Stephen Brown who took mobile phone pictures of his dogs killing a deer has been jailed

Blyth speed driver Stephen Brown jailed for animal cruelty

by Brian Daniel, The Journal
May 10 2013

Stephen Brown, 29, of Blyth who was jailed for animal cruelty

A NORTHUMBERLAND man who took mobile phone pictures of his dogs killing a deer has been jailed.

Stephen Brown, 29, of Blyth, was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison and given a seven-year ban from keeping animals after sickening images were found on his phone by police who had arrested him for something else.

Brown pleaded guilty to two charges brought by the RSPCA of entering land without consent of the owner or occupier in search or pursuit of a deer with intent to take, kill or injure, and causing or attempting to cause an animal fight to take place.

Both charges were dated between November 18, 2011, and April 17, 2012, while three others were withdrawn.

Brown had already been jailed for 15 months at Newcastle Crown Court after leading police on a high-speed chase at twice the speed limit while banned from the road.

Mid and South East Northumberland magistrates in Bedlington have since heard how on July 12, last year, an officer from Northumbria Police arrested Brown, of Fenwick Drive, for an unrelated matter.

His Blackberry phone was seized and the contents of it reviewed.

In all, 25 photos were found, involving up to three lurcher dogs and a deer.

Dogs are seen shaking the deer by the head and biting its neck.

In another image, the deer is “struggling for its life,” prosecutor Denise Jackman told the court.

A further image shows the deer lying on its front with a dog’s jaws over the back of its neck.

In others, a booted foot is visible pressing against the deer’s head, pushing it towards the dog.

The dog is biting the jugular area, “a killing attack” Mrs Jackman said.

In some pictures, the deer appears to be unconscious or dead.

A person is visible in some holding the unconscious or dead deer while in one it is lain over a car bonnet.

The court heard the Grey Diahatsu Fourtrak 4×4 in the images was registered to Brown and that police had seen him in or with the vehicle on numerous occasions.

Furthermore officers knew he had owned a black lurcher which had been recently killed by a car.

A search warrant was obtained by police.

Items were recovered and seized which included hunting lamps, a battery pack, a mobile phone and a picture showing a black lurcher type dog attacking a deer.

Dog Lass was also seized with it resembling one of the animals on the photos.

Brown was arrested and the dog and photos examined by a vet.

Mrs Jackman told the court the case “covers a subject which the wider public are appalled at”.

She said: “These photographs depict such behaviour where it can be seen the dogs are attacking the deer and in other photographs the dogs are present when the deer is there.

“The defendant has deliberately and on several occasions caused immense suffering to deer by virtue of the dogs being set upon them.

“The extreme fear caused to the animals and the pain inflicted before death was entirely avoidable.

“The period of time cannot be exactly timed but the vet is certain it was not instantaneous.”

Magistrates imposed an eight-week jail term on the deer charge and 18 weeks on the other, ordering them to run concurrently.

The seven-year animal ban was imposed on the causing animal to fight charge.

The court ordered that it could not be challenged for three years.

Magistrates ordered that Lass be taken from Brown’s care and given to the RSPCA.

They also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the equipment seized from Brown’s home.

After the case, inspector Helen Bestwick said: “It is a very serious matter of horrific animal cruelty which has been taken very seriously by the RSPCA and the police and we are very happy with the outcome.”

Brown’s solicitor Graham Crouth declined to comment after the case.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2013/05/10/blyth-speed-driver-stephen-brown-jailed-for-animal-cruelty-61634-33308573/

North West Hunt Saboteurs Association

07960 038230
www.nwhsa.org.uk
info
Blog – http://nwhsa.wordpress.com

Direct Action Against All Forms of bloodsports

Dead animals found in gamekeeper’s illegal snares

DEAD foxes and a badger were found in illegal snares set by a Moray gamekeeper who was convicted at Elgin Sheriff Court.

Brian Petrie intended to capture the animals and cause serious injury or kill them, according to Scottish SSPCA officials.

Petrie, 66, of Woodhead, Dunphail, pled guilty to three charges including setting snares likely to cause unnecessary suffering by partially or wholly suspending animals, setting snares in a manner likely to be dragged and failing to release or remove an animal from a snare.

Inspectors from the Scottish SPCA’s Special Investigations Unit found a badger and several foxes dead in Petrie’s snares which had been set around a number of middens constructed of trees and baited with animal carcasses.

He was fined a total of £1,500 at the court on Tuesday (May 7) after admitting the offences in contravention to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Section 11.

Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said that as Petrie knew the rules as he was a gamekeeper with over fifty years experience who had sat his snaring course one year prior to the offences taking place.

"As he was well aware of the regulations regarding snaring it is our opinion that his intention was to capture, cause serious injury and kill animals," said Mr Flynn.

"The snares were set in an area inhabited by sensitive native species such as the Scottish wildcat, pine marten, deer, otter and badger so there was a high risk of this type of animal being caught, maimed and killed and indeed one badger was found dead at the scene.

"This case highlights, yet again, that snaring is cruel, indiscriminate and unnecessary and the only way to stop animals from suffering in snares is an outright ban."

http://www.northern-scot.co.uk/News/Dead-animals-found-in-gamekeepers-illegal-snares-07052013.htm

North West Hunt Saboteurs Association

07960 038230
www.nwhsa.org.uk
info
Blog – http://nwhsa.wordpress.com

Direct Action Against All Forms of bloodsports

Hunt master and friend caught digging up a badger sett

Hunt master and friend caught digging up a badger sett as they tried to free a lost terrier are fined £300

• Stuart Radborne, 28, and Ben Pethers, 29, admitted interfering with sett
• Caused ‘most severe damage’ RSPCA officer had ever seen
• Members of hunt had been trying to find lost terrier called Jimmy
• Judge fined pair £300 and ordered them to pay £250 in costs
• Former hunt master branded court case a ‘complete outrage’

By Kerry Mcdermott

7 May 2013

| UPDATED:

17:50, 7 May 2013

A joint hunt master and a terrierman pleaded guilty to interfering with a badger sett today after they caused the ‘most severe’ damage an RSPCA officer had seen in 25 years.

Stuart Radborne, 28, was caught ‘waist-deep’ in the sett as he and Ben Pethers, 29, frantically excavated the animals’ home to try and find a lost terrier called Jimmy.

Members of the public suspected them of illegal hunting and alerted the police and the RSPCA.

‘Damage’: Stuart Radborne, 28, left, and Ben Pethers, 29, both seen outside court in Wiltshire, were caught ‘waist deep’ in a badger sett

They were charged with the badger set attack and jointly charged with breaching the Hunting Act along with Jonathon Seed, 54, the former master of the Avon Vale Hunt, and two other hunt staff, Paul Tylee-Hinder, 58, and Josh Charlesworth, 18.

But today, at North Wiltshire Magistrates Court in Wiltshire, the RSPCA dropped the hunt charges after Radborne and Pethers pleaded guilty to interfering with a badger sett.

Outside court an outraged Mr Seed condemned the RSPCA prosecution as a ‘complete outrage’ and a ‘disgrace’.

Mr Seed, a Conservative councillor for Wiltshire, said: ‘It has been a complete outrage and I would hope that every single member of the public think as to whether they give their hard earned money to the society in order to waste it.

‘The RSPCA has spent £50,000 pursuing this and they have been given £500 in costs. It is an absolute disgrace.

‘The two members of our group who pleaded guilty to interfering with a badger sett is an unfortunate event but they were going after their dog and the sentence reflected the judges view.’

Hunt: (L-R) Stuart Radbourne, Paul Tylee-Hinder, Ben Pethers and Joshua Charlesworth are seen leaving the court, some carrying evidence bags

District Judge Simon Cooper heard that on March 6 2012 the five men, who were out hunting, were alerted that their dogs had marked a fox in a nearby field.

Radbourne and Pethers, who were riding on a quad bike, reached the area first and began to assess the situation.

They let the inexperienced terrier, Jimmy, loose and it ran off and disappeared.

The huntsmen located the dog in the sett after they heard barking from below the ground.

They tried to use a location collar to pull him out but when that failed they began digging at the ground to free him, the court was told.

Jeremy Cave, prosecuting, said: ‘An onlooker saw the men digging in the sett and describes the digging as furious with soiling flying.

Former hunt master: Jonathan Seed branded the court case a ‘complete outrage’, and claimed the RSPCA had spent £50,000 pursuing it

‘The police and the RSPCA turned up and the men were questioned.

‘There had been considerable interference with the set, digging and filling in the entrances. In total there were 15 entrances to the sett, 11 of which had been blocked.

‘RSPCA Inspector Ian Burns, who turned up at the site, described it as "the worst find he has ever witnessed in his 25 years of being an inspector".’

He added that Radbourne had been seen by another onlooker waist deep in the sett digging.
The traumatised terrier eventually resurfaced two hours after it had first become stuck, suffering deep cuts and puncture wounds to his neck and face.

The RSPCA had originally brought charges against all five huntsman of breaking the Hunting Act ban, but decided to drop the cases after accepting the guilty pleas from Radbourne, of Chippenham, and Pethers, of Southwick.

Mr Seed, of Bromham, Mr Tylee-Hinder, of Calne, and Mr Charlesworth, of East Tytherton, all denied any wrong-doing.

Clive Rees, defending Radbourne, told the court: ‘It was certainly a badger sett and it was accepted that he had been the one who was up to his waist in it and he took full responsibility for that.

‘But it was out of concern for the terrier.

‘Mr Radbourne accepted his responsibility from the beginning. Seeing it was an active badger set made him even more concerned about Jimmy.’

Janet Gedrych, for Mr Pethers, said her client had accepted that it was ‘reckless’ to let Jimmy free.

‘It was clear that Jimmy had escaped and it was reckless to allow the dog out of the cage before fully investigating,’ he said.

‘He accepts that he was digging in an effort to find his dog, he didn’t intentionally set out to damage the sett but he acted recklessly to find his lost dog.’

District Judge Cooper handed the pair a £300 fine and ordered them to pay £250 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

He told them: ‘In my mind the main aspect of this case was a failure to control Jimmy.

‘Reliable or not, he should have been kept in his box. He got out and disappeared down the sett.

‘Why he did it is speculation, but that he should have been allowed to do it was wrong. You are both responsible and you both could have prevented it.’

Tim Bonner, director of campaigns at the Countryside Alliance, accused the RSPCA of wasting money on a ‘politically motivated’ prosecution.

He said: ‘It is absolutely disgraceful that the RSPCA has spent 14 months and £50,000 of its members’ money on a prosecution which was completely groundless and clearly politically motivated.

‘It is even worse that the taxpayer has had to pick up the bill for the court and the defendants’ costs.

‘The RSPCA investigation set out to find evidence to justify a prosecution, not to seek out the truth. Even so it has now had to accept that there was absolutely no basis for the prosecution.’

The RSPCA inspector who complied the case against the five men said he would have been ‘heavily criticised’ if he had walked away from prosecution.

Inspector Ian Burns said: ‘There was severe damage to that badger sett and with all the money it has cost I would have been heavily criticised if I had walked away and left it.

‘I have had 25 years’ experience as a wildlife officer and I have dealt with numerous badger cases and that is the biggest, deepest, hole that I have seen dug.’

A spokesman for the RSPCA added: ‘The RSPCA received a call that a group of men had been seen on and around a badger sett in Stockley Hollow at the time that the Avon Vale was riding in the vicinity.

‘On examining the area, RSPCA inspector Ian Burns found that a large hole had been dug directly down into the active badger sett, breaking a tunnel and entrances had been blocked up.

‘A small Patterdale terrier emerged from the sett, muddy, dazed and bleeding badly from his jaw. He was fitted with an underground location collar.

‘The dog, which belonged to Pethers, was taken to a vet who found his injuries were consistent with having been attacked by the claws and teeth of an animal whilst underground.

‘The defendants gave conflicting accounts at the scene including chasing foxes, rabbits and searching for a lost dog.’

The badger sett where the men were spotted was in Stockley Hollow, near Calne, Wiltshire.

The RSPCA was today unable to confirm the exact amount spent on the prosecution.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2320759/Hunt-master-friend-caught-digging-badger-sett-tried-free-lost-terrier-fined-300.html

North West Hunt Saboteurs Association

07960 038230
www.nwhsa.org.uk
info
Blog – http://nwhsa.wordpress.com

Direct Action Against All Forms of bloodsports

Men suspected of using dogs to hunt and kill domestic and wild animals arrested

Animal cruelty suspects arrested in dawn raids in Darlington

3:00pm Wednesday 1st May 2013 Author By Hannah Bryan, Reporter (Darlington)

MEN suspected of using dogs to hunt and kill domestic and wild animals received an early wake-up call when police and RSPCA officers swooped on their homes in a series of dawn raids. Hannah Bryan joined the operation.

THE stench is horrendous and the sight that greets us is not much better. Kept in cold, outdoor cages littered with faeces are a number of scruffy looking dogs. Some jump up to greet us as we walk past while others cower in corners, trying to keep warm.

In the middle of one cage shared between two animals is a small, black mound – the decaying body of a dead dog, left to be eaten by its companions.

These dogs are just some of the animals suspected of being used by groups of men to hunt, torture and kill wildlife, livestock and domestic pets in the Darlington area, often being filmed and the footage shared on social networking sites.

During a 6am briefing of Operation Stockholm – a joint initiative by the RSPCA and Darlington police to tackle animal cruelty in the area – officers tell us of a recent case where a pack of Lurchers ripped a female deer to shreds, tearing her leg off while she was still alive.

Other cases include packs of dogs, often terriers, Lurchers, Salukis and Bull Terriers, being filmed tearing apart screaming foxes while groups of men and women stand by and laugh.

To tackle this cruelty, a team of 40 police and 17 RSPCA officers working on Operation Stockholm raided homes across the Darlington area early this morning (Wednesday, May 1).

Setting off at 6.30am in a huge convoy of vans and cars, teams of officers descended on a number of properties.

Speaking during the operation, Chief Inspector Chris Reeves of Darlington police hailed the raids as a huge success after three men were arrested for offences under the Animal Welfare Act – an 18-year-old in Tyne Crescent, a 33-year-old in Brunel Way and a 25-year-old in Sadberge Road, near Middleton St George.

He said: “We have not only arrested the suspects, but we have rescued a number of animals who will now have a better life – they will never be returned to those people.

“It is not poaching, it is animal cruelty.”

Thirteen dogs were taken from the properties into RSPCA care, and mobile phones, computers and cannabis were also seized.

The raids were the culmination of months of investigative work using evidence gathered during last year’s Operation Merlin – one of the largest investigations into animal cruelty in County Durham – and come just days after the region was once-again named the animal cruelty capital of Britain.

RSPCA Chief Inspector Nick Welch said where there is evidence that offences have taken place, the charity will take action to bring suspects before a court.

“I hope this sends a message to anyone involved in this kind of deliberate, abhorrent cruelty – we are actively seeking you and the next knock on the door could be us,” he said.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/10391153.Animal_cruelty_suspects_arrested_in_dawn_raids_in_Darlington/

North West Hunt Saboteurs Association

07960 038230
www.nwhsa.org.uk
info
Blog – http://nwhsa.wordpress.com

Direct Action Against All Forms of bloodsports

Horse Whip Assault Woman Hunted By Police

Horse Whip Assault Woman Hunted By Police

Police are looking for a woman horse-rider who hit a 63-year-old with her whip as he watched a Dorset hunt.
Friday 26 April 2013

Officers in Sturminster Newton are stepping up their appeal for witnesses and information after a man was assaulted during a hunt in a rural location near to the town – with police now issuing an image of a woman they would like to speak with.

Police have released these pictures of the woman in question

A woman horse-rider, who whipped a man around the head with her riding crop as he watched a hunt, is being sought by police.

The 63-year-old victim was at the Portman Hunt near Sturminster Newton in Dorset when he was struck by the rider in what police are describing as an "unprovoked attack".

The man, from Somerset, was not injured in the attack but was left "shaken" by the experience.

Officers have released a picture of a woman horse-rider they would like to speak to about the incident and appealed to anyone with information to come forward.

Police Constable Patrick McLoughlin, of North Dorset Police, said: "Following extensive inquiries, we are now able to release a photo of a woman we would like to track down and speak with in relation to this incident.

"This was an unprovoked assault on a man at a prestigious Dorset event, and we are very keen to find the person responsible.

"Luckily the victim did not require any hospital treatment, but was obviously left shaken by the ordeal.

"The rider’s horse is quite distinctive in that it has a white mark just above its eyes and also on its nose."

The incident happened in the area of Crate Hill in Fifehead St Quintin at around 3.25pm on December 19.

Witnesses have been urged to contact police and reports will be treated in the strictest confidence. They should use the non-emergency number 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

No arrests have been made

http://news.sky.com/story/1083372/horse-whip-assault-woman-hunted-by-police

North West Hunt Saboteurs Association

07960 038230
www.nwhsa.org.uk
info
Blog – http://nwhsa.wordpress.com

Direct Action Against All Forms of bloodsports

Hunt supporter charged with sex offences against two women

Andrew Callwood is the whipper-in for the Cheshire Forest Hunt

Sex assault case to be heard in June

Andrew Callwood

AN Ollerton man accused of sex offences against two women will appear at Chester Crown Court this summer.

Andrew James Callwood, 49, of Manor Farm, Seven Sisters Lane, appeared at Chester Crown on Monday for a preliminary hearing.

He faces seven charges, five of beating and two of sexually assaulting women, who can’t be named for legal reasons.

He will appear at Chester Crown Court again on June 24 for a plea and case management hearing.

http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news/10373855.Sex_assault_case_to_be_heard_in_June/

Huntsman of Crawley & Horsham fox hunt admits Criminal Damage

Hunt saboteurs Association Press Release. 11th April 2013

On the 3rd of November 2012 the huntsman of the financially troubled Crawley & Horsham fox hunt, Nick Bycroft, launched an unprovoked attack on a member of the Hunt Saboteurs Associations (HSA) Land Rover. In the video Hunts Bycroft is seen, riding at speed down School Lane, near Shipley, Sussex in a reckless manner, with no care for the safety of other road users or his horse he forces his horse past the moving vehicle swearing repeatedly. Turning his horse he comes back to the now stationary vehicle and makes tow attempts to smash the driver’s side window, in an attempt to hit the driver. In the process he smashes the vehicle wing mirror.

Police at the scene made no arrest but Bycroft was latter summoned attend a police station where he admitted Public order offences (swearing) and Criminal damage. He was fined £150, none of which will be returned to the owner of the vehicle.

Lee Moon, press officer of the HSA stated:

“Once more we have the Crawley & Horsham hunt found guilty of criminal activity. This time it is the paid huntsman who in a fury at just seeing people opposing his hunt launches a furious and unprovoked attack. The punishment is paltry and we can only hope that any future offences by this hunt are treated in a more serious fashion.”

The video of the attack can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6HqpvV12dY

Our good friends in South Yorkshire

Sheffield & Doncaster Sabs – End of Season Report 2013

Sheffield & Doncaster Sabs have had a busy and successful season of sabbing hunts and shoots in the North, between August 2012 and March 2013. The rain in the Summer helped a lot by forcing hunts to delay the start of their seasons considerably (as wheat harvesting in the hunting fields had been delayed). Frozen ground, snow, heavy rain and flooding in December, January and February also forced many cancellations. We’ve not known the rain to get too much for hunts before, so either they can’t hack climate change, or something else is dampening their spirits! Of course we were not put off by the weather, so we went out 6 times in addition to the days mentioned below, when hunts were thankfully nowhere to be found. We’ve sabbed independently, and regularly with Manchester Sabs and other groups, so thanks to them for their help. We’ve had another interesting year with Yorkshire Police, who act as security for the criminal B&BM & Y&AS hunts, but we have continued to succeed in sabbing these hunts.

Our first sab of the season was August 18th, on Saddleworth Moor in the Peak District. We sabbed a large, organised grouse shoot with other Northern groups, on the first Saturday of the shooting season. We stopped them shooting all day, despite them attempting to sneak back onto the vast moorland several times, and the efforts of a handful of West Yorkshire Police officers to stop us stopping them. The shooters were so miffed and bloodthirsty that they resorted to a few minutes of shooting in a farmyard at the end of the day – we’re not sure what they were shooting.

Next we went to our first sab of the Badsworth & Bramham Moor Foxhounds with other Northern groups. We saw off a rough bird shoot near to the hunt on our way, before they had even started to shoot. The hunt claimed to just be out for a ride, but when they came across a fox in a kale field this all changed. The huntsman did his best to scare the fox back into the crops, where it would be killed, but it ran, with the pack of hounds following. Sabs intervened and stopped the pack just as the fox was diving through a hedge to its escape. This made the hunt and supporters very angry – even though they were “only out for a ride”. When they packed up, we checked if the shooters had come back, and they hadn’t!

Next we sabbed the Lunesdale Foxhounds in Cumbria, with a few other groups. We started with a 3 hour stand-off with the hunt at their meet. Then they eventually set off to hunt when the police arrived to protect them, and apart from briefly taking the hounds for a run away from the huntsman, we unfortunately lost them for the rest of the day due to difficult terrain. One sab was wrongfully arrested during the day, and found not guilty in a farce of a court case in February.

At the start of October we sabbed the Rockwood Harriers, not far from Sheffield, with other sab groups. We had a 1 hour stand-off in a field with the hunt first thing, while they tried to work out what to do about us. Then they moved on to try and hunt. Sabs put them off hunting a large patch of woodland by running ahead of them and spraying citronella all over the place. We then took the pack of hounds from them for about an hour, using a hunting horn etc., when they tried to move on again. Eventually this all got a bit much for the hunt and the huntsman and some of his minions – including a topless Peter Andre lookalike and some kind of troll in a nurses uniform – launched an attack on us, injuring a few sabs. With it being the end of the day, we left it at that, but the Rockwood haven’t seen the last of us!

Next we helped with a sab of the Colne Valley Beagles on Rooley Moor, on the edge of Rochdale. We had a weird day, firstly at the meet, then on the moor the hunt had planned to hunt hares on, as although the hunt supporters were there waiting to watch the action, the huntsman and beagles never turned up. We can only guess that he was warned we were in attendance so decided not to come to the meet, and either cancelled or hunted elsewhere without supporters.

We sabbed the York & Ainsty South Foxhounds the following Saturday, with Manchester & West Yorkshire Sabs. We had a fairly uneventful morning with them – which is always a good thing! As the hunt finished, an unlawful pheasant shoot started nearby. Sabs stopped them shooting as soon as they started, and until well into the second half of their day, scaring 30-40 pheasants away in the process. Ultimately North Yorkshire Police unlawfully forced sabs to leave the area, but there would have been very few birds left to shoot.

Towards the end of October, with friends from other groups, we sabbed the Badsworth & Bramham Moor Foxhounds again. We had a great start to the day – spraying almost all the woods the hunt would be hunting, so they would have little chance of following a fox scent. The day took a dramatic turn just as the hunt started at 11am, when their ex-huntsman launched an attack on sabs. No sabs were hurt, but unfortunately 7 sabs (who were not involved in the altercation) were then wrongfully arrested on suspicion of defending themselves against this man (case dropped in April). But all was not lost, as the hunt stopped as a result of the incident, about half an hour after starting! We also found a confused crow hanging upside down with it’s leg caught between tree branches, on the way home. The crow had clearly been there a long time so couldn’t move the leg, but after some rest, food and water at a rescue project, was once again able to, and was released a couple of days later.

At the start of November we attended the Owd Betts meet of the Colne Valley Beagles, only to find the Holcombe Harriers were also meeting there! Some sabs went out onto the moors to follow the Holcombe, who tend to behave when being watched, and were pleased that they trail hunted, whilst we waited around at the meet to see what the CVB did, and were even more pleased when they eventually cancelled and went home, 4 hours later!

On November 10th we Sabbed the B&BM again, in Haddlesey with Manchester Sabs. We had a good morning following them, with them unable to follow the scent of any foxes, despite a large hunt thugs presence, and North Yorkshire Police stopping us and threatening to arrest us illegally.

Next we sabbed the York & Ainsty South with other Northern groups. It was a really good day. We followed the hunt over a large area to begin with, with them not hunting any woods they were passing due to our presence. Then they started properly hunting and we saw a fox running from the hounds. So we sprang into action and stopped the hounds, using lots of hound calling, and scent-masking spray, and the fox managed to escape. After the hunt managed to get the hounds together, they scarpered and eventually packed up.

On November 24th we sabbed the CVB, with Manchester & Liverpool Sabs. They were once again attempting to hunt on Rooley Moor. We pulled up at the meet moments before they planned to head out to hunt, but instead they stalled for about an hour, then attempted to loose us by driving out onto the moors. This didn’t work, so they stalled some more, before going for a drink at the Black Dog pub on the edge of Rochdale. After a while they emerged and went their separate ways. We followed the huntsman just to be sure he wasn’t off to hunt elsewhere and he led us on a long drive around the Rochdale/ Huddersfield area, ending up outside the farm of Saddleworth Moor shooters, who have it in for us after we sabbed them at the start of the season. He had clearly led us there for this reason. So, with the weather turning and daylight fading, we left him to it – victorious, with the beagles having not stepped out of the van once all day!

On December 8th a small group of Sheff Sabs sabbed the Barlow Foxhounds for the first time in ages, near Chesterfield. We started with a long distance stand-off with a bunch of terrier-men who seemed intent on digging out a fox, shortly after the hounds had been in cry there, but they eventually gave up. Then we moved on to the huntsman and hounds and intervened to stop them as they pursued a fox, giving it time to escape. Then one young chap, clearly disappointed by the lack of bloodshed in his day, decided to brick our mini-bus windscreen while we were driving at about 30mph on a B-road! This didn’t deter us as we stuck around to sab the hunt, whilst he fled.

We went out independently again on the 15th, and had an unusual day. We started by parking up outside the Ecclesfield/ Holme Valley Beagles kennels on the edge of Sheffield, causing them to cancel their day of hunting once they realised we were there. We waited around for a while just to make sure, then went North to look for the Y&AS, who were hunting near Tadcaster. We started to follow the hunt, but before too long came across an exhausted roe deer, which couldn’t stand, lying just inside a wood. The deer had and old injury to her leg, and fresh swelling to the head. It seems a bit of a coincidence that she would be in this state on land that the hunt had hunted over a few hours before, and it not be connected to the hunt, so we suspect she had been chased by the hounds, and fell jumping a fence before we got there. We managed to get the deer to a wildlife rescue project, who took excellent care of her, but unfortunately she died the next day.

On Boxing Day we sabbed the Airedale Beagles near Skipton with Grimsby & Liverpool Sabs. This hunt has, for no particular reason, not been sabbed for about 20 years, so they must have been a little surprised to see us! We parked up at the pub where they were meeting and watched as they began to stall and huddle upon spotting us. Soon enough North Yorkshire Police arrived, with one of them literally shaking with rage at the sight of us. He instigated searches of any sabs he could get hold of, and of one or our mini-buses, and threatened us with arrests, as our appearance was upsetting him. Despite his best efforts to aid and abet these animal killing criminals, our presence alone was enough to force them to cancel their day of hunting altogether and head home to their kennels. Not a bad result for the most prestigious day on the hunting calendar!

On Saturday January 5th we started our day, with Manchester & Liverpool Sabs, near the kennels of
the High Peak Harriers, where we were joined by 6 police cars (one in full siren) and a police helicopter. Despite being massively outnumbered, and held for some time to verify our driver’s details, we were able
to follow the hunt to their meet at Peak Forest, Derbyshire. The hunt blatantly hunted 2 hares in front of sabs, who were able to jump in with sprays to cover their scent and also call the hounds away with horn calls. Despite being threatened for much of the day by a small number of support, who also started two fights with sabs, we followed them back to the meet where they packed up at 2:30pm, having not killed a single hare.

Next we sabbed the York & Ainsty South Foxhounds with Manchester & Liverpool Sabs, at one of their meets in Humberside. The hunt blatantly hunted 3 foxes during the course of the day, but sabs were there each time to stop the hounds with whips (hounds are trained to stop at the sound of whips being cracked) and sprays (to mask the fox scent). 4 deer were also disturbed by the hounds as they repeatedly hunted through woods. Of course the police were on stand-by to deal with any criminal activity – and what did they do when 2 foxes were hunted across the road in the space of a few minutes? They left. They managed to grab one sab before leaving, for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (with no charges brought against the sab), so a new compensation case against the police will begin soon. The hunt helpfully led us to a rough bird shoot at one point, so we forced them to pack-up early too. Then we gave the hunt a bit more of a run-around till they packed up, as they stayed out very late in sheer desperation to kill something, and undoubtedly to try and annoy us.

January 19th saw most of the country covered in snow, so we decided to take a look at the Ecclesfield/ Holme Valley Beagles, who hunt on foot. They drove out of the kennels twice, but we didn’t follow as we could see they weren’t carrying the beagles. They probably hoped to loose us on the roads, come back for the beagles, then get on with their day, but instead they cancelled.

We received a tip-off that the Y&AS would be hunting on foot on January 26th, because of deep snow. So us, Manchester & West Yorkshire Sabs went to the meet and began to pre-spray as many woods as we could (to mask fox scent), but after a couple of hours of waiting around it became apparent that they were cancelling and heading back to the kennels, after having had a good look at the sab vans parked up around them.

At the start of February we went back to the kennels of the Ecclesfield/ Holme Valley Beagles. We totally foiled their day again, as they weren’t prepared to hunt with us around. We stayed there for over 5 hours as fluctuating visits from police and hunt scum driving back and forth kept on making us wonder if they hoped to sneak out late – but they didn’t!

On the 16th we had a near disastrous day, with both of our vehicles breaking down before we got to the hunt! We eventually got things together and joined Liverpool Sabs, who were already in action at the York & Ainsty South Foxhounds. We kept the hunt running, and half-way through the day saw a fox running way ahead of the hounds. The hounds eventually picked up on its scent, but sabs had already covered its tracks, and caused enough commotion for the huntsman to take the hounds in the opposite direction. We stuck at it till they packed up, ensuring it was a kill-free day.

We were with the Y&AS again the next Saturday. We had a brilliant morning, with the hunt unable to move without bumping into a group of sabs. Then later in the day the hounds were hunted through very thick woodland. One fox was seen running from the woods, and another a few fields away, and both had their tracks covered without the hunt members even knowing.

We had a top day of sabbing on the March 2nd, with a few other sab groups, at the Badsworth & Bramham Moor Foxhounds’ last meet of the season. The hunt was kept on the move all day, with the hounds only picking up a fox scent once, and sabs intervening to help them loose it.

We had a horrible day sabbing on the 9th, at the York & Ainsty South, with their hounds ripping a fox apart towards the end of the day, and the huntsman sounding the horn to celebrate the kill. We had had a successful morning, but as the fox tried to hold its ground in a thick crop field, we were unable to intervene. Surprisingly North Yorkshire Police have took quite an interest in this case of illegal hunting – we’ll see how long that lasts.

Disgusted by what we had seen, sabs from a few groups made a special effort to sab the Y&AS’s last meet of the season on a Tuesday 3 days later. Sabs were in the area two hours before the hunt, spraying woods and fields with litre upon litre of water and citronella oil, to mask the scent of the resident foxes. This resulted in them passing through where we had sprayed without the hounds picking up any scent. Once they started we stuck with the huntsman and hounds near enough all day, running rings round them, spraying even more ground and calling the hounds to distract them from hunting. This resulted in them frequently changing direction, avoiding certain woods and packing up without a kill – despite hunting till 5pm!

We finished the hunting season off, with a few other groups, on March 30th with a visit to the Middleton Foxhounds. This hunt haven’t been sabbed in about 10 years (for no particular reason), and as other hunts around them had already finished for the season, many had come to join in for this last meet. We had a lot of success from start to finish – repeatedly taking control of the hounds and covering fox’s scent, and they even told us we were ruining their day! Unfortunately we think they may have managed a quick kill, as when we caught up with them at one point several hounds had blood on them, but the hunt didn’t seem pleased with how the day went so it’s hard to tell. Things turned a bit dramatic towards the end of the day, when we successfully stopped the hounds as they were “in cry” on a fox scent, and 2 sabs were unfortunately arrested (but we can’t say a lot about it as the case is ongoing).

So with the hunting season finished, we will soon be sabbing the badger cull instead, as well as doing fund-raising and recruiting events over the Summer. If you can help with sabbing in the field, driving/ navigating one of our mini-buses, helping with mini-bus repairs, infiltrating hunts/ providing information, or fund-raising/ donating to our groups then please get in touch. Donations can be sent to any group mentioned above or below via Pay-pal – simply log in in to the Pay-pal website and click “send money” to sabdonate (stating which group you want the money to go to).

Five years later and still at it – Two Ashington men convicted of badger digging

Men convicted of animal cruelty
Fri 22 Mar 2013

Two men from Ashington men have been convicted of animal cruelty offences.

33-year-old Christopher Hindmarsh, of Links View and 30-year-old Gavin Young, of Pont Street, were arrested in connection with tampering with a badger set in Longhorsley in April of last year.

The two men were charged after a joint investigation with the RSPCA, and they appeared at Bedlington Magistrates Court earlier this month – where they were found guilty of animal cruelty offences.

Hindmarsh was ordered to pay £320 court costs and Young was ordered to pay £338 court costs.

Hindmarsh – banned from keeping animals for three years – had both of his dogs seized by police due to the condition they were being kept with.

A mobile phone belonging to Young was also seized after images of animal cruelty were found on it.

http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/update/2013-03-22/men-convicted-of-animal-cruelty/

2008 – Pair fined for badger baiting

20 November 2008

BADGER baiters who were caught interfering with a sett in north Northumberland and found with vile videos of animal cruelty on their phones have been sentenced today.

Callous Christopher Hindmarsh and accomplice Justin Lang have been disqualified from keeping dogs for three years and will have to pay £260 each for costs.

They will also have to serve a 12-month community order and a year-long supervision order and have to carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work. A three-month curfew order from 10pm to 6am has also been handed to them. Their phones and dogs plus a spade, hammer and a battery used in the badger baiting, were confiscated.

The pair were discovered by police at a wood near Warkworth on July 30 last year.

Officers were there to check two badger setts, which had been attacked a number of times between November 2006 and that month.

But wildlife crime officer, PC Andy Swinburne, who was working with the help of Northumberland Wildlife Trust and local residents, heard voices and dogs barking in the wood.

A four-wheel drive vehicle was found parked beside the larger sett, and fearing that baiters were carrying out an attack, he called for back-up.

Before help could arrive, however, Hindmarsh and Lang walked out of woods, accompanied by four dogs.

Two of the terriers appeared to be injured, and it was later revealed that one of the dogs had an old wound to its jaw which was consistent with being in contact with a badger.

A further check of the setts revealed that some entrances had been blocked, while holes had been dug to allow terriers to get in.

During the ensuing investigation, Hindmarsh, of Alwinton Square, Ashington, had bragged in sickening mobile phone texts about capturing and killing badgers. He had also previously joked with police officers about his role in the revolting ‘sport’. The 28-year-old was also found with graphic video footage featuring a badger being attacked by dogs.

And Lang, 24, of Norham Road, Ashington, was found to have a video containing a fox being attacked by terriers.

The pair admitted offences of damaging a badger sett, obstructing access to a sett and causing a dog to enter one, while Hindmarsh admitted a further charge of attempting to kill, injure or take a badger.

They had been due to stand trial over five days after initial pleas of not guilty.

Addressing the pair at Alnwick Magistrates Court, Judge Earl said: “The reality is it is very often seen as being a victimless crime. But it isn’t a victimless crime. The animals are the victims and so too is the wider community because of the emotive feeling that this brings to our society.”

He added: “When one derives an element of pleasure from doing this sort of thing, it evokes revulsion.

“Anyone who says that it is just a dumb animal is dumb themselves.

“Therefore, it is appropriate that a sentence is passed that has an element of deterrence to it and it sends a message out to the wider community who like to indulge in this sort of thing that it will not be tolerated.”

PC Swinburne said that he was pleased with the district judge’s decision.

He added: “Badger baiting is a barbaric past-time which is still prolific across much of the UK today.

“People involved can, at times, travel considerable distances in order to take part in their pursuits, which are, in the majority of cases, for their own personal gratification.

“Little or no regard is shown for safety, welfare or suffering that can be endured by the badgers themselves and also their own dogs which are involved with these illegal activities, many of whom sustain serious injuries which can often go untreated by professional establishments to avoid detection and ultimately result in their death or destruction.

“Similarly the badger’s life is also often ended in horrible circumstances, either at the hands of the dogs or the baiters themselves.”

He said that Northumbria Police work alongside agencies such as the RSPCA under the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) to combat and investigate all wildlife crime. Members of the public are encouraged to report any incidents of this nature.

http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/local-news/pair-fined-for-badger-baiting-1-1436608