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| Bristol woman cleared of encouraging partner to shoot crying child | Bristol woman cleared of encouraging partner to shoot crying child |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A woman has been acquitted of encouraging her boyfriend to shoot a crying child in the head with an air rifle pellet. | A woman has been acquitted of encouraging her boyfriend to shoot a crying child in the head with an air rifle pellet. |
| A jury took 35 minutes to find Emma Horseman, 24, not guilty of unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on 18-month-old Harry Studley. | A jury took 35 minutes to find Emma Horseman, 24, not guilty of unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on 18-month-old Harry Studley. |
| Horseman’s boyfriend, Jordan Walters, previously admitted the same charge. | Horseman’s boyfriend, Jordan Walters, previously admitted the same charge. |
| Horseman was accused of telling Walters: “Shoot Harry, just to frighten him, to shut him up, shoot it at Harry,” as the boy – the son of a friend – cried at their flat in Bristol in July last year. | Horseman was accused of telling Walters: “Shoot Harry, just to frighten him, to shut him up, shoot it at Harry,” as the boy – the son of a friend – cried at their flat in Bristol in July last year. |
| During the two-day trial Horseman told the court that Harry was injured while she was chatting with Harry’s mother, Amy Allen. | During the two-day trial Horseman told the court that Harry was injured while she was chatting with Harry’s mother, Amy Allen. |
| She said: “I couldn’t see what Jordan was doing. All I know was that he was cleaning the gun. I know he had the gun out but I couldn’t see him.” | She said: “I couldn’t see what Jordan was doing. All I know was that he was cleaning the gun. I know he had the gun out but I couldn’t see him.” |
| She denied telling Walters to shoot Harry, telling the jury: “I can’t remember saying that.” | She denied telling Walters to shoot Harry, telling the jury: “I can’t remember saying that.” |
| Paul Cook, defending, asked Horseman: “What was the first you knew about the gun being fired?” | Paul Cook, defending, asked Horseman: “What was the first you knew about the gun being fired?” |
| She replied: “I didn’t even know it was. I just looked down and looked up and saw Harry was bleeding. That’s all that I can remember. Harry was sat on his mum’s lap. | She replied: “I didn’t even know it was. I just looked down and looked up and saw Harry was bleeding. That’s all that I can remember. Harry was sat on his mum’s lap. |
| “Jordan said to Amy: ‘What do I do?’ and Amy said: ‘Ring the ambulance,’ and that’s what he did. There was lots of ambulances arriving. It just happened so fast. I just remember Harry bleeding and the police turning up. I can’t remember anything else.” | “Jordan said to Amy: ‘What do I do?’ and Amy said: ‘Ring the ambulance,’ and that’s what he did. There was lots of ambulances arriving. It just happened so fast. I just remember Harry bleeding and the police turning up. I can’t remember anything else.” |
| Asked how she felt about the incident, Horseman replied: “Horrible, I felt bad, sick … like that could have been my child.” | Asked how she felt about the incident, Horseman replied: “Horrible, I felt bad, sick … like that could have been my child.” |
| Harry underwent emergency surgery at Bristol children’s hospital. He had suffered a displaced skull fracture and swelling and bleeding on the brain after being shot in the right temple. | Harry underwent emergency surgery at Bristol children’s hospital. He had suffered a displaced skull fracture and swelling and bleeding on the brain after being shot in the right temple. |
| The pellet has not been found. The boy, now two, has several post-traumatic seizures each day and is being treated with anticonvulsant drugs. | The pellet has not been found. The boy, now two, has several post-traumatic seizures each day and is being treated with anticonvulsant drugs. |
| Horseman did not comment as she was driven away from court by members of her family. | Horseman did not comment as she was driven away from court by members of her family. |
| Walters will be sentenced at a later date. |