Day 018 - 26 Jul 94 - Page 50


     
     1        using.
 
     2   Q.   As to the last of those, was it so?
              A.  It was.
     3
         Q.   As to the first of those considerations, what was the
     4        standard of accuracy of the shooting?  You will remind
              yourself by what you find at the top of page 11?
     5        A.  I will read it, as you wish:  "Of the 10 scales
              examined five shots were more than two centimetres from
     6        the ideal position and the remainder were within this
              distance".
     7
         Q.   And then your conclusion, please?
     8        A.  "It is concluded that the accuracy of shooting was not
              particularly good but, in spite of this and probably
     9        because a high powered cartridge was being used, the
              stunning was observed to be effective".
    10
         Q.   Stop there, please, because I want to come back very
    11        briefly to the question of pithing in a moment.  You write
              there that the stunning was observed to be effective.  Can
    12        you please tell his Lordship what are the signs or
              symptoms by which an observer can judge whether or not the
    13        stunning has been effective?
              A.  The criteria that I was using in the abattoir are ones
    14        which are my colleague -- ex-colleague, sorry -- Dr. Daly
              used in his survey back in 1987.  It is based on, firstly,
    15        that the animal collapses and is not reshot because it has
              obviously failed to be stunned in the slaughterman's
    16        opinion.  Secondly, the animal must not be breathing.
              Thirdly, the eyeball should be facing forwards and not
    17        rotated in the orbit of the skull.
 
    18        Associated with this, it is desirable to see the muscles
              of the animal contracted.  If the animal is flacid on the
    19        floor, that is usually associated with symptoms indicating
              that it is going to recover consciousness in a period of
    20        time; exactly how quickly it will recover is unpredictable
              but it is a danger.
    21
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  There is a risk?
    22        A.  Exactly.  So those are the criteria I was using in
              this situation.  They are fairly demanding criteria in
    23        terms of the goal of stunning and slaughter.  I am looking
              for symptoms which are rudimentary, relative to
    24        consciousness and unconsciousness.  They are fairly in the
              subconscious level.  However, the reason they are chosen
    25        is that where they do occur, then there is a risk of
              resumption of consciousness, but the stage at which 
    26        consciousness would recover is unpredictable -- sorry to 
              go on. 
    27
         Q.   No, quite right.  You are the expert.  Is this stage or
    28        the symptom which you described as muscle contraction what
              you elsewhere described as the tonic spasm?
    29        A.  Yes, a suitable term.
 
    30   Q.   You observed ten cows, or you examined ten cows, at
              Midland Meat Packers.  According to those criteria, was

Prev Next Index