A builder who shot his fiancé and two young daughters with a shotgun was still granted a permit, despite being caught lying on his request, an inquest said.
Robert Needham, 42, shot Kelly Fitzgibbons, 40, and his two young daughters, Ava, four, and Lexi, two, in their £600,000 home before turning the gun itself.
The tragedy happened a week later in the quiet village of Woodmancote in West Sussex lockdown in March 2020.
Today, an inquest was told that Needham had lied about his history of mental health problems on his form and that a warning letter was not sent because his case was transferred to another police force midway through the application.
Needham had initially applied to Hampshire Police’s firearms division, but moved before the process was completed, and was awarded a shotgun license from Sussex Police in 2016.
On the form submitted to Hampshire Police, Needham stated that he had never had a criminal conviction and had no history of mental health problems.
But the hearing was told that he had had at least two bouts of mental health issues in 2003 and 2013, had been treated for depression and later admitted he struggled with problems when he was 17.
The inquest learned from a senior firearms officer that four inaccuracies in his application should have been ‘worrying’ and raised a red flag.
Robert Needham (left) murdered partner Kelly Fitzgibbons, Ava, four, and Lexi, two (also pictured)
Needham is pictured with Mrs. Fitzgibbons. Their bodies were found at their childhood home in Woodmancote, West Sussex
Earlier in the investigation into the four deaths, Mr Needham and Ms Fitzgibbons had been experiencing financial and relationship problems leading up to the ‘diabolical tragedy’.
In February, they had exchanged a series of texts in which the couple, who had been together for 11 years, agreed to a trial divorce to try to mend their relationship.
But the following month, Mr. Needham, who had a history of cocaine use, showed a registered arms dealer his legal shotgun certificate and bought a semi-automatic shotgun.
He took it home and just days later shot his fiancée and the family dog and executed his two young daughters, Ava and Lexi, under the duvet of his bed.
The two girls described by relatives as “angelical” and “naughty” were found side by side on the double bed in their parents’ bedroom.
Miss Fitzgibbons, a part-time legal secretary, was found face down on the floor, while Mr Needham was found in the hallway with the gun in his arms and the barrel pointed at his head.
The family’s Staffordshire Bull Terrier Bill was found dead near the bathroom with a gunshot wound.
The inquest in Horsham, West Sussex, learned that when a Hampshire Police Firearms Investigation Officer (FEO) made a home visit, he questioned Mr Needham about the application.
During the interview, the FEO said the Hampshire Police would check the database and speak with Needham’s GP to assess his suitability to possess a firearm.
At the time, Needham admitted that he had not released a police warning he received at age 25 for his involvement in a bicycle theft.
When asked why he didn’t mention it on the form, he said he didn’t think it was relevant.
Needham also said it was his partner, Mrs Fitzgibbons, who filled out the form because “he didn’t write properly” and she was not aware of the warning and therefore unable to take it.
During the investigation, Ms. Fitzgibbons’ sister Emma Ambler said she had seen the form and was certain it was written in Needham’s handwriting.
Mr Needham and his partner Mrs Fitzgibbons had two children – Ava aged four and Lexi aged three
All four were found dead in the detached property in the quiet village of Woodmancote on the evening of Sunday, March 29, 2020 – just a week after lockdown was put in place
He also admitted to being treated for depression as a teenager in the 1990s and visited his GP in 2013 due to stress at work.
When asked why he hasn’t made this public, Needham said the treatment was a long time ago and therefore considered irrelevant.
A letter from Needham’s GP sent to Hampshire Police as part of their investigation revealed that Needham had in fact been treated for depression twice – once as a teenager and once in 2003 – and in 2013 with his GP. spoke due to stress at work.
Despite this, Needham still received a shotgun certificate from Sussex Police in 2016, after receiving details of the investigation from Hampshire Police.
The FEO who interviewed Needham advised him to send a warning letter warning him not to disclose relevant medical and police information in future job applications, but it was not sent as the matter was passed on to Sussex Police.
Today Chief Superintendent Nigel Lecointe, of Hampshire, said he had expected more scrutiny of the application and said the erroneous claims should have raised a “cause for concern” and raised a red flag.
Police tape around the garden of the house in the West Sussex village of Woodmancote after the shooting
When asked how often it is that people are dishonest on the application form, Chief Supt Lecointe explains: “It doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen. It is then assessed whether the applicant deliberately misled or felt that the information was irrelevant so that he did not have to tell us.
“The decision whether or not to grant a firearms license is subjective, based on all the information in our possession at the time.
“Some facts speak for themselves and if there is cause for concern, be it a conviction or medical information, that can be a very clear ‘no, we can’t issue a license.'”
“If it’s less certain, we’ll see if the cheating was intentional and maybe give it the benefit of the doubt.”
The 2016 Firearms Licensing Guidelines stated: ‘It is of particular importance whether the applicant has made a false statement.
“Intentional failure to state relevant convictions, medical conditions, or medical history tends to be ineligible, regardless of whether the certificate would have been refused had the correct declaration been made.”
Mr Lecointe was questioned by coroner Bridget Dolan about the importance of the applicant’s integrity.
He agreed that having the history of mental health problems and criminal conviction stated on the form would not necessarily exclude them from possessing a certificate.
However, he said it was “more serious” that he had tried to hide the information and that further investigations should have been carried out.
He said that if the firearms investigating officer found out that Mr Needham had filled out the form instead of his fiancé, it might have “taken stock” whether the application was granted or denied.
The tragedy came just two days after Ms Fitzgibbons posted a series of photos to Facebook of her family in the countryside last Friday under the headline ‘our walk for today’
A photo Mrs Fitzgibbons posted two days before the family was found dead
Mr Lecointe said he felt new firearms applications should be done annually rather than every five years, which is the current requirement.
Daniel Sawyer, the family’s attorney, asked if Needham’s failure to disclose the 2003 illness and criminal conviction should have raised further concerns.
Mr. Lecointe agreed.
Mr Sawyer also asked whether it was up to the applicant to prove that he was fit to possess a firearm or whether he was automatically presumed fit unless proven otherwise.
Mr. Lecointe: ‘There is no standard view that someone is entitled to a weapon. It is a burden for us to satisfy for ourselves.’
The hearing was told that Hampshire Police intended to issue the firearms certificate, but Mr Needham moved home and the decision to grant final approval was handed over to Sussex Police.
Mr Lecointe said, “We should never be complacent about what we do. Our job is to try to do the right thing, but we will judge with the best of intentions. We won’t always get it right, but we’ll try.’
The investigation continues.