A police firearms unit arrived at the horrific scene but none of their three weapons were powerful enough to dispatch the animal.
And indeed, it didn't this time either. Realising they didn't also didn't have the right calibre police van either, they just went ahead anyway:
Firearms officer Robert Gunney told the hearing: 'We called for a specialist rifle from a police station 15 minutes away.
'While waiting I instructed two PCs with lightweight weapons to shoot at the bull which was standing over Mr Jump staring at his body.
'We shot the bull in the head knowing it would not have much of an effect and it ran offset (sic) of sight.'
Isn't it lucky that it didn't enrage it further? That it ran in the other direction and not straight at you? Or further gored the victim at its feet?
The bull was later shot dead after a helicopter was used to flush it back into the field.
One wonders why a farm keeping such potentially dangerous animals doesn't have the wherewithal to despatch them - humanely! - on the premises in emergencies?
The inquest heard work systems at the family-run smallholding fell 'far below' guidelines for farmers handling cattle.
That's not really a surprise, is it?
One wonders why a farm keeping such potentially dangerous animals doesn't have the wherewithal to despatch them
ReplyDeleteEasily answered. Just imagine the stink that would be raised if every cattle farmer had a gun, or any other device, powerful enough to bring down an angry bull from a safe distance ...
Quite right in UK today the only people who have powerful guns are the criminals and it seems a tiny few of the police.
ReplyDelete"Just imagine the stink that would be raised if every cattle farmer had a gun, or any other device, powerful enough to bring down an angry bull from a safe distance ..."
ReplyDeleteBut 'something must be done!' and this is most definitely 'something'...might help to keep thieving pikeys off farms too. 😉
"...in UK today the only people who have powerful guns are the criminals and it seems a tiny few of the police."
*sigh* Indeed.