The prison sentences handed down to two kidnappers who bundled a teenager into a van before she was found seriously injured have been referred to the Court of Appeal for being “unduly lenient”.

Angel Lynn was left paralysed and unable to communicate after she was snatched aged 19 off the street in Rothley, Leicestershire, in September 2020 after an argument with her then-boyfriend Chay Bowskill.

Ms Lynn, from Loughborough, fell out of the vehicle while it was travelling at around 60mph on the A6 near Mountsorrel.

She suffered severe head and brain injuries and can’t walk, talk or feed herself.

Warning – This story contains images following a serious injury, which some people may find upsetting.

Bowskill, 20, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after being found guilty of kidnap, controlling and coercive behaviour and perverting the course of justice at Leicester Crown Court.

The prosecutor said Angel had been pushed out of the van, but the jury did not convict Bowskill of causing grievous bodily harm.

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Bowskill’s friend, and the driver of the van, Rocco Sansome, 20, was given a 21-month sentence for kidnap.

Solicitor General Alex Chalk QC MP said: “The horrendous case of Angel Lynn, who was the victim of sustained abuse by her partner, Chay Bowskill, culminated in her suffering life changing injuries.

“I wish to express my sympathies to her family. I have referred the sentence of Chay Bowskill, and that of his accomplice Rocco Sansome, to the Court of Appeal as they appear to me to be unduly lenient.

“It is now for the Court to decide whether to increase the sentence.”

Read more: Angel Lynn’s family calls for tougher sentences for kidnappers

Last week, Ms Lynn’s family called for the pair’s sentences to be doubled.

Her mother, Nikki, told Sky News that she was “disgusted” with the jail terms handed down.

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“Seeing her like this kills me every day,” she said.

“I worry every day about not being here anymore, who is going to look out for her?”

Her daughter would want her kidnappers “to be in jail a lot longer than what they got… they’ve shown no remorse”.

“She was really bubbly, she loved going out for meals with her friends. She used to take pride in herself, she always looked nice,” she added.

“I miss everything about her, doing things together, running in and out of the house how she does, everything, cheekiness, she’s just so funny, so kind. I miss her all together I’m just scared I won’t get my Angel back.”

Ms Lynn’s aunt Jackie Chamberlain said: “Those sentences should be doubled, that’s what she should do because we have been given a life sentence, as a family, Nikki has been given a life sentence and, moreover, Angel has been given a life sentence.”

Angel, 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.

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