in public places, without valid authority or reasonable reasons.

The demand for stricter regulations initially began after a five-day inquest into Shane Gilmer's death in April. Gilmer, 30, died after his neighbor, Anthony Lawrence, broke into his home in January 2018 and shot him and his partner Laura Sugden. The last name survived the attack.

Regarding the incident, coroner's expert Professor Paul Marks said he was concerned there were no ongoing controls, records, or licensing requirements for bows, unlike for firearms, in his report to Secretary Patel in May.

He added this left "the police have no record of who owned the arrows, how they were stored (or) the numbers in circulation".

The Examiner asked the government to review the Crossbows Act 1987 and the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, "with a view to regulating the sale and possession of this lethal weapon".