Farmer sues wedding venue for £200,000 after he was shot in the leg by gamekeeper - who accidentally set off his gun as they chatted
A farmer accidentally shot in the leg by a gamekeeper from a neighbouring country house is suing the estate for more than £200,000.
Samuel Lecocq, 33, sustained a gunshot injury to his left thigh after gamekeeper Guy Whitney accidentally set off his gun while the pair chatted in July 2020.
Mr Lecocq, the owner of Park House Farm, near Whitby, Yorkshire, then sued Classic Lodges Ltd, the owner of the next-door baronial manor and 3,000 acre estate, Grinkle Park, over the accident.
Classic Lodges, which runs a wedding venue from a four-star hotel and guided shoots on the estate, has since admitted liability for the injuries.
But in a dispute at the High Court in London, the company is contesting the amount in damages which Mr Lecocq is due, with the farmer claiming more than £200,000.
In documents filed at the court, Mr Lecocq's lawyers said the accident occurred when the farmer was driving an open-sided all-terrain vehicle on a track towards his farm and came upon Mr Whitney.
Mr Whitney leant over the passenger seat to speak to Mr Lecocq and in doing so knocked over a loaded gun in the car, which fired through the door and hit the farmer.
Mr Lecocq had to have surgery to remove the bullet, but was left with significant ongoing problems, his lawyers claim.
Samuel Lecocq, 33, (pictured) sustained a gunshot injury to his left thigh after gamekeeper Guy Whitney accidentally set off his gun while the pair chatted in July 2020
The Grinkle Park Hotel and Restaurant which is run by Classic Lodges and boasts 3,000 acres of grassland and woodland
Mr Lecocq had to have surgery to remove the bullet, but was left with significant ongoing problems, his lawyers claim. Pictured: Samuel Lecocq and wife Emma
Grinkle Park is an estate in the North Yorkshire countryside, boasting 3,000 acres of grassland and woodland, making up one of the north of England's premier shooting destinations.
At its heart is a Victorian baronial mansion, which was designed by celebrated architect Alfred Waterhouse and is now used as the luxury 21-bedroom Grinkle Park Hotel for wedding events and shooting visitors.
'Mr Guy Whitney was in a different vehicle - a Land Rover - and was parked on the farm track which the claimant was driving on,' the documents state.
'When the claimant saw Mr Whitney, he pulled his ATV over so that it was parallel and adjacent to the vehicle Mr Whitney was driving. The claimant and Mr Whitney commenced a conversation.
'Mr Whitney lent over the front passenger seat to speak with the claimant and as he did so he knocked a gun which was on the passenger seat of the vehicle Mr Whitney was in.
'The gun was loaded and the safety catch was not engaged. As he leaned over the gun and knocked into it, it discharged and a 0.22 calibre bullet fired through the passenger door of the vehicle Mr Whitney was in and into the claimant's left leg.'
Mr Lecocq's lawyers claim that he has suffered health issues since the incident.
'He suffers with chronic post-traumatic pain caused by the gunshot injury,' the documents state.
'He walks with a significant limp on the left-hand side. He is able to walk for around 10 to 15 minutes before pain significantly increases.
'He has mechanical low back pain and musculoskeletal leg pain. He suffers with psychological and/or psychiatric difficulties.
Mr Whitney leant over the passenger seat to speak to Mr Lecocq and in doing so knocked over a loaded gun in the car
Classic Lodges accepts liability but does not accept the level of damages. The company is contesting the amount in damages which Mr Lecocq is due
'The pain affects the claimant's ability to work as a farmer and his ability to undertake domestic tasks.
'He struggles with activities requiring prolonged standing. His chronic pain is permanent and treatment, such as hydrotherapy, is likely to provide a degree of symptoms control but will not be curative.'
In the company's defence to the action, solicitor Charles Martin says it accepts liability, but does not accept the level of damages which Mr Lecocq claims.
'Liability for the accident is admitted,' he says.
'It is admitted that by reason of the accident the claimant sustained an injury to his left thigh.
'No admission is made as to the nature, extent or consequences of that injury suffered by the claimant.'
The case reached court for a brief preliminary hearing last month and will return for a full trial at a later date, unless the parties settle outside court.
