Man shoots dead 10-year-old girl’s Shetland pony ‘thinking it was a fox’

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A hunter who shot dead a Shetland pony belonging to a 10-year-old girl, saying he “thought the animal was a fox”, has been sentenced to 120 hours community service and ordered to pay the owners £500.

Samuel McLean, from County Antrim, was “lamping” for foxes – in which the animals are shot from vehicles mounted with spotlights – when the fatal shot was fired, Coleraine Magistrates Court heard.

The 30-year-old told police he had fired at what he believed was a fox, then lost sight of the animal, before catching a glimpse of it and firing again. It was the second shot that killed the 18-month old foal Maisie.

He said he did not have a clear view of the animal as it was “standing in a dip in the hill”.

His defence lawyer argued the small size of the young animal would have added to the confusion, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

McLean’s lawyer told the court that once his client had realised his error, he “immediately” went knocking on doors to find out who the owner of the pony was.

“There never would have been any prospect of a ballistics trace on his rifle. He could have fled and he could have evaded responsibility,” McLean’s lawyer said.

The court heard McLean was a keen hunstman, but the incident meant he was likely to lose his firearms licence.

District Judge Peter King said: “Those who enjoy shooting and hunting as a sport are perfectly entitled to do so. However, with that sport comes significant obligations.

“Unfortunately, you have failed to handle your firearm in a responsible manner.”

Sentencing him to 120 hours community service, the judge added: “If you can’t handle firearms responsibly there are consequences.”

The mother of the 10-year-old girl, Rhonda Burns told the Belfast Telegraph her children had been horrified to discover Maisie, who had been turned out into a field with her mother Bluebell, lying blood-soaked and lifeless on a Sunday morning.

Bluebell was reportedly shaking in distress and trying to nudge Maisie.

She was covered in Maisie’s blood and was frantically trying to get her to respond, said Ms Burns after the incident in 2017.