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News Report 6th
February 2007
Some of us have had our
faith in British Justice restored on hearing the
news that Flatcoated Retriever trainer Sue Jones has
had her conviction overturned on appeal.
Sue and her friend
Jacqui Crewe
found guilty in October last year at St Albans
Magistrates Court under Section 19 of the Firearms
Act of “having an imitation firearm in a public
place without reasonable excuse”
In fact the two ladies were out
training their gundogs using a starting pistol in a
wood that has shooting rights over it, with the
permission of the shoot tenant. Symonds Hyde Wood
is a rural isolated woodland just outside of
Hatfield that is owned by the Marquis of Salisbury;
a local farmer has shooting rights over the whole of
the wood and he was happy for Jacqui to do her
gundog training there as she picks up for him
regularly during the shooting season.
Although Jacqui Crew abandoned her
appeal some weeks ago she was present to give
evidence for Sue and the defence barrister made a
successful application for her appeal to be heard
'Out of Time' which the judge allowed and so her
conviction has also been quashed.
Gundog owners throughout the UK
regularly use harmless starting pistols during
gundog training and have been horrified at the
precedent set by the conviction of these two women.
They will be greatly relieved to hear that this
unjustified and unreasonable conviction, with its
misinterpretation of the spirit of the law, has
been overturned.
Warm congratulations to Sue and
Jacqui on their success, and thanks to The Meon
Valley working Spaniel Club for forwarding the good
news to us. |
