Twins live together again for first time in almost 70 years
TWIN sisters who have just celebrated their 90th birthday have moved in together for the first time since they were in their 20s, writes Lili Stebbings.
Pauline Vincent and Jaqueline Hetherington turned 90 on February 13 and are marking the milestone by living together once again. The sisters have lived in separate flats in the same sheltered accommodation since 2015 but, despite visiting each other every day, it was not enough for the inseparable pair.
They were originally born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in 1931 and moved to Ashburton, Devon, in 1963.
Jaqueline married at the age of 27, and had four children. She moved into her own flat in 2003, after her husband passed away. Pauline married in 1975, at the age of 44. Her husband passed away due to a car accident, after four years of marriage, and she lived on her own from then on.
Jaine Swift, Jaqueline’s daughter, said: “They last properly lived together when they were in their 20s. One of the carers mentioned that it would be good for them to live together, and as a family we all agreed.
“They spend all day together anyway – they’re pretty inseparable, although they’ve had their moments.
“They really need each other and get very anxious when they are apart, so at this stage of their lives it seems perfect that they move in together.”
TWO huntsmen have denied taking part in an illegal foxhunt with dogs on Dartmoor. A court was told David Lewis was the huntsman of the Lamerton Hunt and Gareth Frain was the whipper-in.
The prosecution said on December 14, 2019 the defendants were illegally hunting a fox with dogs on Dartmoor.
Exeter magistrates heard the fox was not caught and managed to escape the hunt’s hounds.
Lewis, 50, of the Lamerton Hunt based at Lewdown, Devon, and Frain, 25, of Egloskerry, Cornwall, were both paid employees of the hunt.
Lewis was the huntsman who had primary control of the hounds while hunting and Frain was his assistant to have partial control of the hounds.
The court was told the sole issue for Lewis is whether he intended to hunt the fox. For Frain, it was whether he intended to hunt the fox and whether he actually participated in the hunt.
The defendants told police they were employed by the hunt to control the hounds and used two-way radios.
The court was shown video clips of the defendants on horseback wearing red coats on the hillside at Lake Down, two miles from Bridestowe, Devon. Three witnesses also heard Lewis shouting to the pack of hounds “on, on, on.”
Gareth Gordon, prosecuting, said: “It was classic participation in the hunt. Lewis made no attempt to intervene and did not call the hounds back.”
The prosecutor said Frain rode down a hill away from the hounds in a bid to cut off the fox at the bottom.
Mr Gordon added: “There is clear evidence of obvious hunting.”
The court heard the defence will say they were hunting having laid out trails with rags soaked with scent.
The prosecution said: “It is not accepted trails were laid out. Even if they were, the fox was pursued by the hounds.”
Frain and Lewis deny hunting a wild mammal with dogs and that the hunting was not of a class exempted by the 2004 Hunting Act.
The two defendants will set out their defence when the hearing resumes today.