IN BRIEF: Pytchley, Tiverton, West Norfolk, Cottesmore Hunts, all in court – Senior Police officer says trail hunting is a smokescreen – badgers in Cheshire – Pewsey Boxing Day meet under threat – ACTIONS TO TAKE – AAS Survey. NEXT NEWS 15TH JULY.

Court and prosecutions

Andrew Keane from the Pytchley Hunt was issued with a Community Protection Notice after making threats to members of the public opposed to illegal foxhunting. North London Hunt Sabs, say “The days of hunt sabs refusing to engage with the police, thus allowing hunts to control the legal narrative are over.” The action against Keane was brought by Surrey Sabs.

The trial date for four people variously accused under the Hunting Act, the Dangerous Dogs Act, the Criminal Damages Act and the Serious Crime Act, has been set for July 2024. They are from the West Norfolk Foxhounds and their hounds were filmed by cctv killing a fox on a private patio.

In October 2022, a Cottesmore Hunt supporter deliberately drove her car at a sab. The culprit, Angela Jarrom, was incredibly lucky: worse collisions have resulted in death, in which case she would have faced charges more serious than ABH. As it is, the assault was recorded on video and as a result of that, Angela Jarrom pleaded guilty to the charge of Actual Bodily Harm. (ABH). She has been sentenced to a six-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, 100 hours of unpaid work, compensation, and court costs.

Surrey Hunt Monitors report that Charles Carter, from the Royal Artillery Hunt, has avoided prosecution for a third time. Carter and the ex whipper-in Guy Loader, were interviewed by Hampshire Police for breach of the Hunting Act in February 2023, but the case was dropped. The police decided that “several witness statements, plus different views from video evidence of a fox being chased in front of the hunt and no one attempting to stop the hounds, or trail layer Sam Bialek filming herself laying a trail without a scent rag on it..” just weren’t good enough for a prosecution.

Humberside Police report that Michael Berry, a convicted hare courser, has lost his appeal. He was convicted in July 2022 of hunting a wild mammal with a dog. He has been ordered to pay an additional £500 fine, bringing his total financial penalty to £1100.

Sab Successes

The Northern Counties Mink and Otter Hunt was confined to their kennels due to the mere presence of East Yorks Coast Hunt Sabs on Saturday and Sheffield Hunt Sabs on Sunday.

The Bilsdale Hunt did not fare any better under the watchful gaze of the West Yorks Hunt Sabs.

The Cottesmore Hunt (featured above) held an open day at the weekend in an attempt to sway local opinion in their favour. Northants Hunt Sabs, Hertfordshire Hunt Sabs, and Locals Against The Cottesmore Hunt were in attendance, ensuring that those attending the event knew that they were being shown what the hunt wanted them to see, and that their money was helping to fund the illegal and criminal activities of the Cottesmore Hunt. A great effort by the anti-hunters.

Hunt Fails

People power in the anti-foxhunting world is becoming more and more apparent. The East Cornwall Hunt applied for permission to build new kennels, and they lined up their supporters to influence the Council and their decision making. The local villagers fought back, and the planning permission for the new Kennels has been denied by both the Parish Council and by Cornwall Council.

The Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt has cancelled their Horse and Pony Show (a hunt fundraiser) because there wasn’t enough interest.

Change in Law

The Welsh Government has banned the use of snares and glue traps.

Badgers

Devon County Hunt Sabs have already had an interaction with a badger shooter. The shooter departed without a kill.

The various groups that work together against the badger cull are already getting organised to thwart the killing of badgers in the multiple zones – and supplementary zones – around the country. Early reports suggest it is difficult to tell the activity level of the various setts due to the dry, hard ground, but there are many positive indications that the anti-cullers have done rather a fine job over the last four or five years in keeping the badger setts active and safe. The ability to monitor badger activity will be changing in the next day or two as bands of rain move through, the ground softens, and new lush growth reveals the badger activity.

Campaigning News and Actions to Take

On 29th June, the League Against Cruel Sports launched “Time for Change” in London. Chief Superintendent Matt Longman attended. In his speech, he said that trail hunting IS a cover for fox hunting and that the Hunting Act is “unworkable”. How times have changed! In “Counting the Crimes” (AAF’s two reports concerning police and hunting) we struggled to get any officer to admit that, and now Matt Longman is saying this publicly. We are all delighted with it (all except the hunters, who are calling for Mr Longman’s resignation – not that they’re bitter, or anything).
Guardian Article 29th June

Boxing Day Campaigns

Pewsey Parish Council has met its match with AAF. The Council have been busy stonewalling information requests and open debate on whether the Tedworth Hunt should be allowed to use the town’s Car Park for its Boxing Day meet. AAF is not going away, and the Council looks more and more like a mouthpiece for the hunt and not for their electorate. The Health and Safety Executive has had to remind Pewsey Parish Council of their responsibilities. The matter won’t end there, but Pewsey PC is likely to find their habit of nodding through hunt requests to be untenable.

Actions to take

AAS (Action Against Staghunting) is surveying everyone to find out if they’d go on holiday to Exmoor or the Quantocks (Somerset) if they knew that stag hunting was taking place there. Please give your views here:

https://www.surveyhero.com/c/ijvw9utv

The figures will be used to challenge the tourist boards in Devon and Somerset. They won’t much like it when they find out that AAS is exposing stag hunting and that it puts off tourists.

Latest News 1st July 2023