Jury out to consider verdict in Trevor Morse-gyrocopter case

A jury is considering their verdict in the case of Trevor Morse, the hunt supporter killed by a gyrocopter last year.

Bryan Griffiths, 55, of Bedworth, Warwickshire, is charged with the manslaughter by gross negligence of Trevor Morse, 48, at Long Marsdon airfield on 9 March 2009.

The case has been running for two weeks at Birmingham Crown Court, where the jury this afternoon went out to consider their verdict.

Countryside Alliance regional director Clare Rowson told H&H from court: “The jury went out at 2.30pm today.

“We are second guessing, but expect the jury won’t be back until tomorrow.”

The case opened on Monday, 1 March, with prosecutor Gareth Evans QC accusing Griffiths of deliberately driving his gyrocopter at Trevor Morse with the rear propellor at a speed of 200mph.

The jury was shown shocking footage of the decapitation.

Mr Morse had driven to Long Marsdon airfield to try to stop Griffiths from taking off in the gyrocopter he had been using to follow the Warwickshire hunt.

Pilot Bryan Griffiths claimed to the court that he gave Mr Morse “ample opportunity” to move out of the way. He said he was desperate to flee the airfield for fear of serious assault from a “gang” from the hunt, and claimed he had been shot at.

But last week, the jury heard that Griffiths has a history of “risky flying”.

While monitoring the Warwickshire hunt only three days before the tragedy at Long Marsdon, he was reprimanded after landing without permission at an airstrip used by a gliding club. He had flown over cables used to pull gliders up into the air.

That incident — on 6 March 2009 — was not reported to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), but Griffiths last week admitted that he had been reported once before in 2007, and twice been reprimanded during his initial flying training at Wellesbourne.

The court heard that Griffiths’ instructor reported he had a “poor attitude” after one incident.

Griffiths denies the charges.

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