Sportsman is cleared of gun charge
A CROWBOROUGH man arrested after shooting squirrels to feed his pet ferrets, has walked free from court after magistrates accepted he had a "reasonable excuse" for carrying an air rifle in public.
Matthew George Good, 21, was arrested after a police patrol spotted him concealing a .22 Webley Hawk air rifle behind a tree on the edge of Tunbridge Wells Common, on March 19 this year.
Good, of Belvedere Gardens, admitted he had been shooting on the common as friends had told him it was allowed by the Lord of the Manor of Rusthall under ancient by-laws.
Jeremy Aldous, portfolio manager for landowners Target- follow, denied such permission existed.
Facing a charge of possessing a loaded air weapon in a public place at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court on Tuesday, unemployed builder Good explained how he had been dropped off in Hungershall Park and spent time shooting at "vermin" on farmland before walking through woods and emerging near the junction of Major Yorks Road and Neville Park, where he waited to be collected.
Pc Philip Smith, of Kent Police, said he spotted Good crouching by a tree, but he had started walking away as he approached. Pc Smith said he questioned Good and found him to be in possession of 200 airgun pellets and a cocked and loaded rifle in a "broken" position with the barrel folded down.
Defence counsel John Luckhurst described Good as a keen sportsman, "obsessed" with shooting and fishing and fully aware of gun etiquette and safety procedures.
Good said: "My grandfather was a gamekeeper. I have been brought up knowing gun safety since I was a small child."
Mr Luckhurst drew parallels with a similar case in Southampton where magistrates had accepted that a man had a reasonable excuse to possess a machete and high-powered catapult on common land.
The defendant in that case had been hunting squirrels to feed to his pet birds.
Giving a not guilty verdict, chairman of the bench, Dawn Silburn, said: "We accept that Mr Good is an experienced user of airguns and has demonstrated a good knowledge of gun safety.
"On this occasion and in these particular circumstances, we find you not guilty."
Speaking after the trial, Good said: "I'm very happy and relieved with the verdict.
"All credit to my solicitor. If it hadn't been for him it could have been a different outcome."
6 Comments
by Woodland owner, Crowborough
Wednesday, September 16 2009, 5:34PM
“I'm amazed no 'animal lover' has commented on this. As an owner of woodland, I delight in the death of every tree rat (squirrel to the sentimentalists). I also applaud the decision not to prosecute someone who is carrying out useful and legal activities on common land. These rights have largely been eroded on Ashdown Forest. If this man is a good shot, can't someone employ him as a pest controller, maybe to cull some of the numerous deer that cause death on the roads and hundreds of pounds worth of damage to parks and gardens? That would kill two birds with one stone!”
by dmh, Crowborough
Saturday, August 15 2009, 3:32PM
“JR -if you have got something to say vaguely English then I am sure we would all like to hear it.”
by crash, orange tx
Friday, August 07 2009, 2:06AM
“i'm glad to see you stretched your vocabulery jr”
by j r, some where
Thursday, August 06 2009, 7:59PM
“dmh and crash, blah blah blah”
by dmh, Crowborough
Tuesday, August 04 2009, 11:00AM
“A victory for common sense.
As an aside when did Tunbridge Wells common become private property owned by Norwich based Target-Follow and who sold it to them.Common land cannot be sold.”
by crash, orange texas
Tuesday, August 04 2009, 3:27AM
“It is insane this person was arrested at all.”