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
