Rock star's son walks free after admitting putting a hunt monitor in fear (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Otis Ferry walked free from court after he admitted causing fear to hunt monitor

5:03pm Friday 22nd May 2009 in News By Emma Tilley

OTIS Ferry walked free from court today after admitting that he put a hunt monitor in fear during an incident in the Cotswolds 18 months ago.

The son of Roxy Music star Bryan Ferry, was given a one year conditional discharge at Gloucester Crown Court, sitting in Cirencester.

Ferry, of Eaton Mascott, Shropshire, had been due to stand trial on charges of robbery and assault of hunt monitor Helen Ghalmi during a meeting of the Heythrop Hunt near Stow in November 2007.

But at the hearing Ferry, who is joint master of the South Shropshire Hunt, admitted a less serious charge of causing 'fear, stress and upset' to Ms Ghalmi as she filmed him hunting.

Judge Martin Picton said he took into account that Ferry had spent four months in prison on remand after being wrongly accused of trying to 'nobble' a prosecution witness.

The allegation of trying to pervert the course of justice by persuading a witness not to give evidence against him was later withdrawn by the Crown and he was cleared of it.

Defence barrister, George Cox QC, said the reason Ferry had snatched a camera from Ms Ghalmi during the incident was that two weeks earlier his Jack Russell terrier, named Tiny, had been taken by anti-hunting protesters.

Mr Cox blamed the "distressing" theft of Tiny for the fact that Ferry had become involved in a "tug of war" for his victim's car keys, leaving her bruised.

He was fined £350 and ordered to pay £100 in costs.