Day 098 - 07 Mar 95 - Page 43


     
     1        A.  I do not think I have ever seen an animal in a bid to
     2        escape during unloading, i.e. trying to jump the fence or
     3        anything like that.
     4
     5   Q.   No, but you have said they have the fences there to stop
     6        them walking off?
     7        A.  Yes.
     8
     9   Q.   And escaping from the pen area?
    10        A.  Yes.
    11
    12   Q.   Or the lairage area.  To be honest, I just do not know.  It
    13        is stupid asking these but it is such an obvious point
    14        really that they are hardly likely to all queue up
    15        willingly.
    16
    17   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  When they come down the ramp and the walk off
    18        the ramp and they are on the ground, are they already in a
    19        pen then or do they have to be herded through a gate into a
    20        pen?
    21        A.  The pen gate is open, the ramp opens down to that open
    22        gate and then they walk into the pen.
    23
    24   Q.   So as soon as they walk off the bottom they are in a pen?
    25        A.  Yes.
    26
    27   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, Ms. Steel says it is an obvious point.
    28
    29   MR. MORRIS:  If we are going to debate about this, we should do
    30        it without the witness being present.
    31
    32   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No, no, you cannot object to Mr. Rampton
    33        standing up to speak.
    34
    35   MR. RAMPTON:  No.  Ms. Steel says it is obvious point that the
    36        animals do not queue up willingly.  If she is to make a
    37        case on that, she must pursue it with the witness.
    38
    39   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  One has to admit to a bit of seeing the way
    40        animals operate, and I would have to say I know, from my
    41        own experience, that a dozen will come off a lorry
    42        perfectly happy and then there will be one frisky one who
    43        has a mind of its own and heaven knows where it will go
    44        unless you keep an eye on it; is that fair?
    45        A.  That is reasonably fair to say, sir.
    46
    47   MR. RAMPTON:  I had in mind what is in the pamphlet, you see.
    48
    49   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I have that as well.  But there will always
    50        be one beast who wants to go somewhere else; is that fair 
    51        enough? 
    52        A.  Or does not want to go anywhere at all, sir, yes. 
    53
    54   MS. STEEL:  That is another thing that happens, is it not, like
    55        the cows can sometimes -- I think Dr. Gregory said -- dig
    56        in their hooves and refuse to move?
    57        A.  Yes.
    58
    59   Q.   That happens quite a bit, yes?
    60        A.  It depends what you mean by "quite a bit" -- I mean, it

Prev Next Index