EXCLUSIVE – Pictured: British woman, 67, accidentally blasted to death by her ‘devastated’ French hunting president boyfriend, 69, during wild boar shooting expedition in Brittany

• Jacqueline Taylor, 67, was shot above the heart and died in Saint-Brieuc hospital
• Her boyfriend Pierrot Philippot, 69, is now facing a manslaughter charge
• The hunting party in Brittany included around a dozen hunters and two guests

A British woman who was shot and killed by her French boyfriend during a wild boar hunt in northern France has been pictured for the first time.

Jacqueline Taylor, 67, died on Sunday from a gunshot wound ‘above the heart’ after her partner Pierrot Philippot, 69, fired his shoulder-mounted rifle in her direction during the hunt.

Philippot, who now faces a manslaughter charge, is the president of the Goudelin-Bringolo hunt and organised the wild boar hunt close to the couple’s home in Brittany on Sunday. He was said to be ‘devastated’ by the incident.

Miss Taylor was rushed to hospital in Saint-Brieuc, Brittany, but died from her injuries at around midday. 

Jacqueline Taylor, 67, (left) died on Sunday from a gunshot wound ‘above the heart’ after her partner Pierrot Philippot, 69, (right) fired his shoulder-mounted rifle in her direction during the hunt

An investigating source said: ‘The hunters were walking through a field of corn silage when the president of the hunt fired with his shoulder-mounted rifle, barrel pointing towards the back.

‘The shot hit his partner, and the bullet caused a penetrating wound above her heart. She was rushed to hospital but died of her wounds’. 

Philippot, who has been hunting in the area since he was a teenager, has been bailed while an investigation continues.

Tests for alcohol and drugs proved negative, and an autopsy is due to take place on Wednesday.

Philippot, who has been hunting in the area since he was a teenager, has been bailed while an investigation continues

The hunting party included around a dozen hunters and two guests, public prosecutor Nicolas Heitz said. 

Laurent Le Faucheur, mayor of Goudelin, said Philippot was ‘absolutely devastated by the accident’.

Mr Le Faucheur said: ‘It’s a terrible shock for us all. I knew the couple well. Jacqueline arrived from Britain about seven years ago, and was very happy in the village.

‘She had a horse, and they both shared other animals including dogs and cats.

‘What happened is devastating. I was called quickly, I came right away, because of course, a hunting accident is a sensitive subject. A full investigation is under way.’

There is an ongoing bitter debate about hunting in France, following a number of accidental deaths and injuries.

On October 9, a 62-year-old hunter was shot in the abdomen while picking mushrooms in the town of Vinsobres in the Drôme region. 

Earlier this month, a 33-year-old mother and her young children were injured during a small game hunt in the Rhône, according to Le Bien Public.

In February, a 25-year-old woman died instantly after being hit by a hunter’s bullet while walking with a friend along a marked trail near Aurillac, in the Cantal region.

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