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Friday, January 17, 2014
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Scissor-handed thieves target horse tails
No appeal expected in Pompeo sentencing
Peter W. Rusland
Don Bodger
News Leader Pictorial
News Leader Pictorial
K
rista Batty lifts what’s left of Vinnie the horse’s black tail hair that touched the ground before weekend thieves targeted her five mounts. “On Saturday they cut (hair from) two full tails off, and took a chunk out of our three other horses, so the horses must not have stood still,” said an angry Batty. Vinnie’s long muzzle also seemed puzzled about his stubby tail now resembling a whisk, rather than a broom. A similar hair heist — reported to the RCMP — happened in March at the Batty family’s spread off Old Lake Cowichan Road. Cuttings have also been taken from horses at other spreads nearby. Painlessly trimming hair to the end of the tail bone leaves the animals unable to swat flies and other summer pests, Batty explained. It denies owners points for pretty braided tails in competitions too. “It’s also the feeling of violation,” added husband, Rob Batty. That violation spells reduced sale prices for hairless-tailed horses like Vinnie. “They’re like a three-legged dog,” said Batty. Horse-tail hair grows about six inches a year; Vinnie’s tail would take some five years to recover. Thieves may need horsehair for crafts, but “people who need that go to slaughter houses for hair.” She would even give mane trimmings to folks who want it. “I don’t know if they realize how cruel this is. One of our horses is allergic to flies, so it’s quite cruel. I heard of it happening somewhere in Calgary, too.” Batty didn’t believe the culprits are entering family’s fenced property marked with No Trespassing signs. “They must be giving them treats and reaching through the fence — then it just looks like someone’s outside the fence petting the horses.” Police are urging all horse owners to report hair thefts (250-748-5522) “so they know it’s not an isolated incident,” Batty noted. The Mounties were unavailable for comment by press time Tuesday.
T
Krista Batty shows the length of tail hair stolen from Vinnie last weekend at their Old Lake Cowichan Road home.
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Peter W. Rusland
he Crown will not be appealing Const. David Pompeo’s sentence in his aggravated assault case against Bill Gillespie. Gillespie said he was contacted by Crown lawyer Carmen Rogers Dec. 10, just five days after the sentencing. She said the decision had been reached not to appeal. Pompeo was sentenced to two years probation and 240 hours of community service work on a charge that normally brings much harsher penalties, up to 14 years in prison for the most serious offences. “It was not fully explained to me other than they didn’t have enough to appeal on,’’ shooting victim Gillespie indicated. “I wasn’t surprised by the decision but, like I’ve said before, I’m not a vengeful person and Pompeo will deal with karma, however, this leaves a bad precedent in future court cases. “The RCMP have treated me so badly, and have been getting away with it, that I’m now disillusioned that there is any justice in the country I was born and raised in.’’ Gillespie still has a civil suit pending against Pompeo. Crown counsel did not return News Leader Pictorial enquiries in relation to this story. bchonda.com
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