Man Charged with Manslaughter in Boy's Farm Shooting Death

A 64-year-old man has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the death of an eight-year-old boy who suffered fatal head injuries during a shooting incident at a farm in Cumbria last year.

Allan Thursby, of Cleator Moor, faces the charge following the incident on September 28, 2024, at Wheatsheaf Farm near Warcop. The boy, Jay Cartmell from Frizington, sustained serious wounds to his head and face while participating in a rabbit shooting expedition on land near the A66. He was airlifted to a hospital in Newcastle but died later that day, according to details from the initial inquest opened in October 2024.

Cumbria Police arrested Thursby on the day of the incident and he has remained on bail since then. Authorities confirmed the charge on March 17, 2025, and he has been bailed to appear at Carlisle Magistrates' Court on March 26, 2025.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorized the charge after determining there was sufficient evidence and that it was in the public interest to proceed. Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said, "Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and...