Day 102 - 13 Mar 95 - Page 12

     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  There we are.  One way or the other I would
     2        rather not hear evidence in advance from ------
     3
     4   MR. RAMPTON:  No, my Lord.  We will leave it there just now.
     5        I will simply ask Dr. Pattison about what is written on
     6        this handwritten note.  When it comes to Mr. Bruton, he
     7        must take his chance with the questions that I ask him.
     8
     9        (To the witness):  You have looked at this handwritten
    10        note, Dr. Pattison.  I need not trouble you with the first
    11        sentence.  The second sentence:  "Catching teams between
    12        five to seven men, one driving the forklift"; is that about
    13        right?
    14        A.  That is correct.
    15
    16   Q.   That is correct at Sun Valley.  "Generally, each catcher
    17        carried between", this is alleged to be between 1987 and
    18        1993, "five and 10 birds depending on weight, usually by
    19        one leg".  Pausing there, is that accurate so far as Sun
    20        Valley is concerned or not?
         A.  It does depend on the weight.  10 birds seems rather
    22        excessive to me.  I would have thought it is normally about
    23        seven or eight.
    24
    25   Q.   That would be five in each hand if it were 10?
    26        A.  Yes, that seems a lot to me.
    27
    28   Q.   "Usually by one leg".  Is it usually by one leg?
    29        A.  Yes, it is.
    30
    31   Q.   "Sometimes picked up by wings and heads", what about that?
    32        A.  The instructions given in the manual which you referred
    33        to in Appendix 4 specifically says that birds should not be
    34        picked up by wings and/or heads.  If anybody does that,
    35        then they are acting contrary to company instructions.
    36
    37   Q.   Would you turn, please, to 4.2, page 4.2, in that Appendix
    38        in the right-hand column, notice, because that means I may
    39        not have to come back to it -----
    40
    MS. STEEL:  Can you just give us the page number?
    42
    43   MR. RAMPTON:  It is 4.2.
    44
    45   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Page 58 it starts in the bundle.
    46
    47   MR. RAMPTON:  It is item 12, step 12, Chicken Loading.  It says
    48        or the company says:  "Loading too many birds per crate
    49        causes the factory problems and also causes lorry weight
    50        problems.  Birds must not be held or supported by the 
    51        wings, neck and tail."   Then at the bottom of the page it 
    52        says:  "It is the responsibility of every catcher to ensure 
    53        no bird is trapped in the module."
    54
    55        Mr. Bruton purports to allege that birds with broken wings
    56        and legs still got transported for slaughter.  How far is
    57        that true at Sun Valley?
    58        A.  Again, the instructions are contained in this manual.
    59        There is actually legislation now which provides for the
    60        fact that no injured or sick birds or animals must be