‘Devastated’ partner of British woman shot dead during boar hunt in France under probe

Laurent Le Faucheur, the mayor of Goudelin, says the community is in shock

File Hunters carry a killed boar on the opening day of France’s hunting season near Neuille-Pont-Pierre, central France on 18 September (AFP via Getty Images)

The French partner of a British woman shot dead during a wild boar hunting trip in France is facing manslaughter charges after it was reported that it was his gun that discharged the fatal bullet.

Jacqueline Taylor, 67, suffered a gunshot wound just above her heart during a hunting trip that consisted of a dozen people on Sunday morning in the Goudelin area of Brittany in northwestern France.

Her partner Pierre Philippot, 69, who was accompanying her on the hunting party along with around a dozen people, is facing manslaughter charges after it was reported that it was his loaded rifle that accidentally discharged a bullet.

She was rushed to the Yves-Le Foll hospital in Saint-Brieuc where she died from a “penetrating wound above the heart,” according to a press release by a prosecutor that was published in the French language Le Télégramme newspaper.

“The hunters were advancing through a field of corn silage when one of them, a 69-year-old man, in circumstances yet to be determined, fired with his shoulder-mounted rifle, barrel pointing towards the back,” the statement read.

“The shot hit his companion… and [the] bullet caused a penetrating wound above the heart.”

An investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.

Mr Philippot, who is the president of the Goudelin-Bringolo hunt, had organised the hunt party close to where they lived.

He was taken to the hospital in a state of shock, according to the newspaper, and a medical examination showed he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Mr Philippot told local news outlets that he was “devastated” by the incident.

He was taken into custody and reportedly released on bail as the investigation continued.

The Saint-Brieuc prosecution “should make it possible to quickly determine the cause of the tragic death of the woman”, said the press release. The autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday.

Laurent Le Faucheur, the mayor of Goudelin, said the community was in shock from the news as he knew the couple for a long time.

“I worked with him as a farmer. We have always maintained friendly relations. He is always ready to lend a hand. He is a man of character and very respectful”.

He described the woman as a jovial and smiling person, who has a sister in the UK but was not in touch with her.

Ms Taylor had won a municipal gardening prize which was featured in the regional newspaper Ouest-France.

The incident comes as accidental killings have sparked a debate over stricter regulations on France’s hunting traditions. It was the third hunting fatality in less than a year.

In February, a 25-year-old woman was accidentally killed by a teenage hunter in France’s Cantal region. She was walking with a friend on a marked trail near Aurillac in a heavily forested area when she was shot.

According to the French Office of Biodiversity, 90 hunting accidents, that led to eight deaths, were recorded in between 2021-2022.