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| Prominent lawyer Jolyon Maugham clubs fox to death while wearing kimono | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| RSPCA brands incident ‘distressing’ after QC describes attacking trapped animal with baseball bat | |
| The prominent remain-supporting lawyer Jolyon Maugham QC has announced on Twitter that he clubbed a fox to death on Boxing Day morning, while wearing his wife’s satin kimono and nursing a hangover. | The prominent remain-supporting lawyer Jolyon Maugham QC has announced on Twitter that he clubbed a fox to death on Boxing Day morning, while wearing his wife’s satin kimono and nursing a hangover. |
| “Already this morning I have killed a fox with a baseball bat,” the barrister tweeted just after 8am. “How’s your Boxing Day going?” | “Already this morning I have killed a fox with a baseball bat,” the barrister tweeted just after 8am. “How’s your Boxing Day going?” |
| Maugham, 48, whose Good Law Project has brought a number of legal challenges to Brexit, told followers that he had killed the animal after it became trapped while trying to get inside a hen house in his back garden. | Maugham, 48, whose Good Law Project has brought a number of legal challenges to Brexit, told followers that he had killed the animal after it became trapped while trying to get inside a hen house in his back garden. |
| On a quiet Boxing Day morning, his account rapidly drew huge interest on Twitter, including the attention of the RSPCA, which urged anyone with firsthand knowledge of the incident to report it. | On a quiet Boxing Day morning, his account rapidly drew huge interest on Twitter, including the attention of the RSPCA, which urged anyone with firsthand knowledge of the incident to report it. |
| “[Killing the fox] wasn’t a great deal of fun,” Maugham tweeted. “It got caught up in the protective netting around the chickens and I wasn’t sure what else to do. | “[Killing the fox] wasn’t a great deal of fun,” Maugham tweeted. “It got caught up in the protective netting around the chickens and I wasn’t sure what else to do. |
| “Not looking forward to untangling it,” he said, elaborating in a separate tweet that he was wearing a “too small green kimono”. | “Not looking forward to untangling it,” he said, elaborating in a separate tweet that he was wearing a “too small green kimono”. |
| “Chickens a little anxious but otherwise well,” he added, saying that he was now “nursing my hangover with a coffee. As was my original intention.” | “Chickens a little anxious but otherwise well,” he added, saying that he was now “nursing my hangover with a coffee. As was my original intention.” |
| Many of Maugham’s followers asking for more details of the incident and some suggested that he may have broken the law. | Many of Maugham’s followers asking for more details of the incident and some suggested that he may have broken the law. |
| But the lawyer was unrepentant. Asked why he had killed the fox rather than disentangling it and releasing it, he replied that the animals are “not especially friendly up close”. | But the lawyer was unrepentant. Asked why he had killed the fox rather than disentangling it and releasing it, he replied that the animals are “not especially friendly up close”. |
| “I didn’t especially enjoy killing it but I imagine that’s what the RSPCA would have done, if they had anyone on call in central London on Boxing Day,” Maugham tweeted. | “I didn’t especially enjoy killing it but I imagine that’s what the RSPCA would have done, if they had anyone on call in central London on Boxing Day,” Maugham tweeted. |
| He insisted he had “despatched him [the fox] efficiently”, adding in response to another tweet: “To be quite honest, although I don’t enjoy killing things, it does come with the territory if you’re a meat eater.” | He insisted he had “despatched him [the fox] efficiently”, adding in response to another tweet: “To be quite honest, although I don’t enjoy killing things, it does come with the territory if you’re a meat eater.” |
| “I shoot rabbits for food too; and butcher them. I think it’s quite important for anyone who eats meat to have a sense of what’s actually involved,” Maugham also tweeted. | “I shoot rabbits for food too; and butcher them. I think it’s quite important for anyone who eats meat to have a sense of what’s actually involved,” Maugham also tweeted. |
| After the RSPCA’s Twitter account was copied in to the discussion, the animal welfare charity, which investigates complaints of cruelty, tweeted: “This is distressing to hear. We’d urge anyone with firsthand knowledge to report it to us.” | After the RSPCA’s Twitter account was copied in to the discussion, the animal welfare charity, which investigates complaints of cruelty, tweeted: “This is distressing to hear. We’d urge anyone with firsthand knowledge to report it to us.” |
| Maugham later said: “To those concerned I have broken the law, I called and spoke to the RSPCA and left my contact details.” | Maugham later said: “To those concerned I have broken the law, I called and spoke to the RSPCA and left my contact details.” |