FUNDRAISER FOR STAGS
Stag hunts claim they are hunting within the law, but Action Against Staghunting (AAS) don’t believe them. Police are slow to take action and don’t seem to know much about the law either. SO, AAS are commissioning a full legal review of the law – IF they can raise enough money to do it. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO DONATE? Here is the CrowdFunder link:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/legal-review-of-stag-hunting-in-the-uk
Court and prosecutions
On 20th June, Wynnstay Hunt supporter Ian Jones pleaded guilty after being charged by West Mercia Police with “threatening or abusive words or behaviour that would cause harassment, alarm or distress to his victim.”. On February 7th of this year, with Claire Daresbury (whose husband is Lord Daresbury and a driving force behind the Wynnstay Hunt), looking on and laughing, Jones … ‘was videoed engaging in a long display of Nazi saluting and accusing a monitor [from Cheshire Monitors] of being no better than a Nazi’. Jones received an 18 month conditional discharge. At the time, the hunt and the field clearly found it very funny. But the judge and the police didn’t.
(Video footage of Jones’s Nazi outburst can be viewed on protectthewild.org.uk)
On the 12th June, Christopher Nixon, Hunt Master of the Melbreak Hunt (one of the Lake District fell packs), was convicted of common assault and fined £945. Visit protectthewild.org.uk site for a complete account. The assaulted person, Darren Ward, had, together with nine other local landowners, sent the six illegal Lake District Hunts a letter clearly denying the hunts permission to hunt on their land. The hunts ignored it, as usual thinking they can do whatever they like on anyone’s land. Because of hunts’ invariable habit of just lying their way out of trouble, it is difficult to get convictions under The Hunting Act. In this case, it took the concerted action of 10 landowners to stand up against the violent and thuggish nature of those that go hunting. The assault occurred on a public footpath that crossed private land. The huntsman with his dogs had no right at all to be on the footpath, the use of which is carefully stipulated in the Countryside Rights of Way Act. (It allows for a person and their dog to walk along a footpath for the reasons of recreational activity. The dog must be on a lead not exceeding 2 metres. It does not permit any (loose) dogs whose activity is illegal hunting.) The offence occurred in January 23.
On 20th December 22, two members of the Avon Vale Hunt were videoed throwing two foxes to the hounds.They have now pleaded guilty at Swindon Magistrates’ Court to fox hunting offences and animal cruelty. Aaron Fookes has received an 18 month community order for the animal cruelty matter. He must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work. For the foxhunting offence he was fined £833, and must pay £42.50 costs and £330 surcharge. Stuart Radbourne was fined £384, and has to pay £42.50 costs and a £154 surcharge. A third member of the Avon Vale Hunt, Alex Warden, has pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty offences. His trial date is yet to be set.
On 11th July 23, John Thomson, a supporter of the Buccleuch Hunt, pleaded guilty to assault, and threatening and abusive behaviour, at Jedburgh Sheriff Court. He was fined £300, and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge. The Scottish Border Hunt Sabs are particularly pleased with the conduct of officers of the Galashiels, Kelso and Duns Police Station. They stand in marked contrast to the responses they have received from the divisional station in Hawick. (PC Alan Patterson from the Hawick station is starting to draw attention to his biased stance and his willingness to ignore hunt offences). The offence occurred on 17th September 22.
On 10th July 23, Chris Woodward, huntsman from the Wynnstay Hunt, pleaded guilty to “using threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour with the intent to cause fear of/provoke unlawful violence”. He was given 200 hours of community service, had to pay the monitor’s runner compensation, and pay court costs. He now has a criminal record and he has lost his firearm licence. The offence occurred on 7th January 23. This is another success for Cheshire Monitors.
On 11th July, John Holliday, from the Belvoir Hunt, was found not guilty of illegal hunting. The video of the kill (Nottingham Hunt Sabs) was one of the most distressing ever. The weakness of the Hunting Act is responsible for this failure – the prosecution could not prove beyond all reasonable doubt that Holliday intended to hunt the fox. The offence occurred on 15th January 23.
Sab Successes
hunt fails
After months of rumours, West Kent Hunt Sabs received confirmation that The Ashford Valley and Tickham hunt kennels was for sale. The kennels also house the small hunt – East Sussex and Romney Marsh. It would appear that both have gone – or amalgamated with the one remaining hunt in Kent – East Kent with West Street. This might also have repercussions for Boxing Day meets. There were two (Ashford and Elham) and now there might be just one. Squashing two (maybe three) hunts into the tiny village of Elham will be a serious health and safety risk.
The HSA has advised that a Stag Hunt in Northern Ireland has ceased to be. The County Down Staghounds are disbanded. One of the reasons that the local populace took up so strongly against the hunt was this:- “The combination of hounds killing pets, the blood and gore from the ripping of stags and foxes, came to a head when an ambulance couldn’t get to a child who suffers from fits because the hunt was blocking the road.” The County Down Staghounds used captive deer, transported in a wagon to be pursued until utterly exhausted. The Northern Ireland Hunt Sabs should be commended for their persistent good work.
Two hunts cancelled their social/money raising events due to lack of interest. The Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt cancelled their Horse and Pony fund raiser event on the 9th of July and the Tetcott Hunt cancelled their One Day Event. And, the Cottesmore Hunt cancelled their summer ball too. We do not know why, but part of the reason may be that there are not enough supporters left who would be willing to be identified as supporting this hunt. Their predisposition to violence has merely accelerated their downfall. Their Fun Ride also attracted sab attention. No one who attended should be in any doubt that they were actually helping to finance the criminal activity of foxhunting.
Leadon Vale Basset Hounds has folded. Not necessarily related, but their huntsman was dismissed after being found guilty of a drink-driving offence on the way back from a hunt meeting in January.
The North Staffordshire Hunt seems to be struggling, with members of the hunt hierarchy handing in their notices.
grooming children
COUNCIL MOTION TO BAN HUNTS
On 19th July, Rich Maw, councillor for North Yorkshire, is proposing a motion to ban the hunts from all North Yorkshire Council owned land. You can help with this – see below.
british transport police
No action is to be taken against the Cattistock Hunt for its rail trespass on 4th February 23, recorded and reported by North Dorset Hunt Sabs. British Transport Police have sent a signal to all hunts that if they trespass on railway property they will be subject to a ticking off. We suppose there isn’t much risk of a derailment, so the only human damage might be the traumatic effect on a train driver. We don’t suppose that counts for much in the eyes of the law enforcers.
hare coursing
On July 5th, four men were given suspended prison sentences for hare coursing in Lincolnshire. These men were convicted under the new legislation relating to hare coursing and NOT the Hunting Act, which is useless.
thank you to all the sab and monitor groups whose posts we have used to create Latest News. If we have got anything wrong, just let us know and we’ll change it.
info@actionagainstfoxhunting.org
Campaigning News and Actions to Take
Protect the Wild has made it easy for all of us to petition North Yorkshire councillors and ask them to support Rich Maw’s motion to ban the hunt from council owned land. Takes about a minute – click here: https://protectthewild.org.uk/petition-north-yorkshire-council-ban-hunting-on-council-owned-land/
