Huntsman cleared of double attack

Jury accepted self-defence claim

A huntsman accused of attacking two hunt saboteurs has been cleared unanimously of both charges.

Hunt leader Jonathan Broise, 46, was acquitted of causing actual bodily harm on Jaine Wild on Wednesday, having been also cleared of a similar charge against her husband Simon Wild on Tuesday.

Mr Broise, from London Road in Petworth, West Sussex, was at a meeting of the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray Hunt at Petworth Park at 0730 BST on 9 October 2002.

Speaking after the trial at Chichester Crown Court, he said: "I am pleased. I always felt I was the victim in this case.

"But the jury was very thorough and accepted that I was acting in self-defence."

Captured on video

The court heard he had clashed with Mr and Mrs Wild, from Bognor Regis in West Sussex, after getting off his horse.

They claimed he attacked each of them and that the assaults were captured on video by Mr Wild.

The trial was shown the tape but Mr Broise said it "did not show the full story".

He said Mrs Wild had sprayed perfume in his face and whipped him before he pushed her away in self defence, while she told the jury he punched her, leaving blood "pumping" from her face.