I tend to agree with Mike Diehl. For one, we do not have all the facts from the brief article.
I am of the opinion that this is a very tragic accident, and based on what I've read caused in part by the actions of the decedent.
The anti-hunting pilot found himself outnumbered by the fox hunt supporters. He may have panicked just as he stated in the article and decided to "get out of Dodge".
Gyrocopters, for those unfamiliar with them are not true helicopters in that they don't hover, rise straight up, or fly backwards. A gyrocopter has to take off and land similar to a fixed wing aircraft. If the pilot was attempting to take off and the decedent jumped in front of him in an attempt to prevent the takeoff, there was not much the pilot could do. If, and that's a big if, he had sufficent forward speed, he could have tried a steeper climb to clear the victim however one must take into consideration the limitations of that particular aircraft such as stall speed and so on.
I'm not siding with the anti-hunter. I am saying let the professional investigators process the evidence and base whatever charges arise if any on that.

Gyrocopters are waay cool, trying to harrass legalk hunters with one is not. Still anybody trying to stop a copter of any type from taking off is an idiot to get in the way of the rotary blades. Flu flu arrows work soo much better.

"vehicular manslaughter" is the easiest way to kill someone and get away with it..

Unbelievable!! Why? It is ridiculous to have something like this happen just because people think its wrong to be hunting. And whats worse, an animal being hunted or a human being murdered?

I'd have to see exactly how it happenned, but I think I agree with Mike D--it looks like what the victim did was pretty stupid--man vs helicopter, who wins? However, the story says the fly-guy taxied toward him--he was charged with manslaughter by gross negligence. That wouldn't qualify for the death penalty in the U.S. Even so, my sympathy is not with the radical animal rights activist who was deliberatly disrupting a lawful hunt--I won't be shedding any tears over his punishment.

If they find him guilty I hope he gets the death penalty.

unbelievable how people will be so anti hunting and yet will take a human life. taking human life is nothing to joke about.

Of course, the entire thing is about people not knowing how to stay out of trouble. It would be contributory, I'll bet. Some kind of testosterone-fueled conflict. They all should have stayed home or gone out for a beer that day.

I've read comments from the other pilots who were at the airfield on the day and they tell the story quite differently. It does sound like the pilot had reason to be frightened and in their opinion, it is never acceptable to walk onto, drive onto, or block a runway where aircraft take off. This was a horrible event and I feel deeply for this man's family but that shouldn't cloud the evidence. Let's see what the courts decide, but it really does sound like a tragic accident to me.

What an incredible tragedy! I believe in fair trials but I hope this guy gets thrown in jail for life.

If he saw the guy coming ,Its murder with a deadly weapon.I'm involved with aviation, and you can tell if someone is coming for you in a helicopter. That's terrible, if that stabilizer broke off on impact, the entire craft should have crashed and fireball-ed.

But Dhiel is right, if you ruch anything that is over 4tons, youre a fool. And its an AIRCRAFT. the ultimate in safey impared accidents

Thats the most messed up i Thing i ever heard. He should have the same thing happen to him as a punishment. What a loser.

Ms Sargeant told police that Mr Morse, 48, had been angry during a “white knuckle ride” to Long Marston airfield after spotting that the gyrocopter was about to refuel there. Mr Morse arrived in his blue Land Rover, which he parked at the nose of the gyrocopter, and began taking pictures, his manner was "intrusive and aggressive".

(So his mindset was aggressive, not very clear, quite clouded judgement)

“Please move aside, we want to take off,” Mr Bunce asked Mr Morse, who was smoking a cigarette and holding a camera. When Mr Morse shook his head, Mr Bunce added: “You’re obstructing it from taking off. You have no right to do that.” For the defence James Wood QC said: “But your plan was to obstruct the pilot in the lawful exercise of flying ... we would suggest it was a criminal plan that you deployed.”

(Trying to stop someone going about their own way who wasn't breaking the law, seems a bit like the school bully to me)

She also denied having any knowledge of a document seized from Mr Morse’s Land Rover after the incident, which had Mr Griffith’s name and home address on it. Another hunt supporter, who worked as a photographer, had researched the gyrocopter owner’s details and provided Mr Morse with the document.

(So if they knew who he was, why not pop around his house for a chat? Or is that some form of stalking? Creepy either way)

Obstructing someone going about their way who isn't breaking the law is not really sport is it? Threatening manner, waiting for reinforcements to come? Again, really not the done thing is it?

Darwin wins again, not guilty!