UK HUNTING NEWS
England – Crawley & Horsham huntsman pleads guilty
On Feb 2nd 2013 Angmering Park, W. Sussex the Huntsman for the Crawley and Horsham fox hunt is caught setting his pack of dogs onto a fox. The terrified and exhausted animal was illegally hunted for over 15 minutes. The rest of the hunt was involved too and could be seen whooping and smacking their saddles. Based on the overwhelming evidence against him, Nick Bycroft pleaded guilty and was convicted for his crime. He was given a 12 month conditional discharge. It was established in court that the judge sentencing was Bycroft’s neighbour but the CPS failed to challenge this. Unfortunately no other members of the hunt who took part were prosecuted.
See the footage here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdT5G0exTLQ
England – Hunters plead guilty to kill
4 members of the Middleton Foxhounds pleaded guilty of illegally hunting a fox. The crucial evidence was obtained by members of the League’s Investigations Team in Dec 2012. The team videoed a fox taking refuge from the hunt in a stack of hay bales. The animal was trapped in the bales for over 25 minutes, with hunt staff using terriers, sticks and hounds to force the fox to flee into the open. Eventually it did attempt to escape, but was brought down and torn apart by the waiting pack of hounds. The huntsman could then be clearly seen, using his hunting horn to blow the traditional call for a kill. He then picks up the fox carcass and holds it over the hounds so that they could better attack and ‘rag’ it. The 4 individuals charged were Huntsman Tom Holt, Whipper-in Shaun Marles, Terrierman Lee Martin, and Amateur Terrierman Brian Cuthbertson who all pleaded guilty of Section 1 Hunting Act offences, which is the hunting of a wild mammal with a dog. Holt was fined £200, Marles was fined £100 and Martin was fined £100. All 3 had to pay a £20 surcharge and £85 in costs. Cuthbertson was granted a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
England – Huntsman pleads guilty
In Yeovil Magistrates’ Court, on 12 Sept, David Parker, Huntsman of the Seavington Foxhounds, pleaded guilty to the Hunting Act 2004 offence which took place in Winsham, Dorset in Jan 2013. He was sentenced to pay a £500 fine, £500 costs plus a £50 victim surcharge. The evidence that led to this conviction was obtained by IFAW Wildlife Crime Investigators working as part of IFAW’s UK Enforcement Team, whose role is to gather evidence of illegal hunting to aid public or private prosecutions. They managed to film the hunt on the searching a scrub area from which a fox bolted. When the Huntsman was made aware of the presence of the fox by other people assisting him he then blew the horn and engaged the hounds in pursuing it, which is a breach of section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004 regardless of whether the fox is eventually caught in the end. The footage clearly shows the fox fleeing across the field, with the hounds following “on line” shortly after for several fields and then stopping at a spot where the fox probably hid underground. The huntsman then inspected the spot, other people joined him and some who carried spades started to dig, and eventually the huntsman and the remaining riders left. The whole recorded chase lasted more than 12 minutes and covered a distance of about a third of a mile. After all the evidence and footage was gathered the case was handed over to the RSPCA for consideration, who then successfully prosecuted the huntsman with the evidence IFAW monitors produced.
Solicitor Jamie Foster, who represented Parker in court, condemned the RSPCA’s decision to prosecute. “Instead of trying to stop the hounds from chasing the fox, in a moment of madness David Parker blew his horn and encouraged them on. “In the moral pantheon of criminal law it falls somewhere between littering and not paying your TV licence. Jamie Forster is the Countryside Alliance retained lawyer.
England – Ledbury huntsman in court
Following an operation by the League’s Investigations Team, footage was submitted to the RSPCA prosecutions department, who have served a summons on Will Goffe, huntsman for the Ledbury Hunt, for allegedly breaching the Hunting Act 2004. A preliminary hearing took place at Worcester Magistrates Court on 3 October 2013. Having carefully considered the available evidence the RSPCA has decided there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to instigate a private prosecution in this case. This decision was taken having regard to the guidance to prosecutors set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
England – Gamekeeper kills dog
A Goudhurst man has appeared in court accused of killing a dog by driving over it with a golf buggy. Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court heard how the incident came after months of arguments between gamekeepers at The Glassenbury Shoot, a Goudhurst gaming reserve, and the dog’s owner, Miss Salmon. Gamekeeper Tony Reynolds, of Bedgebury Rd, Goudhurst, is accused of screaming “I’m going to kill you and all of your f*****g dogs” before deliberately running over and killing a long-haired white Alsatian dog.
On July 4, Miss Salmon said she was walking her 3 dogs – a large boxer dog and 2 long haired Alsatians – when Reynolds appeared driving a buggy. Accelerating when he saw the dogs, Reynolds is alleged to have driven straight towards them, knocking a dog down and killing it instantly. The prosecution said: “Miss Salmon put her arms out, yelling for him to stop, but he kept accelerating towards her before she jumped out of the way.” Appearing in court, he was charged with criminal damage to property and use of threatening words and behaviour with intent to cause fear. Reynolds denies that he intended to kill the dog and said he was speeding up to drive away because he knew the dogs were vicious !!.
He also denies using threatening words and behaviour. Defence solicitor Mr Burrows said: “There is a history of the dogs attacking people and attacking 4×4 cars as well. As the defendant had 2 small puppies with him, he feared that both he and they would be in danger. “He took a sharp left turn and heard a thump. He has never denied he was the driver, but didn’t know what happened to the dog afterwards.” Reynolds will appear at Sevenoaks’ Magistrates’ Court for trial on Jan 14.
SAV Comment
Despite all the national public support to keep hunting with hounds in the history books where it belongs, UK Prime Minister David Cameron may attempt to try and repeal the hunting act – a law passed by a British parliament in 2004.
The following article is from the UK newspaper the ‘Telegraph’, or ‘Torygraph’ as it is nationally known.
This is a pro-Conservative paper which tends to support David Cameron; thus it may be biassed in the way things are reported. It is a very one sided opinion to support animal killing.
Pressure mounts to ease the hunting ban
A full pack of hounds would be allowed to help kill foxes in England and Wales under a relaxation of the Hunting Act being considered by ministers.
10:00PM BST 13 Oct 2013
Under the proposals the law banning farmers from using more than two dogs to flush out foxes and shoot them would be scrapped allowing them to use a full pack.
The move, which is backed by a cross-party alliance of MPs, would be the first change to one of the most contentious pieces of legislation in modern times.
It is certain to reopen the furious debate between supporters of fox hunting and its opponents, who are bound to see any relaxation of the rules as reintroducing hunting “by the back door”.
Farmers say attacks on lambs have been on the increase, signalling that limited pest control measures allowed under the Act are not working.
Hill farmers, who suffered devastating losses last spring as a result of the late snow, say a change in the law is desperately needed to fend off a growing threat to their livelihood.
Rules already in place allow farmers to flush foxes out of their dens and shoot them in order to protect flocks but it is a criminal offence to use more than two dogs.
However MPs from the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Plaid Cymru parties, are joining farmers groups in pressing the Environment Secretary Owen Paterson to scrap the limit.
The change, which is likely to require a vote in Parliament but not a fresh bill, would bring the law in England and Wales into line with that in Scotland.
It comes after a study demonstrated for the first time that deploying a full pack of hounds to flush foxes from cover can be almost twice as effective as using a pair of dogs.
The study also concluded that it could even improve animal welfare, because using a full pack of hounds can draw foxes out of their dens to be shot much more quickly rather than enduring a lengthy pursuit. More effective shooting could also reduce the use of snares, which have been condemned as cruel.
Last night the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs confirmed that it had been receiving evidence of an apparent growing threat to flocks from foxes and would study the research “with interest”.
SAV Photo / Comment – Two of the top who support a return to hunting and fox killing – left Paterson and right David Cameron.
Although Mr Paterson, a long term supporter of lifting the hunting ban, has made no commitment to the change, a spokeswoman said he was “aware” of the calls from farmers.
The Coalition Agreement between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats contains a commitment to giving MPs a free vote on repealing the Act which was introduced by Tony Blair in 2004 after a gruelling stand-off between Commons and Lords.
But many Conservatives accept that they might not have enough support to secure a repeal and see amending the pest control provision as a way of helping farmers.
It could also help firm up Conservative support in rural areas affected by the HS2 rail plans.
But it comes at a time when Defra is already facing anger from animal rights protesters over the badger cull.
Farmers backing the calls said the losses last spring were the “last straw” and a spur for action.
In addition to the thousands of newborn lambs which became stranded and froze to death amid the late snow, some farmers lost up to 50 to foxes, which were themselves short of food because of the deep drifts.
The Federation of Welsh Farmers’ Packs – a group representing huntsmen who shoot foxes under the current law – commissioned the study to assess whether lifting the limit on dogs would make a difference.
A team led by Dr Jeremy Naylor, a vet and racehorse trainer, spent four months comparing the effects of pairs of hounds and full pack at 80 sites in Scotland.
David Thomas, the federation’s secretary, said that while many still hoped for a full repeal, the amendment could ease pressure.
“We feel that this is something that could be very easily done,” he said.
“It is necessary for sheep farmers, it is not going to cost the Government or the country any money at all, it is just a win-win situation.”
Roger Williams, the Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, said: “This is a debate that must be had.
“I hope that they take it seriously … I have received letters from constituents and across Wales about this.”
Glyn Davis, the Tory MP for Montgomeryshire, and himself a former farmer, said: “Whether you are in favour of a ban on hunting or not, if you accept that you can have dogs to flush foxes out, to limit it to two has no logic.”
Kate Hoey, the Labour MP for Vauxhall in London, said: “I think what this deserves is a very sensible and dispassionate look at the research and for some way of being able to allow the extra number of hounds to be used.
“Unless you are someone who does not believe that a fox should ever be killed I cannot understand why in terms of welfare this is not something that could be supported by a broad range of opinion.”
Jonathan Edwards, of Plaid Cymru, said: “I am very much on the left of the political spectrum, I don’t see this as a left-right fight.
“We have a duty as politicians to have laws that work.
“It seems common sense to me that we would use best practice.
“We need a reasonable debate rather than reacting gung-ho.”
Derek Morgan, chairman of the Farmers’ Union of Wales’s hill farming committee, added: “The hunting ban was aimed at what Labour saw as posh people on horses, but the people who have suffered most are working class hill farmers whose incomes are already well below the UK average.
“If Government increased the number of hounds we are allowed to use it would significantly reduce the number of lambs we lose.
“It’s a small step the Government can take to show they really support hill farmers and it would not change the basic principles of the hunting act.”
A spokeswoman for Defra said: “We have been receiving reports on increased predation of lambs by foxes and the burden this has placed on hillfarmers in what has already been a tough year.
“We will look at all research into this with interest.”
A spokesman for the Countryside Alliance said that while it would continue to campaign for a repeal, it understood the “urgent need for the only effective method of fox control in many upland areas to be reinstated.”
A spokeswoman for the League Against Cruel Sports said: “The Hunting Act is a successful piece of legislation and it works – ultimately we do not want to see it weakened.
“If the Farmers’ Union of Wales are supporting this do they not have anything better to do with their time?
“This would ultimately be changing the legislation quite considerably.”
Photo – MJ (SAV) – and East Kent Hunt Sabs. The reality of the alleged ‘Quick Kill’.
SAV Comment – if the majority of UK public opinion is currently anything to go by, David Cameron and his pro-hunting chums will not win the next UK general election in 2015; we keep our fingers crossed.
Even a free vote by elected MP’s is on very thin ice to win anything which return to hunting. We have had nearly 10 years of the law banning hound packs now and that is how the vast majority of people wish to see it remain – banned !
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