Man found guilty of hunting fox with dogs

A man who denied hunting a wild mammal with dogs has been found guilty and fined £1,000.

Benjamin Halsall said he did not shout when he saw a fox during a hunt in October 2023 because he did not want to encourage the hounds, Coventry Magistrates Court was told.

However, it previously heard his job was to spot any wild animal breaking cover and ensure the pack of hounds did not give chase and District Judge David Murray concluded he made no effort to intervene.

Warwickshire Hunt Limited was acquitted of the same offence after the judge said there was no evidence it was involved.

The prosecution claimed 24-year-old Halsall, described as the whipper-in, was on horseback as the eyes and ears of the hunt in the Idlicote area of Warwickshire.

The magistrates' court was shown bodycam video taken by Rebecca Forrester from Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, which showed her trying to get between the fox and the hounds, but the fox was quickly killed by the dogs.

Halsall, from Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire, had told the court he had been asked to help with a trail hunt but had not been involved in its organisation.

He said he believed he had found himself a good spot to observe and believed it was going to plan until the fox emerged.

The defendant said at that time he decided to make no movement to encourage the fox to move past and did not shout out because he did not want to encourage the hounds.

He saw the fox being killed but it all happened within five seconds, he said.

His defence counsel said he was doing his best and simply made the wrong decision.

But District Judge Murray said there was no evidence an artificial trail had been laid for trail hunting.

He also said Halsall, even if he had volunteered to help out in the role of whipper-in, had a responsibility in law to anticipate and intervene, but did not do so.

Following sentencing, Warwickshire's Assistant Chief Constable, Claire Armes, said she was "really pleased" with the sentence.

"We do understand that where we see criminal behaviour, or when it's reported it to us, we will investigate and we will do everything we can to seek prosecution," she said.

The animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports called for stronger laws and jail sentences for those convicted of fox hunting.

It also referenced Warwickshire Hunt saying it and the police force had been at the centre of controversy over how the hunts were policed.

An independent report showed police had been given 19 recomendations to improve its response to issues raised.

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