A French hunting group that unintentionally shot and killed a British man viewed his death as “less grave” due to his nationality, according to a lawyer representing the victim’s family.
Yesterday, the French hunter Julien Féral, 35, apologized to the court for shooting and killing Morgan Keane, 25, in 2020, stating, “It marked me for life.”
When Keane was shot while chopping wood near his home in the town of Calvignac in southwestern France, uproar ensued.
Two men, the guy who fired the fatal shot and the 51-year-old hunt organizer, went on trial for involuntary manslaughter on Thursday in the nearby town of Cahors.
They risk up to three years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros (£65,000) if convicted.
Prior to the trial, Rowan Keane’s attorney, Benoit Coussy, stated, ‘The fact that the Keane brothers’ father was English appears to have lessened the gravity of this killing in their view.’
He stated in court, “Morgan’s life came to an end in the forest, where he went to cut wood.” But the story actually began several years before, when Morgan’s father respectfully encouraged hunters to shoot elsewhere.
‘He was a foreigner who wasn’t a hunter, and the hunting world is rather brutal. If you are not a hunter, you are opposed to hunting.
According to the accusation, Keane was chopping wood on his private property in Garrigues, close to Calvignac, around 4.30 p.m. when Féral fired the fatal shot from 75 meters distant with a Remington pump-action rifle, believing he was aiming at a wild boar.
It further adds that Keane’s late father, Michael, who was a British citizen at the time of his death in July 2019, had clashed with local hunters two years prior, claiming they were coming too close to his property.
The gunman told the court, “I think about it every day; it has forever changed me.” I am sorry. He acknowledged that he had failed to “identify the target.”
The case has reignited tensions between anti-hunting activists and defenders of a rural pastime and practice that farmers view as essential for controlling deer and pig populations in particular.
During the height of the hunting season, extensive portions of the French countryside echo with gunfire, causing many hikers to avoid forested regions for their own safety.
Audrey Tindiliere, a member of a group lobbying for limitations that was formed after Keane’s death, stated, “Many people support us.”
Before the trial, she told the AFP news agency that 80% of people are in favor of improving the control of hunting in order to enhance the sharing of the land with hunters.
State prosecutors requested that both suspects be sentenced to two years in prison with 18 months suspended, citing “the gravity of the inadequacies that resulted to Morgan Keane’s death.”
The verdict is anticipated on January 12
The National Federation of Hunters is a prominent political lobby in France on behalf of hunters (FNC).
Willy Schraen, the head of FNC, demanded a “exemplary verdict” in the Keane case, acknowledging the strong public sentiment surrounding the death.
We prohibit hunters who disregard the most fundamental rules. It must not occur again. It is deplorable that this error resulted to a man’s death,’ he said.
If you are unsure of your target, you should not fire.
Keane, whose father was British and whose mother was French, was on his land.
According to the French government’s Office for Biodiversity, there have been fewer hunting accidents during the past two decades.
According to the data, there were 90 incidents during the 2021/22 hunting season, eight of which were deadly, including two non-hunters.
Her French partner unintentionally shot and killed a British woman during a wild boar hunt in northern France last month.
A 62-year-old hunter was shot in the abdomen while foraging for mushrooms in the town of Vinsobres in the Drôme region on October 9.
According to Le Bien Public, a 33-year-old lady and her young children were hurt when hunting small game in the Rhône in October.
In February, a 25-year-old woman died instantaneously after being struck by a hunter’s bullet while strolling with a friend along a recognized trail in the Cantal region near Aurillac.
The 67-year-old British woman who died last month, Jacqueline Taylor, sustained a bullet wound ‘above the heart’ after her 69-year-old partner fired his shoulder-mounted rifle at her during the hunt.
Philippot, who is charged with manslaughter, is president of the Goudelin-Bringolo hunt and organized the wild boar hunt near the couple’s residence in Goudelin, Brittany.
Miss Taylor was brought to a hospital in Saint-Brieuc, Brittany, but died about noon due to her injuries.
The president of the hunt shot his shoulder-mounted, backward-pointing weapon while the hunters were walking across a field of corn silage, according to a source of the investigation.
The shot struck his partner, causing a piercing wound just above her heart. She was transported to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries.
Philippot, who has hunted in the area since he was a youngster, was released on bail pending the outcome of an investigation.
The hunting party consisted of approximately a dozen hunters and two guests, according to public prosecutor Nicolas Heitz.
The mayor of Goudelin, Laurent Le Faucheur, remarked that Philippot was “totally heartbroken by the disaster.”
Mr. Le Faucheur stated, “This is a big shock for all of us.” I knew the pair well.
“Jacqueline moved to the area around seven years ago from the United Kingdom, where she was really content.
She owned a horse, and they shared other pets, such as dogs and cats.
“What occurred is catastrophic. Obviously, a hunting accident is a sensitive topic, therefore I was contacted fast and arrived immediately.
A comprehensive investigation is underway.