Day 018 - 26 Jul 94 - Page 52
1 I examined that showed any one of those four symptoms
I previously described, and that was that the animal was
2 restunned by the slaughterman whilst it was still within
the stunning box before it had been ejected.
3
Q. Can I ask you this: Do you deduce from that either he was
4 not satisfied with his first shot or there were signs that
the animal had not been properly stunned or both? Are you
5 able to draw a conclusion as to which of those inferences
we might draw?
6 A. A third factor, can I add?
7 Q. Yes, do.
A. That is that the position of the hole in the cranium
8 was not appropriate for inserting adequately the pithing
cane.
9
Q. Yes.
10 A. So, if it is off position, he is not going to be able
to push the pithing cane all the way down the spinal
11 chord. It is possible that that was the reason why he
reshot the animal. I did not ask him what the reason was.
12
MR. JUSTICE BELL: If he gets it within an acceptable margin of
13 the perfect position, then he should be able to use, or
someone should be able to use, the pithing cane anyway?
14 A. Correct.
15 Q. So doubt about whether it is an appropriate position for
the pithing cane may mean doubt as to whether he has
16 placed the bolt in the right place anyway?
A. That is true.
17
Q. If in doubt, should he immediately repeat the process, to
18 avoid any risk of further distress to the animal?
A. Yes, it does no harm to give a repeat shot under that
19 circumstance, absolutely.
20 MR. RAMPTON: Then so far as this possible exception is
concerned, the evidence upon which you base the possible
21 exception is this (and no more), is it, that the
slaughterman made a second shot with the captive bolt
22 pistol?
A. Yes.
23
Q. You yourself did not observe any overt signs of imperfect
24 stunning in that animal?
A. After the second shot I did not; I was not in a good
25 position to observe other symptoms after the first shot.
The animal had descended into the bottom of the box and
26 I was standing alongside the box instead of above it.
27 Q. One final question before we leave cattle and come on to
somewhat more general matters, very briefly: The ideal
28 distance of two centimetres or less was a distance worked
out by you or your university in that paper in 1987?
29 A. That is correct.
30 Q. It was there stated anyway?
A. That is correct, yes.
