Re: HARLEQUIN LADYBIRD.
Old Codger
>On 15 Apr 2007 01:33:28 -0700, "Brin"
><bernard.fe...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
>>The Harlequin Ladybird is no ordinary ladybird. It is the most
>>invasive on earth and it is a "killer". It eats aphids but it also
>>eats other Ladybirds,butterfly eggs,lacewing larva etc.
>>It arrived in the UK in 2004 From the USA where it has decimated some
>>native ladybird populations.An on-line survey has been launched to try
>>to chart its progress in the UK.For more details of the Harlequin and
>>the survey go to:-
>> http;//www.harlequin-survey.org
>>I will do the survey and have made a pledge to that effect on
>>Pledgebank.I am looking for 10 other environmentally minded people to
>>do the same.If I get the 10 I am hoping to get some publicity in the
>>media for the survey.Have a look at the pledge,its simple and any co-
>>signees would remain anonymous. Go to:-
>> http://www.pledgebank.com/killerladybird
>>
>>Please help. Remember what has happened to our native Red Squirrel
>>since the introduction of the Grey Sqirrel.
For that gross ignorance there is no doubt you are a dickhead, and
therefore make the whole post worthless.
>
>After some grants, Brin?
Just a dickhead.
>
>In recent months we have seen a build up of orchestrated hate being
>directed at grey squirrels by a number of NGOs and conservation
>organisations in order to gain public support for an agenda of killing
>these friendly, amusing and relatively harmless animals. This is now a
>reality as red squirrel conservation groups have embarked on a
>ruthless program of killing.
>
>However, before falling for these smooth-talking advocates of death,
>perhaps we should consider a number of issues.
>
>· The word "species" is no more than a scientific term within an
>anthropocentrically concocted classification system and the idea we
>should have adjectives such as "native", "non-native" and "alien"
>describing an inanimate term is really quite ridiculous. It amounts to
>the grand theft of these words for spurious and emotive reasons.
>
>· When a grey squirrel is trapped and bludgeoned to death, it is
>not an alien or non-native species that is on the receiving end of the
>club but an individual animal born and bred in this country from
>around forty five generations and as native as I am.
>
>· All individual squirrels in Scotland are native by birth,
>irrespective of their ancestral heritage or the colour of their fur.
>The Greys' ancestors were brought here from America, just as the
>present population of non-indigenous Reds were brought here from
>Europe. Indeed, there is no evidence to show that the so-called past
>"indigenous" population was not introduced here as well.
>Archaeological evidence of their existence in England after the last
>ice age is both sketchy and inconclusive.
>
>· The idea that genetically different animals within the
>wide-ranging flux of a species can be "re-introduced" because they
>look similar is not only the product of sloppy science but on or over
>the verge of dishonesty. It's a bit like passing off a reproduction
>for an antique.
>
>· The indigenous Red population, if there ever was such a thing,
>was shot to extinction (confirmed by the Forestry Commission) by
>estate owners and the like, who referred to them in the past as
>"tree-rats" - the very same term as is now being used against Greys to
>demonise them in the eyes of the general public. Red squirrels were as
>much a "pest" as Greys, to those who regarded them with intolerance.
>
>· The squirrel-pox virus can be passed from Red to Red as well
>as Grey to Red, and Red squirrel populations are now showing signs of
>antibodies similar to that which provides the Greys with immunity.
>This natural process will eventually protect the Reds. In reality,
>very few Greys are carriers of this disease and it is as unfair as it
>is obscene to slaughter them indiscriminately on the premise of a
>possibility. Indeed, red populations have succumbed to virus
>infection in the past, long before greys came on the scene.
>
>· The political and grant grabbing fad of planting native
>broadleaf trees favours the expansion of Grey squirrels. This is well
>known to conservationists, yet in only a very few places are they
>willing to deviate from this path because of the money and politics
>involved.
>
>· Scottish Natural Heritage is the leading protagonist in this
>drive against Grey squirrels. They are in the unique position of being
>advisors to government who in turn provides them with the necessary
>funding to carry out whatever they manage to convince the government
>is necessary. This is an unhealthy and unbroken ring that requires a
>continuous flow of environmental crisises to fund their existence and
>regrettably this results in persecution of wildlife unheard of in the
>past. Sadly, they are adopting the same principle of ethnic cleansing
>against wildlife as numerous brutal regimes have done against human
>populations. It is a scientific fact that those who have little regard
>for animal life are the most likely to have little regard for humans.
>This intolerance should have no part in a civilised society.
>
>Squirrels are not "ours", no matter what colour they are. We don't own
>them. They are independent and parallel mammalian populations to our
>own and we should afford them the same respect and freedom we expect
>for ourselves.
>
>
>
Here, here. CONservation hooliganism is the greatest danger to
conservation, which is why it attracts gold digging criminals like
Malcolm Ogilvie et al. Just take a look at his posting history.
Old Codger
They last stalked through Britain's forests more than 1,000 years ago.
Now moves are afoot to bring back the Eurasian lynx as the country's
top predator.
Ecologists are calling for the beasts to be released into the wild
after research which found that Britain could support up to 500 of the
animals.
That would provide one of the largest populations in Europe.
Campaigners claim that the cats, which mainly hunt small deer, would
provide a valuable boost to tourism while also helping to contain deer
numbers and so protect woodland areas, which can be devastated by
grazing herds.
The lynx is the latest in a series of animal reintroductions to be
proposed, following other long-extinct species such as wolves and
beavers.
Under European legislation, member states are obliged to consider
reintroducing species where they have been made extinct by human
activity and whose survival is considered critical.
Lynx numbers have dwindled to fewer than 50,000 worldwide and the cat
is listed on the World Conservation Union's red list of threatened
species.
"There is plenty of prey here in the UK to support a thriving
population," said David Hetherington, an ecologist at Aberdeen
University who has been studying the feasibility of reintroducing
lynx. "There is the potential to create the fourth largest population
of lynx in Europe.
"They are shy and secretive creatures, but this makes them extremely
charismatic. The benefits in terms of tourism would be great. Those
countries that have already reintroduced lynx have seen them become
wildlife icons."
Until recently, the lynx was believed to have died out naturally in
Britain as a result of the changing climate, but it is now thought to
have been wiped out by deforestation by people in about 700AD.
Bones discovered in the Yorkshire Dales revealed that the animals had
been present in Britain during the sixth century.
Populations of Eurasian lynx were confined to pockets of Siberia and
eastern Europe until a number of European countries embarked on
reintroduction programmes. Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Slovakia and
France now all have populations of lynx. Spain has its own threatened
population of the distinctly separate Iberian lynx.
Mr Hetherington believes that reintroductions could take place in
Britain, with forests in the Highlands, Southern Uplands of Scotland
and Kielder in Northumberland supporting populations.
He said that about 30 wild lynx captured and imported from mainland
Europe would be enough to found a successful population.
He said: "Ethically, since humans were responsible for killing them
off in Britain in the first place, there is also a compelling argument
to reintroduce this beautiful and graceful creature."
Conservationists also believe that reintroducing lynx would -provide a
natural way of -controlling deer.
About 160,000 deer are culled every year in an attempt to reduce the
damage they cause to crops and woodland, while thousands of pounds are
also spent on fencing to keep the animals out.
Adam Powell, a field project manager at the conservation group Trees
for Life, said: "Reintroducing the lynx would have a balancing effect
on the environment.
"Top predators provide a natural control in deer numbers. It is not
just how many they eat but also the effect they have on the movement
of the deer and this provides an opportunity for the natural
regeneration of woodland without the deer."
But proposals to reintroduce the lynx have also met with opposition
from landowners and farmers who fear that the predators could kill
livestock.
In Switzerland last year, 15 sheep were killed by lynx, but the
numbers of livestock kills have been reduced through careful
management of the big cats.
Plans to reintroduce other animals have also met with strong
opposition, with fears that large carnivores such as wolves would
present a risk to farm animals and to people.
In 2005, ministers rejected proposals to reintroduce beavers, which
died out in Britain 400 years ago, amid fears that they could damage
woodland habitats by flooding rivers.
A spokesman for the Countryside Alliance warned that reintroducing
lynx could harm other threatened native species.
He said: "We feel it is more important to concentrate on species that
are currently under threat in the Highlands and Southern Uplands, most
specifically the wildcat and ground-nesting birds such as the
capercaillie."
A spokesman for the Scottish Executive said there were currently no
plans to issue a licence to allow the release of lynx into the wild.
Old Codger
World Day for Laboratory Animals
April 24th marks World Day for Laboratory Animals – a day to remember
the millions who have been killed, and to redouble efforts to hasten
the end of all animal experiments. This year, Animal Aid is planning
to deliver 10,000 leaflets to members of the public in memory of the
10,000 primates who are used in laboratories across Europe each year.
This initiative is proving to be massively popular, with a record
number of participants signing up.
Thousands of primates are poisoned to death every year inside British
laboratories and hundreds more are subjected to appalling brain
experiments. The Europe-wide campaign to end primate experiments has
united animal protection groups as well as compassionate MPs and
scientists across the continent. New EU legislation could mean an end
to the use of primates – our closest evolutionary relatives – in
laboratories. To achieve this, the public must see what really happens
to animals inside testing facilities and understand why research using
animals is so overwhelmingly unreliable. Delivering the leaflet –
which contains no gruesome images – is a powerful way to garner
support for this vital campaign.
If you would like to add your support to this initiative, please order
leaflets.
Around the world, events will take place to mark World Day for
Laboratory Animals. In the UK, a day of meditation and reflection has
been organised in Oxford on Saturday 28th April. The day will begin
with speeches, followed by a period of reflection. A silent walk
through the city centre will end at the site for the proposed new
animal laboratory. The day will end with a vegan picnic. For more
information, contact John on 0777 195 3465 or email
jcda...@yahoo.co.uk.
Old Codger
Aintree 2007 kills two horses and leaves two more fighting for their
lives
The 2007 Grand National meeting at Aintree has left two horses dead
and two more fighting for their lives at the Liverpool Veterinary
College.
The John Smith’s sponsored Grand National Race saw just 12 of the 40
horses complete the gruelling 4 and a half mile course. Whilst no
horses died on the track, Graphic Approach, who fell at the notorious
Becher’s Brook fence, collapsed with concussion a mile from where he
fell. In the mayhem, he ran loose and went down once more after
jumping a rail and colliding with three onlookers. He was taken to
Liverpool Veterinary College where the next 48 hours will be crucial
to his survival.
Also at the Veterinary College is Patman Du Charman who fell whilst
racing on the National course on Friday.
Over the three days of racing at the 2007 Grand National Meeting at
Aintree, two horses lost their lives: Into The Shadows died on
Thursday during a hurdle race and Lord Rodney died at the infamous
Chair fence on Friday, having suffered fatal injuries after being
brought down by fallen horses.
The winning and third jockeys in the Grand National were found to have
made 'excessive and forceful' use of the whip, however, they retained
their winning status.
ANIMAL AID BACKGROUND NOTES ON THE HORSERACING INDUSTRY
Numbers
Approximately 15,000 foals are born into closely-related British and
Irish racing industries each year, yet only a third go on to become
racers. Those horses who do not make the grade may be slaughtered for
meat or repeatedly change hands in a downward spiral of neglect.
Around 5,000 horses leave racing every year - the same number who
enter it. Only a comparatively small proportion of the animals go on
to become breeders or enjoy a decent, properly financed retirement.
Injuries & Deaths
An Animal Aid study of available evidence - including 15,000 pages of
race results - shows that around 375 horses are raced to death every
year.
Some 30% of these fatalities occur during, or immediately after, a
race, and result from a broken leg, back, neck or pelvis; fatal spinal
injuries; heart attack; or burst blood vessels. The other victims
perish from training injuries or are killed after being assessed by
their owners as no-hopers.
Serious racing-related illnesses are now endemic. 82% of flat race
horses older than three years of age suffer from bleeding lungs
(exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage). Gastric ulcers are present
in no fewer than 93% of horses in training, in whom the condition gets
progressively worse. When horses are retired, the condition improves.
Breeding
During a six month breeding season stallions can be required to cover
three mares a day. Whereas 30 years ago, covering 100 mares in a year
was almost unheard of, it is now routine for leading stallions to have
200 broodmares on their books.
Outside of the breeding shed, stallions are kept well separated from
mares and other males. When not housed in their stable, they are
confined behind high fences. And to minimise any chance of a costly
injury, insurance policies usually state that they must not be ridden.
It is a life of near isolation and deadening routine that - barring
physical breakdown - can go on for 20 or more years.
Breeding females are subjected to drugs and prolonged periods of
artificial light to control and speed up reproduction.
Left to their own devices, mares in the wild have one foal every two
years, or perhaps twice every three years. They deliver in the spring,
after a pregnancy lasting 11 months. The racing industry forces
healthy and fertile mares to produce a foal every year - as soon after
January 1 as possible. The commercial advantage of being born close to
January 1 arises from the fact that they would be one year old and
likely to fetch a better price at the crucial yearling sales than a
horse that is, say, 9 months old.
In 1957, precisely 7,826 mares were retained for breeding purposes in
Britain and Ireland. Together, they produced 4,254 live foals. By
2003, the figures had tripled. 26,204 mares were employed and produced
16,008 living foals.
National Hunt (Jump) racing
The majority of fatalities occur in jump racing. Horses used to be
selectively bred for this sector. They were heavier-boned and more
robust than the faster animals racing on the flat. Because of the
increasing emphasis on speed in all racing sectors, horses entered
into jump races are now more often 'cast-offs' from the flat. Deaths,
as a consequence, are more common.
The four most hazardous of all the country's courses are run by
racing's former regulatory body, the Jockey Club. These are
Cheltenham, Aintree, Warwick and Carlisle.
Grand National: Since 1997, 32 horses have died at the three-day
annual meeting. The Grand National's fences are of variable height,
with the most imposing being The Chair. It is some 5 ft 2in. high and
has a huge ditch and spread. The Becher's Brook fence is an infamous
killer. Terivic was its latest victim - in April 2006.
Cheltenham: This is the most hazardous of all Britain's 59 courses. In
2006, 10 horses died at the Cheltenham Festival, while nine died in
the previous three festivals. Cheltenham's downhill fences are
notorious and over many decades have killed seasoned and novice horses
alike. Even if they clear the fence rather than running into it,
gravity can tend to bring them headfirst to the ground upon landing.
From just 54 days racing at the course, between seasons 2000/01 and
2003/04, there were no fewer than 21 on-course deaths.
Flat racing
Whereas bone fractures in animals racing on the flat were once
comparatively rare, the attrition rate is now approaching that of jump
racers. Amongst a typical group of 100 flat-racing horses, one
fracture will occur every month.
In the 2006 Epsom Derby, top race horse Horatio Nelson was destroyed
after sustaining catastrophic injuries, including fractured cannon and
sesamoid bones, a dislocated fetlock joint and open wounds that
exposed severe damage to blood vessels, nerves and ligaments.
Whipping
Hitting a racehorse with a whip of a specified design is regarded as
acceptable by the racing authorities in Britain - namely the
Horseracing Regulatory Authority (which regulates and enforces the
rules), and the British Horse Racing Board (which helps organise, fund
and promote racing).
Advocates of the whip argue that it assists horses to perform better
and run more safely and that it provides helpful chastisement for when
they behave 'badly'. Our report, A Hiding to Nothing (a meticulous
analysis of 161 races involving 1500 horses, that were run between
October and November 2003), shows that whipping horses is more likely
to drive them off a true line and place them and other horses in
danger. The same evidence shows that whipping horses is less likely to
produce an 'improvement' in behaviour. Rather, they become fearful,
hesitant and less likely to perform to their potential.
The report also shows that horses in a state of total exhaustion and
out of contention were beaten. The whip was used on the neck and
shoulders, as well as on the hindquarters. Horses being whipped 20, or
even 30 or more times during a race was observed. Though the Jockey
Club rules were breached numerous times, regulatory stewards took no
action.
40 of the 161 races featured in the survey (around 25%) were won by
horses who were not subjected to any whipping.
Retirement
The Horserace Betting Levy Board (racing's principal funding body) was
established in the early 1960s when gambling laws were eased. It takes
10% of bookmakers' annual gross profits and re-channels them into the
industry and its associated activities. For 2006, the Levy Board was
able to draw on close to £100 million. Scandalously, it thought fit to
donate just £54,000 to Racehorse Rehabilitation and Retraining. This
is an insultingly small amount (0.05% of the Levy's total income)
considering that some 5,000 horses leave racing each year. There is an
equal or an even greater need with respect to the annual 'crop' of
Thoroughbreds who are produced for racing but never set foot on a
racecourse. They are, instead, destroyed, sold off or given away to be
used in other equestrian events.
ACTION POINTS
The following initiatives would have an important impact on the
welfare of Thoroughbred horses. We need your assistance to ensure they
are implemented.
The publication of comprehensive data on equine mortality, sickness
and injury.
A ban on the whip. It is not merely cruel, but our research shows that
it is counterproductive from the point of view of the rider.
A proper fund for retired Thoroughbreds.
An independent audit of all racecourses to determine what immediate
steps can be taken to reduce mortality and injury. This would be done
with reference to data on where and how horses have died and been
injured.
A ban on the Grand National - a deliberately punishing and hazardous
race.
Old Codger
http://www.league.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=904
The North West League Against Cruel Sports has welcomed the decision
by the Hoghton Tower gamebird shoot in Lancashire, to end the mindless
slaughter of ducks for sport.
Following a year-long campaign against the shoot, the League credits
the many local people who took part in their regular protests outside
the shooting estate, as being crucial in bringing about this victory.
Jeanne Young, of the North West group says: “This is a great step
forward in our campaign to bring an end to all gamebird shooting at
Hoghton Tower. However, we must not be complacent, pheasants are still
shot for ‘sport’ on the estate, and we will continue to protest until
this too is brought to an end.”
The League filmed the activities of the shooters at Hoghton in October
2005, which revealed wounded birds twitching in agony as the shooters
left them to die, more concerned with their next target than with the
suffering caused.
Old Codger
Posted: 11 April 2007
http://www.league.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=902
The Irish public have sent out a clear message that they think hunting
is cruel and should be banned. Sixty eight percent of respondents to a
Millward Brown poll thought hunting cruel, with a massive 64%
supporting a ban. A tiny 15% think it humane.
Only 19% thought it should remain legal with 16% saying they didn’t
know. Those wanting a ban were in a clear majority in both rural and
urban areas.. The results of this poll come just as the hunting season
is drawing to a close.
Fionna Smyth, League Against Cruel Sports Northern Ireland campaigner
said:
“This is a deeply unpopular “sport”, and it is grotesque that it
should be allowed to continue in a civilised society. It simply allows
a minority of bloodsports enthusiasts to chase our wildlife for hours
until it is exhausted and then ripped to pieces.
“It is ineffective predator control and causes significant havoc for
many countryside dwellers, who have their livestock distressed and
family pets ripped apart. This result shows us what we have known for
a long time. The Irish public think hunting is cruel and should be
banned.”
-ends-
1. The research was conducted by Millward Brown Ulster utilising the
Ireland Omnibus Survey. 978 face-to-face interviews were carried out
between 23rd January and 3rd February 2007 at 62 randomly selected
sampling points throughout the Republic of Ireland. Sampling was
quota
controlled to ensure that the sample was representative in terms of
sex,
age, and socio-economic class, and all aspects of the research were
conducted in conformance with the Code of Conduct of the Market
Research
Society.
sam
> http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/AA/HOME/
>
> Aintree 2007 kills two horses and leaves two more fighting for their
> lives
> The 2007 Grand National meeting at Aintree has left two horses dead
> and two more fighting for their lives at the Liverpool Veterinary
> College.
>
Becher's Brook - the Horsemeat Hurdle.
Tens of thousands of guineas on one side
and their weight in horsemeat on the other.
Sam,
ps. I backed Ballycassidy.
Pete ‹(•¿•)›
<Mal...@indaal.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>In article <7is723lpioipufgnu...@4ax.com>,
>amacm...@aol.com writes
>>On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 15:32:44 +0100, Malcolm
>><Mal...@indaal.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>In article <gmt62311f4tkhmep1...@4ax.com>,
>>>amacm...@aol.com writes
>>>>On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:16:02 +0100, Malcolm
>>>><Mal...@indaal.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>In article <mt8623h5l6a2sev01...@4ax.com>,
>>>>>amacm...@aol.com writes
>>>>>>On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:53:06 +0100, Malcolm
>>>>>><Mal...@indaal.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>In article <lpu423pvn9div5a9k...@4ax.com>,
>>>>>>>amacm...@aol.com writes
>>>>>>>>On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 19:14:59 +0100, Malcolm
>>>>>>>><Mal...@indaal.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>
>>>snip to keep message reasonably short.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>That's fine by me if that's the only type of snipping you do - across
>>the board and early in the thread.
>>>>>>>>>There are no harlequin ladybirds in Scotland yet, and if people like
>>>>>>>>>Brin are successful in locating and controlling them, there won't be,
>>>>>>>>>which will be a tremendous success story. And if it costs money, then it
>>>>>>>>>will be money very well spent in saving our indigenous species. On past
>>>>>>>>>performance, presumably you would be happy to see the UK's ladybirds
>>>>>>>>>destroyed by this alien invader.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Thought so! I knew there'd be someone screwing money out of it
>>>>>>>>somewhere.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>And your evidence is?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>On past performances, they're hardly going to pay for locating and
>>>>>>controlling the HL themselves and nobody seems to have stopped its
>>>>>>progress elsewhere.
>>>>>>
>>>>>And you call that "evidence"?
>>>>
>>>>Of course it is.
>>>>
>>>No. "evidence" would be if you actually knew that some money had been
>>>paid out for the purpose. Do you?
>>>
>>
>>Money has been paid out for similar schemes. That's why I said was he
>>after grants.
>>
>But when you said you "knew" there would be someone obtaining money for
>it, you actually didn't *know*, did you?
Such a pedant! If ever there was an obnoxious wanker to take over
Mabbetts role, it would be you. No wonder your wife & kids don't talk
to you any more, who does!
Being unemployed doesn't suit you, you have far, far to much time on
your hands!
--
Avoid the rush at the last judgement. Be converted now instead!
PRAYER FOR A NATION
When Pastor Joe Wright, of Central Christian Church, was asked
to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting
the usual politically correct generalities.
But what they heard instead was this:
Heavenly Father, we come before You today to ask Your forgiveness
and seek your direction and guidance.
We know Your Word says,
‘Woe on those who call evil good,’ but that’s exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that:
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism;
We have, worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism;
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle;
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery;
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation;
We have killed our unborn and called it choice;
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem;
We have abused power and called it political savvy;
We have coveted our neighbour’s possessions and called it ambition;
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression;
We have ridiculed the time-honoured values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, 0 God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us;
cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have
been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state.
Grant them Your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the centre of Your will. I ask it in the name of Your Son, the Living Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
****************
Disclaimer
Pete has taken all reasonable care to ensure that pages published by him
were accurate on the date of publication or last modification.
Other pages which may be linked or which Pete may have published are in
a personal capacity. Pete takes no responsibility for the consequences
of error or for any loss or damage suffered by users of any of the information
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basis of a contract with readers or users of it.
It is in the nature of Usenet & Web sites, that much of the information is
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be for test purposes only, may be out of date, or may be the personal
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Readers should verify information gained from the Web/Usenet with the appropriate
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Should you no longer wish to read this material or content, please use your
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Fata Morgana
"Old Codger" <oldt...@anyolewhere.net> wrote in message
news:qu5723l08l6hll233...@4ax.com...
Fortunately you are such a pratt that you are recognised and ignored even
when you fake someone elses
uid.
However you should bare in mind that forging an id comes under the computer
mis-use act and is a criminal offence and that
you have chosed to forge the identity of someone from the UK defence
industry, which in these anti-terrorist days and
police over-reaction could get you a 90 day interogration without benifit of
a magistrate.
Pete ‹(•¿•)›
<dick...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>"Old Codger" <oldc...@eurosceptics.com> wrote in message
>news:qu5723l08l6hll233...@4ax.com...
>> On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:21:34 +0100, amacm...@aol.com wrote:
>>
>
> Fortunately you are such a pratt that you are recognised and ignored even
>when you fake someone elses
>uid.
>
> However you should bare
As in grizzly or just titties?
> in mind that forging an id comes under the computer
>mis-use act and is a criminal offence and that
>you have chosed to forge the identity of someone from the UK defence
>industry, which in these anti-terrorist days and
>police over-reaction could get you a 90 day interogration without benifit of
>a magistrate.
>
Go for it then pisshead, lets see how far you get for a big fatarse,
you clearly have no idea what forgery is!
You'll need to get up early in the morning to beat this rap!
Here's something else you can add, seeing you're craving attention...
fata.m...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
fat...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
ImAw...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
swi...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
bu...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
ze...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
lo...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
meandmyf...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
Pete ‹(•¿•)›
><dickhead...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Old Codger" <oldc...@eurosceptics.com> wrote in message
>>>I hate women now that I am too old to enjoy their company, I find animals far more expressive of my needs and urges.
>> Fortunately you are such a pratt that you are recognised and ignored
I agree, he needs castration does our old todger!
>Here's something else you can add, seeing you're craving attention...
>
>fata.m...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>fat...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>ImAw...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>swi...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>bu...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>ze...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>lo...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>meandmyf...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
IAWTP
Oh look you're famous!
David
<farmin...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:42:27 +0100, "Fata Morgana"
><dick...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Old Codger" <oldc...@eurosceptics.com> wrote in message
>>news:qu5723l08l6hll233...@4ax.com...
>>> On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:21:34 +0100, amacm...@aol.com wrote:
>>>
>>
>> Fortunately you are such a pratt that you are recognised and ignored even
>>when you fake someone elses
>>uid.
>>
>> However you should bare
>
>As in grizzly or just titties?
>
>> in mind that forging an id comes under the computer
>>mis-use act and is a criminal offence and that
>>you have chosed to forge the identity of someone from the UK defence
>>industry, which in these anti-terrorist days and
>>police over-reaction could get you a 90 day interogration without benifit of
>>a magistrate.
>>
>
>Go for it then pisshead, lets see how far you get for a big fatarse,
>you clearly have no idea what forgery is!
>
>You'll need to get up early in the morning to beat this rap!
That will be interesting, perhaps he could post his progress here, we
could all do with a laugh, even if it is at his expense.
About time these newsgroup bullies were put in place.
>Here's something else you can add, seeing you're craving attention...
>
>fata.m...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>fat...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>ImAw...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>swi...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>bu...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>ze...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>lo...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>meandmyf...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
He He.
Pete ‹(•¿•)›
>On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:00:43 +0100, "Pete ‹(•¿•)›"
><farmin...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:42:27 +0100, "Fata Morgana"
>><dick...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"Old Codger" <oldc...@eurosceptics.com> wrote in message
>>>news:qu5723l08l6hll233...@4ax.com...
>>>> On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:21:34 +0100, amacm...@aol.com wrote:
>>>>
>>>
>>> Fortunately you are such a pratt that you are recognised and ignored even
>>>when you fake someone elses
>>>uid.
>>>
>>> However you should bare
>>
>>As in grizzly or just titties?
>>
>>> in mind that forging an id comes under the computer
>>>mis-use act and is a criminal offence and that
>>>you have chosed to forge the identity of someone from the UK defence
>>>industry, which in these anti-terrorist days and
>>>police over-reaction could get you a 90 day interogration without benifit of
>>>a magistrate.
>>>
>>
>>Go for it then pisshead, lets see how far you get for a big fatarse,
>>you clearly have no idea what forgery is!
>>
>>You'll need to get up early in the morning to beat this rap!
>
>That will be interesting, perhaps he could post his progress here, we
>could all do with a laugh, even if it is at his expense.
Yeah. Keep it up and Jim gets it! lol
>About time these newsgroup bullies were put in place.
>
>>Here's something else you can add, seeing you're craving attention...
>>
>>fata.m...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>>
>>fat...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>>
>>ImAw...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>>
>>swi...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>>
>>bu...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>>
>>ze...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>>
>>lo...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>>
>>meandmyf...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>
>He He.
>
--
Fata Morgana
> On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:00:43 +0100, "Pete <(.ż.)>"
> <farmin...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>You'll need to get up early in the morning to beat this rap!
>
None of the email addresses are valid and it really does not matter if
they are picked up by a web crawler.
You really are an ineffective pratt.
Pete ‹(•¿•)›
<fata.m...@taekwondo.co.nz> wrote:
>
>
>> On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:00:43 +0100, "Pete <(.¿.)>"
>> <farmin...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
> >>You'll need to get up early in the morning to beat this rap!
>>
> None of the email addresses are valid
What these?
fata.m...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
fat...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
ImAw...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
swi...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
bu...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
ze...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
lo...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
meandmyf...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>and it really does not matter if
>they are picked up by a web crawler.
No problems then. Why the stress levels?
>You really are an ineffective pratt.
Seem to be having a great effect on you!
You will get over it eventually, if I let you.
Old Codger
<farmin...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:59:25 +0100, "Fata Morgana"
><fata.m...@taekwondo.co.nz> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>> On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:00:43 +0100, "Pete <(.¿.)>"
>>> <farmin...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>> >>You'll need to get up early in the morning to beat this rap!
>>>
>
>> None of the email addresses are valid
>
>What these?
>
>fata.m...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>fat...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>ImAw...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>swi...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>bu...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>ze...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>lo...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>meandmyf...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
>
>>and it really does not matter if
>>they are picked up by a web crawler.
>
>No problems then. Why the stress levels?
>
>>You really are an ineffective pratt.
>
>Seem to be having a great effect on you!
>
>You will get over it eventually, if I let you.
You could always try his old posting name of "Hamish", which he dumped
when caught out in scandal!
How about this
ham...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
thelittlefag...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
gir...@buddenbrooks.demon.co.uk
I'm sure we could ruffle a few more feathers!
Fata Morgana
...
> On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 19:17:37 +0100, "Pete <(.ż.)>"
>
> I'm sure we could ruffle a few more feathers!
I doubt it, try looking up "fata morgana" and "Buddenbrooks" on google
for a clue as to your ineffectiveness of ending
a list of email addresses with "uk"
Pete ‹(•¿•)›
<fata.m...@taekwondo.co.nz> wrote:
>
> ...
>> On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 19:17:37 +0100, "Pete <(.¿.)>"
>
>>
>> I'm sure we could ruffle a few more feathers!
>
> I doubt it, try looking up "fata morgana" and "Buddenbrooks" on google
>for a clue as to your ineffectiveness of ending
>a list of email addresses with "uk"
>
Now, now Hamish your body temp is dropping into hypothermic and you're
delirious.
Old Codger
http://business.scotsman.com/agriculture.cfm?id=491802007
SOME 12 months ago yesterday, the first case of avian flu in Scotland
was identified in a dead mute swan in the Fife village of Cellardyke.
Fortunately this was an isolated incident, but this year there was a
major outbreak of the disease at a Bernard Matthews turkey plant in
Suffolk. The control measures proved effective, however, and no
further cases have been detected.
But the fact is that the UK is at threat from a growing variety of
animal diseases that have never been diagnosed on this side of the
Channel. Currently, the major threat is an outbreak of bluetongue
virus (BTV).
This affects all ruminants - cattle, sheep and goats - with varying
degrees of fatality. BTV was normally seen as a problem in southern
Europe, especially Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria.
However, late last summer the disease was identified for the first
time in the Netherlands before also being found in Germany, Belgium,
Luxembourg and parts of northern France.
Sheep and goats were principally infected, but there were cases in
cattle. Movement restrictions were imposed and this resulted in
considerable difficulties for the livestock industry.
The Netherlands was particularly badly hit and the outbreak put a stop
to all movements of sheep to France for slaughter, a traditional trade
for many years.
BTV is spread by a midge and it had been hoped that the onset of
winter and lower temperatures would halt the disease as the insect
population died off. This has not happened and the real fear is that
midges carrying the virus might be blown across the Channel to Kent, a
county which has a large sheep population.
Peter Morris, the chief executive of the National Sheep Association,
said: "It's been a particularly mild winter and the possibility of the
midge landing here is real. We have had a series of meetings with
Defra [Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] and
industry stakeholders. It's early days yet, but there is a basis for
putting a contingency plan in place."
Defra considers BTV as an "economic disease" and may prove far less
willing to pick up the bill for any subsequent slaughter than it did
during the foot-and-mouth crisis.
The possibility of BTV moving to the more northerly regions of the UK
appears for the moment remote, but Nigel Miller, vice-president of NFU
Scotland, who is also a qualified vet, has been involved in the
discussions.
Morris said: "If the disease arrives, then there will quite clearly
have to be movement restriction. But an added worry is the fact that
the strain of the disease on the continent is BTV 8 as compared to the
more normal BTV 3 and 4, which causes problems in southern Europe.
"BTV 8 is a sub-Saharan strain and has never been previously
identified in Europe before."
Restrictions are already in place in the UK. It is illegal to import
animals from a restricted zone or pass through such an area. The
National Beef Association is also urging members to be on their guard.
Policy advisor Kim Haywood said: "The rules established to protect the
UK are straightforward: the importation of any ruminant from a
restricted zone is prohibited.
"Furthermore, the main ports of Calais and Dunkirk are covered by
restrictions: no livestock passing through either can enter the UK.
Any breach of the rules could result in a fine of £5,000 and three
months in jail. In addition, any livestock from a restricted zone
could be slaughtered without compensation."
The import restrictions will, in practice, only affect breeders of
pedigree Texel and Beltex sheep as well as Belgian Blue cattle.
However, the consensus is that all that can be done in preparation for
a possible BTV outbreak has been done.
However, there is nothing in terms of biosecurity that can be put in
place to stop the vector midge being blown across the Channel and the
balance of opinion appears to be not a case of if, but when BTV hits
the UK.
Old Codger
chicken flu. It seems the more cruel and risky your farming, the more
the good old taxpayer will compensate you.
He's getting paid far more for putting the world at risk, then if he
had sold the turkey to the shops, just like FMD. It certainly pays to
have diseases in your animals these days!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6570351.stm
Final Suffolk bird flu report due
The final government report on February's bird flu outbreak at a
Bernard Matthews turkey farm in Suffolk is due to be published.
It will conclude that the most likely cause was infected meat from
Hungary, says BBC correspondent Sarah Mukherjee.
It will also say how much compensation Bernard Matthews will receive
for the healthy turkeys slaughtered to prevent the disease spreading.
Industry sources say the firm could receive more than £600,000.
Control measures
Vets were called to the Bernard Matthews farm, in Holton, Suffolk on 1
February, and cases of the highly virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu
were discovered.
Some 2,600 turkeys died of the disease and 160,000 birds were
slaughtered following the outbreak in February.
The company laid off dozens of workers after a sharp downturn in
sales.
In a subsequent report, government scientists listed various failings
at the Suffolk site, including gulls carrying waste away from it.
There were also hygiene failings, they said, such as the farm and
slaughterhouse being close together.
The company said it would improve bio security but insisted it had not
broken any rules.
Last month the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra) lifted all remaining control measures at the plant, with
poultry movement and sales allowed again in the area.
Bernard Matthews took out full-page adverts in several newspapers,
telling the public: "My turkey is completely safe to eat."
Old Codger
Bernard Matthews to escape prosecution
http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,2048738,00.html
· Watchdog rules out charges over bird flu
· Lib Dems condemn decision as 'astonishing'
A decision by a government watchdog not to prosecute the Bernard
Matthews plant at the centre of the bird flu outbreak was described as
"astonishing" by the Liberal Democrats yesterday.
Investigators from the Food Standards Agency investigating the poultry
farm in Holton, Suffolk, said they had thoroughly examined the
possibility that food waste may have been stored wrongly but concluded
there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.
Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, said: "Given
that the Defra-commissioned reports into the Bernard Matthews affair
pointed clearly to breaches in the regulations, and that there was TV
footage of wild birds feeding off open waste bins at the plant
containing poultry meat, this is an astonishing decision. I hope that
the Food Standards Agency has not been influenced by short-term
concerns about employment at the plant. If consumers lose confidence
in the regulatory regime the damage to the whole poultry farming
industry would potentially be devastating." Mr Huhne said he would ask
ministers for an explanation of the decision when parliament returned
after the Easter recess.
The Conservative environment spokesman, Peter Ainsworth, said: "It
seems entirely clear that there were breaches of biosecurity at the
Bernard Matthews plant. It was a matter of sheer luck that bird flu
didn't spread into the wild bird population. Many people will
therefore be rather surprised by the FSA's decision not to take
further action.
"We very much hope that despite the absence of legal sanctions lessons
will have been learnt and biosecurity tightened up across the
industry."
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs report in
February after the H5N1 virus was confirmed at the turkey plant found
holes in the turkey sheds where birds, mice and rats could get in,
leaking roofs and uncovered bins where seagulls were seen feeding and
carrying off meat waste. Experts believe the most plausible route of
transmission is contaminated meat imported from Hungary to the
company's processing plant next to the farm. The Suffolk outbreak,
which was confirmed two months ago, was the first time the virus had
been found in farmed poultry in Britain. It resulted in a cull of
152,000 birds.
In a statement released yesterday, the FSA said it had found no
evidence the company breached animal byproduct or food hygiene
regulations. It said: "We have carefully scrutinised and considered
the evidence in this case and concluded there is insufficient evidence
to provide a realistic prospect of conviction."
A Defra spokeswoman said the department's own investigations into the
bird flu outbreak were expected to conclude in the next few weeks.
Last month it emerged that Bernard Matthews will receive £600,000
compensation from Defra for culling healthy turkeys. The turkey firm
said: "Bernard Matthews has always maintained that it has acted with
the utmost integrity and cooperated fully with the relevant
authorities and the Food Standards Agency's decision reinforces this.
We have systems in place to ensure we meet and in some cases exceed
the measures imposed by Defra, the FSA and the Meat Hygiene Service."
Phil Kyle
Don't be fucking stupid.
--
Phil Kyle
1st Lt. Old Skool Death Squad
May Your Sigs Be Long and Preposterous.
Pete ‹(•¿•)›
<philky...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:42:27 +0100, "Fata Morgana"
><fata.m...@taekwondo.co.nz> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Old Codger" <oldt...@anyolewhere.net> wrote in message
>>news:qu5723l08l6hll233...@4ax.com...
>>> On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:21:34 +0100, amacm...@aol.com wrote:
>>>
>>
>> Fortunately you are such a pratt that you are recognised and ignored even
>>when you fake someone elses
>>uid.
>>
>> However you should bare in mind that forging an id comes under the computer
>>mis-use act and is a criminal offence and that
>>you have chosed to forge the identity of someone from the UK defence
>>industry, which in these anti-terrorist days and
>>police over-reaction could get you a 90 day interogration without benifit of
>>a magistrate.
>>
>
>Don't be fucking stupid.
These netkooks have great influence. Fatarse Mogadon has gone to
ground since being caught our using sock puppets for sexual gain, and
I expect the *KNOCK* at any moment.
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go,
I'm standing here at the door,
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye.
But the dawn is breaking, it's early morn,
The black maria's waiting, he's blowing his horn,
Already I'm so lonesome I could cry.
So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me,
Hold me like you'll never let me go.
I'm leaving in a black maria, don't know when I'll be back again.
Oh, babe, I hate to go.
There's so many times I've let you down,
So many times, I've played around,
I'll tell you now they don't mean a thing.
Every place I go, I'll think of you,
Every song I sing, I'll sing for you;
When I come back, I'll wear your wedding ring.
Phil Kyle
IAWTP
Hamish
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/pr_factory/ALL/1560//
Today’s announcement that Bernard Matthews’ farms will receive
£600,000 in compensation – paid for by taxpayers – after an outbreak
of bird flu at one of their Suffolk plants, has shocked politicians
and animal campaigners.
While the government admits that it is uncomfortable with the huge
payout, it has stated that offering large sums acts as an incentive
for farmers to report outbreaks early on. This suggests that farmers
are less likely to notify authorities of a disease outbreak if they
think they might be out of pocket as a result.
The shockingly low welfare standards on intensive farms mean that
disease outbreaks are inevitable. Undercover investigations at Bernard
Matthews’ farms in 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2006 produced evidence of
crowded, dirty conditions with severely injured, diseased and dead
birds.
In 2000, turkeys at Beck Farm, Haveringland, Norfolk were found lying
dead by undercover investigators, while others had festering wounds.
Live turkeys were seen milling around carcasses and pecking at them.
In September last year, two of the company’s workers at the same
Norfolk farm were convicted of battering turkeys with a broom handle,
used like a baseball bat. The solicitor defending the men described
the conditions in the unit as ‘appalling’ and said: ‘You can see why
people move to an organic, more open type of farming.’
In February, more than 2,000 of the company’s birds died in one week
inside the giant sheds from bird flu. One Hong Kong chicken farmer
described the H5N1 symptoms: ‘Their bodies began shaking as if they
were suffocating and thick saliva started coming out of their mouths …
Their faces went dark green and black.’ (1) Pathologists described the
birds’ organs as being reduced to a ‘bloody pulp’.
Despite the birds’ severe suffering, the first Bernard Matthews
victims went unnoticed because the attrition rate in intensive turkey
and chicken sheds is always so high. In the UK, more than one in 20
birds die before they can be slaughtered, with 130 million broiler
chickens perishing every year from heart disease alone. (2)
And yet intensive farmers are free to continue to rear animals in
dreadful conditions, safe in the knowledge that the taxpayer will bail
them out should a disease outbreak occur on their farm.
Says Animal Aid Campaigner, Kate Fowler-Reeves:
‘We are, in effect, being held to ransom by farmers. If we don’t pay
compensation, they won’t notify authorities when diseases emerge on
their farms – diseases that, more often than not, could be avoided if
they raised welfare standards and afforded animals a decent standard
of living. Factory farming creates diseases that cause immense animal
suffering and have the potential to harm humans. But far from being
penalised for it, farmers are rewarded.’
Hamish
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_veggie/ALL/1558//
Following its successful Wyevale Garden Centre campaign, which ended
with the company ceasing to sell pets, Animal Aid has achieved another
victory for companion animals. The national campaign group has changed
the policy positions of five major supermarkets regarding the
advertising of pets for sale on in-store noticeboards. Sainsbury’s,
Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons and the Co-op have all committed to a ban
on this type of advert.
Animal Aid believes that advertising animals for sale in such
locations exacerbates the problems of overbreeding and also encourages
inappropriate impulse buys. After the novelty of a new animal wears
off, people often realise that they do not have the time, money or
commitment to provide for their new pet’s most basic needs. As a
result, such animals suffer appalling neglect, while thousands more
are abandoned to rescue shelters where they await a second chance of a
happy life. Some are never found a home and many thousands are killed
simply because there are too many to look after. Whilst these animals
die, breeders profit from creating more, and irresponsible owners, who
do not spay or neuter, allow their animals to produce offspring.
Breeders with young animals for sale regularly use noticeboards such
as those found in supermarkets. The housing and welfare conditions
offered by prospective owners cannot be properly monitored as
breeders, unlike sanctuaries, rarely conduct home checks. Nor is a
license or home check required for small-time breeders and many of
their animals are kept in appalling conditions and treated as little
more than breeding machines.
Says Animal Aid’s director, Andrew Tyler:
Animal Aid is extremely pleased that these high profile supermarkets
have taken such an important decision. We only hope that others, such
as ASDA and Somerfield will follow their lead in helping to reduce the
suffering inflicted upon thousands of companion animals each year. We
will continue to press them to adopt a humane and rational policy on
this issue.
Notes to editors
In 2006, the RSPCA reported a 77 per cent increase in cruelty cases
from the previous year. This included some of the worst cases of
deliberate cruelty and shocking neglect. And these are just the
reported cases. The callous treatment of tens of thousands of other
pets will go unreported and hidden from sight.
For more information contact Kelly Slade on 01732 364546 ext 227,
(ke...@animalaid.co.uk).
We have an ISDN line for broadcast-quality interviews.
Hamish
One Day International Conference on the Relationship between Animal
Abuse and Human Violence
http://www.league.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=1959
Keble College, Oxford, United Kingdom, 18 September, 2007
Aims and scope of the conference
The conference will highlight the importance of animal ethics by
exploring the following questions:
Is there empirical evidence of a link between animal abuse and
violence to humans or anti-social behaviour?
How should we interpret the evidence?
If there is a link, what are the ethical implications?
What are the implications for social and legal policy?
The purpose of the conference is to enable people to better understand
the nature of animal abuse, the motivation that leads to cruel acts
and the implications for human as well as animal welfare. This
understanding is essential to help inform social and legal policy.
Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics
The conference is being arranged by the Oxford Centre for Animal
Ethics, founded in 2006 to enhance the ethical status of animals
through academic research, teaching and publication. The aim of the
Centre is to put the issue of humankind's interactions with animals on
the intellectual agenda. During the last 30 years evidence has been
accumulating of a link between animal abuse and violence to humans or
anti-social behaviour. This conference will document and explore the
meaning of this link and the implications that should follow for the
making of social and legal policy.
At the heart of the Centre's work is an international fellowship of
academics drawn from the sciences and the humanities. The Centre is
named after the distinguished Spanish philosopher José Ferrater Mora,
known for his pioneering opposition to bullfighting. One of the
Centre's key research areas is the link between animal abuse and human
violence.
Attendance and delegates
The conference will appeal to academics representing a range of
disciplines, including (but not limited to) ethics, philosophy,
theology, psychiatry, law, psychology, criminology, medicine, social
sciences and social policy. We also expect the conference to appeal to
a wide range professionals concerned with:
the care of children;
spousal and elderly abuse;
cruelty prevention and inspection;
social work;
penal policy;
veterinary services;
human and animal shelters;
humane education;
wildlife protection;
law enforcement;
the implementation of legal and social policy.
We, therefore, particularly welcome attendance from anti-cruelty
inspectors, teachers, medical personnel, veterinarians, social
workers, health care professionals and law enforcement officials.
Call for papers
Academics worldwide are invited to submit brief abstracts of papers
for consideration. From the abstracts submitted, the best will be
selected for presentation at the conference. Each presentation will be
scheduled for 15 minutes.
Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted via email to
Professor Andrew Linzey (click here for contact details), Director of
the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, to arrive by 15 May 2007.
Those whose abstracts are selected will be asked to supply a full
academic paper of between 3,000-5,000 words by 1 September 2007. All
selected papers will be published in book form.
Call for posters
Poster contributions to the conference are welcomed. Abstracts should
be submitted via email to Professor Andrew Linzey (click here for
contact details), Director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, to
arrive by 15 May 2007.
Conference Programme
The one-day conference includes approximately 17 presentations of 15
minutes each, as well as keynote presentations. There will be a
post-conference dinner. Overnight accommodation at Keble College is
available. The full academic programme will be published in May 2007.
The conference language will be English.
Venue
Keble College is one of the largest of the constituent colleges of the
University of Oxford. Founded in 1870, its original brick Victorian
buildings have now been complemented and supplemented by award winning
contemporary developments including a purpose-built lecture theatre in
the Sloane Robinson Building. Keble's self-contained conference
facilities include en suite bedrooms and one of the largest and most
impressive Dining Halls in Oxford. Click here for directions to Keble.
Registration
Click the button below to register online now or download the booking
form below and send it in to us!
[Acrobat PDF] Conference Booking Form
Booking form for the Oxford Animal Conference
[Acrobat PDF] Conference Info Pack
Oxford Animal Conference Info Pack
If you are interested in receiving updates about the conference,
please register here and we will send further details soon.
If you have any problem with your registration, please contact the
Conference Helpdesk using the details at the bottom of this page.
Conference costs
Option A
Before 31st May: £449 - After 31st May: £499
Conference cost to delegates including accommodation and conference
dinner on Tuesday 18 September and breakfast on Wednesday 19 September
(except students):
Full cost conference fee including Tuesday lunch, evening reception,
conference dinner, overnight accommodation in Keble College after the
dinner and breakfast on morning of Wednesday 19 September plus all
refreshment breaks in morning and afternoon during the conference.
Option B
Before 31st May: £360 - After 31st May: £400
Conference cost to student delegates including accommodation and
conference dinner on Tuesday 18 September and breakfast on Wednesday
19 September (on production of proof of student status):
Reduced cost conference fee including Tuesday lunch, evening
reception, conference dinner, overnight accommodation in Keble College
after the dinner and breakfast on morning of Wednesday 19 September
plus all refreshment breaks in morning and afternoon during the
conference. N.B. Only a limited number of student places are available
- please book early.
Option C
Before 31st May: £396 - After 31st May: £440
Conference cost to delegates including conference dinner on Tuesday 18
September but excluding accommodation:
Full cost conference fee including Tuesday lunch, evening reception
and conference dinner, plus all refreshment breaks in morning and
afternoon during the conference.
Fellows and Associate Fellows of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics
are eligible for a 5% discount on Options A or C. For more details,
please contact the Conference Helpdesk.
Accommodation
Accommodation following the conference dinner is included in Options A
and B. Should you require accommodation at Keble the night before the
conference (17 September) this is available at a cost of £80 including
breakfast. Further details appear on the registration form.
Sponsorship and organisation
The Conference is being sponsored and organised on behalf of the
Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics by the League Against Cruel Sports,
the premier society in the United Kingdom opposed to cruelty inflicted
on animals for recreational purposes. The League's aim in sponsoring
the Conference is to enable people to better understand the nature of
animal abuse, the motivation that leads to cruel acts and the
implications for human as well as animal welfare. The League believes
that this understanding is essential to help inform social and legal
policy.
Conference Helpdesk
If you have any questions, comments or need help with anything related
to the conference, please feel free to get in touch using the details
below.
Telephone:
+ 44 (0) 207 403 6155 and press option 3
Fax:
0207 403 4532
Write to:
Oxford Conference at League Against Cruel Sports,
Sparling House, 83-87 Union Street, London, SE1 1SG
Hamish
THERE is heated debate at Langleybury Cricket Club after a decision
was made to shoot rabbits using their playing field.
The club has authorised a "cull" of the animals, to control their
increasing numbers and remove the danger of players stepping in holes
dug up on their pitch.
Local conservationists, however, have dismissed suggestions that the
bunnies are a health and safety threat and are appalled at the
decision to shoot them.
advertisement
The cricket club leases a pitch from Hertfordshire County Council, as
it is part of St Paul's Primary School in Langleybury Lane. It is used
by the club's Colts side and youngsters enjoying PE lessons from the
school.
The past few years, however, have seen an increase in the number of
rabbits using the grass in the early evening.
Kevin Kelly, Langleybury CC chairman, said: "Over the past two years,
especially in the summer, we've had a huge increase in rabbit
activity.
"We have had more than 100 holes dug up and we're continually filling
them in with topsoil. One child has already broken his ankle, it was
that bad."
Efforts to control the rabbits by cutting back areas of grass and
using gas pellets have failed and Mr Kelly says the club was forced to
take more "drastic" action.
He said: "We want to be as humane as possible but the problem we have
is someone could seriously injure themselves."
A Hertfordshire County Council representative said the club was
granted permission to remove the "nasty infestation" of rabbits on
grounds of health and safety.
But their argument has been rejected by Nik Oakley, chairman of the
Hunton Bridge Conservation Group.
She said: "I cannot see what a few rabbits can do to affect cricket.
They're part of the character of the area. The only health and safety
issue are the rabbits.
"We are appalled that anyone can think it is acceptable to shoot
wildlife in the village area."
Hamish
20th April 2007 12:01:01
http://tinyurl.com/2dv7up
PETA Join Ramsay Lamb Cull Row.... Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has
been urged to spare the lives of lambs living on David and Victoria
Beckham's English country estate by People For The Ethical Treatment
Of Animals (Peta).
The Beckhams gave Ramsay permission to let his lambs graze on the land
at their home in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire after he claimed his
own London garden was too small.
However, Ramsay failed to notify the couple the lambs weren't family
pets, but future meals at his London eateries.
A spokeswoman for former Spice Girl Victoria, adds, "She was more than
happy to let the sheep roam around her grounds, but as a devout
vegetarian, she will be distraught to learn that they're going to be
killed."
And Peta hopes his close friend's distaste over the incident will give
him second thoughts, and begin to branch out on vegetarian
alternatives.
Peta Europe director Poorva Joshipura says, "People are rallying to
spare the lambs Posh grew to love. With soy 'lamb' kebabs and
marinated mock meats, everyone wins, including the animals."
Hamish
17 April 2007
PALENCIA – An investigation was underway on Tuesday into the
ecological damage caused by a cull of millions of voles.
Authorities were keen to cut down numbers of 3 million voles, who had
bread voraciously owing to the mild winter.
The rodents had caused serious damage to crops in the area, costing
farmers an estimated EUR 15 million.
But when authorities laid down poison on 200,000 hectares, it caused
worse damage, by killing pigeons and other wildlife.
Reports of 118 dead pigeons caused serious alarm in the Castilla y
Leon area because many locals eat the bird and it was feared humans
could ingest the poison too.
Cereal crops have also been ruined.
The Civil Guard has reported the matter and a judge opened the
investigation.
Hamish
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/4884
The tables have turned on the seal hunters
Friday April 20,2007
By Sara Dixon Have your say(1)
SEAL HUNTERS, stranded on menacing pack-ice, are for once the
threatened species.
Their boats, pictured above, are among hundreds trapped by freak
weather as the hunters were returning from a cull of baby seals off
the Canadian coast.
Helicopters flew to their rescue, landing on the jagged ice to pick up
crew who had abandoned ship.
The fleet of boats became blocked in as an on-shore wind blew the ice
tighter and tighter together, creating some of the worst conditions on
the Newfoundland coast for nearly 30 years.
Up to 15 of the vessels were in danger of sinking yesterday as huge
pressure of the compacting ice floe threatened to crack open their
hulls.
One crew has already been picked up by the Canadian coast guard.
Icebreakers have been attempting to free the fleet. But rescuers fear
the bad weather is set to continue into the weekend and stranded crews
face running out of food and fuel.
Frank Pinhorn, executive director of the Canadian Sealers Association,
said: “I’ve talked to a lot of sealers and they’ve got holes punched
in their new boats and they’re taking on water.”
Brian Penney, of the Newfoundland and Labrador Coast Guard, said many
of the crews were reluctant to abandon their vessels as most sealers
consider that a last resort.
The Newfoundland culling operation is the largest stage in Canada’s
controversial seal hunt in which the total killing quota is 270,000.
The annual hunt has drawn widespread criticism, including condemnation
from celebrities such as Paul McCartney and Brigitte Bardot. It has
been described by activists as cruel and unnecessary.
The United States has prohibited Canadian seal products since 1972 and
the European Union banned the white pelts of baby seals in 1983.
Hunters traded in the pelts mostly for the fashion industry in Norway,
Russia and China. They also sell the seals’ blubber for oil. Each kill
earns them about £38.
Hamish
The ice that caused havoc with this year's seal hunt has trapped about
100 boats. Email story
60,000 harp seal pups remain to be killed once weather conditions
improve Canada's controversial annual seal hunt can be over in as
little as a day or two. It all depends on how quickly the sealers kill
their quota of pups.Provisions running short on 100 vessels trapped
along coast of Newfoundland
Apr 20, 2007 04:30 AM
Bill Taylor
Feature Writer
As the ice thickens along the coast of Newfoundland and even the
icebreakers are getting stuck in it, seal hunters and the Coast Guard
are praying for the wind to change.
Relentless northeasterly gales have piled up the ice from Bonavista to
St. Anthony and trapped about 100 sealing "longliners" returning from
the annual hunt. Some crews have been forced to abandon their vessels.
A few have been flown to safety by Coast Guard helicopters. Others are
camped on the ice floes beside their boats as icebreakers fight to
smash their way through. Meanwhile, food and water are running short.
Fuel could be a problem when the boats are able to move. As well as
rescue operations, the four choppers are ferrying supplies.
"It's pretty heavy conditions," Coast Guard Captain Brian Penney told
the Star from St. John's yesterday. "It's getting worse in certain
areas. We need a southwest wind to blow the ice back out to sea.
That's not likely to happen before Saturday or Sunday. Even then,
it'll take a few days to loosen the ice. We could be looking at as
much as a week.
"There's a lot of pressure from the ice. We have icebreakers
themselves that are stuck. That's how bad it is."
One of the sealers, Tony Penton, called the ice the worst he could
remember. His boat, the Krista Paul, was stuck over the weekend but
managed to get out Monday with 26 other longliners. "Big ice floes ...
heavy Arctic ice," he said. "We never seen ice this bad."
Another sealer, reached briefly on his boat off Fogo Island, said he
could actually see his house in the town of Joe Batt's Arm "and I'm
running out of water."
Penton put some of the blame on the federal fisheries department for
delaying the start of Newfoundland's segment of the hunt by a day. It
began last Friday. Had it been on schedule, he said, "most boats would
have been in and out of (the ice). It's no trouble (for the
department) to get a long-range forecast."
As of yesterday, Penney said, 20 crew members from four longliners had
abandoned their boats and been airlifted out. "And we're taking
non-essential personnel from other boats. As long as the vessels seem
safe, a couple of guys can stay aboard.
"These vessels are built so even if they fill with water, they don't
sink. But some are on their sides up on the ice and others ... the
pressure is keeping them up but it could also be cracking the hull. A
number have been damaged enough that they're at risk when they go back
into the water. But everyone's got their pumps going, that's for
sure."
Some of the stricken boats are so close in they can be seen from
onshore. "That's when the weather clears," Penney said. Freezing rain
squalls have made conditions even tougher.
The northeast winds were generated by the same weather system that
caused widespread flooding in communities along the U.S. east coast
from New Jersey to New England.
Frank Pinhorn, executive director of the Canadian Sealers Association,
was phlegmatic. "It could be expensive for some of these guys," he
said. "But these boats are mostly fibreglass, so unless the damage is
really bad, they can fix it themselves. What's against them is time.
They go from the seal hunt to crab and shrimp fishing so if they're
out of the water, that's costing them money. It won't be a good season
for some people. There's the insurance, too. It's not getting any
cheaper."
Sealers report that annual insurance premiums can be as high as
$20,000.
The icebreaker Ann Harvey became stuck yesterday as it went out to try
to break a waterway for some of the longliners, Penney said. A smaller
Coast Guard vessel was rescued by the icebreaker Henry Larsen "but
even that's having problems and it's a pretty big boat."
Ironically, the fisheries department delayed the hunt because of fears
that the already heavy ice would keep some sealers ashore and give
others an unfair advantage. After the department significantly lowered
this year's kill quota, protesters, who usually disrupt the seal cull,
decided it wasn't worth the effort and had left the region.
Hamish
April 19, 2007
Canada - The Canadian coast guard is trying to rescue the occupants of
about 100 boats carrying seal hunters trapped by pack ice off the
country's eastern coast.
Several of the boats are threatened with damage or sinking, and at
least one crew had to abandon ship.
Fishermen have described conditions as the worst for more than 20
years.
The hunt, described by activists as cruel and unnecessary, is
currently in its third and largest stage off the coast of Newfoundland
province.
A spokesman of the Canadian Fisheries and Oceans Department said
two-thirds of the quota for the cull had already been filled.
The total quota for the hunt is 270,000 seals.
Food and fuel shortage
Winds pressing the ice floes in towards land have made conditions
difficult for the boats, some of which are hemmed in and face having
their hulls cracked open.
Conditions are set to continue until the end of the week and could
deteriorate further, the coast guard said.
Canada's CBC network said some of the boats were running out of food
and fuel.
A crew member of one of the stranded boats, the Southern Pride, told
the network the ice had crushed a speedboat and left their vessel high
and dry.
"I've never, ever experienced nothing like this. We've been in the
wrong place each time," said Gill Cadwell.
Canada insists that the cull, which is smaller than last year's, is
necessary to keep seal numbers down.
Seal pelts are sold to the fashion industry in Russia, China and
Norway, and seal blubber is used for oil.
The culls regularly provoke an international outcry, with celebrities
such as Sir Paul McCartney and Brigitte Bardot being involved in the
campaign against them.
© AlaskaReport News
Hamish
Hundreds of sealers trapped in pack ice off Newfoundland (Roundup)
Ottawa - Icebreakers and helicopters have been deployed off Canada's
eastern seaboard to help free some 600 seal hunters who have become
trapped in pack ice, Canadian news reports said Thursday.
Some of the 100 hunting vessels have been stuck for up to a week in
the ice off the north-eastern coast of Newfoundland to the south of
Labrador, the Globe and Mail newpaper reported.
Fuel, drinking water and food were running dangerously low on some of
the ships as heavy weather hampered the rescue efforts of the Canadian
Coast Guard.
Weather conditions were so harsh that an icebreaker belonging to the
coast guard that was attempting to reach the trapped vessels itself
became trapped in the pack ice.
'I've talked to a lot of sealers and they've got holes punched in
their new boats and they're taking on water,' Frank Pinhorn, executive
director of the Canadian Sealers' Association, said.
Some 15 ships were in 'extreme difficulties,' Canadian Coast Guard
spokesman Captain Brian Penney said as the crushing pack ice was
threatening to breach the sides of their vessels and sink them.
In some cases, crews had already abandoned their vessels and were
awaiting rescue on top of the ice.
'We've been at this around the clock,' Penney told the Globe and Mail.
'It's tiring, time-consuming, and it's a job that we have to do and we
keep trying. But it's very long hours for our captains and our crews.
'They're putting a lot of effort into pulling them out. But the sheer
numbers, it's a very, very slow process.'
The annual seal hunt takes place between mid-March and mid-April in
the Gulf of St Lawrence off the Newfoundland coast.
The cull is met annually by massive international protests by
animal-rights activists.
Rebecca Aldworth, director of Canadian wildlife issues for the Humane
Society of the United States, said that the news proved that not only
was the seal hunt cruel to animals, it was also dangerous for the
hunters.
'Canadian taxpayers foot the bill when the Coast Guard goes in to
break the ice for the sealing vessels and to rescue the people who are
trapped on those vessels,' the newspaper quoted Aldworth as saying.
A sudden change in the weather that brought high winds to the region
pushed the pack ice forward onto the Newfoundland and Labrador coasts.
The coast guard is hoping for an increase in temperatures and a change
in the direction of the winds in the coming days.
'Some of those vessels, it's going to be another five to seven days
before we can get to them to get them out,' Penney said. 'We need some
intervention from a wind change to help us out.'
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Hamish
http://www.guardian.co.uk/animalrights/story/0,,2051979,00.html
They survived a cunning plot to poison them last month but the
troublesome goats from the Valley of Rocks are now facing a more
deadly foe - a marksman.
Lynton council in north Devon yesterday announced that it is to cull
some of the wild goats that have been running riot in the seaside
town's streets and munching through prize blooms in residents'
gardens.
The move was greeted by dismay by many goat enthusiasts including the
town's Friends of the Goats group, who described it as "very sad".
Council officials are bracing themselves for heavy criticism, and
possible protests, by animal rights activists. Last time 15 large
billies were culled, two years ago, the council clerk, Geoff Dwyer,
received death threats.
Lynton's mayor, Suzette Hibbert, said yesterday: "It's a very emotive
subject. They have been extremely destructive, so there will be a
cull.
"We have had calls from people, often elderly, who were absolutely
distraught about having to shoo these big billy goats out of their
gardens. They are stripping trees of their bark, some very special
species.
"The goats are a huge attraction, and I would hate to see them go
because they are part of the Valley of Rocks. But it is like any
animal, they need to be managed.
"If there is not enough food, they will head off to eat. The billies
separate from the nannies at kidding time and there has been a
multitude of problems."
Wild goats have lived in the Valley of Rocks, a mile from the town
centre, for at least 1,000 years.
But the numbers, and the boldness of the goats, have risen in recent
years and there are probably more than 100 there now.
Following the cull in 2005 the council took a gentler tack, installing
a cattle grid that was meant to hem the goats into the valley.
But they swiftly learned to pick their way across by treading on the
concrete blocks that support the bars. They have also found ways over
the stone walls and through fences.
The goats hit the headlines last month when someone apparently tried
to poison them.
First a pile of apples was left near a shelter the goats use. Then, a
few days later, hollowed out peppers full of poison were placed in the
same spot.
Happily neither the goats, nor any other creature, are thought to have
nibbled at the peppers before they were found by a dog walker. The
poisoner has not been found.
Ms Hibbert said: "That was a very unfortunate incident. Hopefully the
person responsible will feel that they don't need to do anything off
their own back now we are going to have the cull."
The council will discuss with government experts when and how many
billies will be shot.
A local resident, Derek Bishop, said: "I detest the presence of the
goats. They foul the footpaths to such an extent they are impassable
without walking in their dung. Tourists have had to turn back because
they were intimidated by billies on the path."
Elizabeth Rodway, who holds grazing rights to the Valley of Rocks,
said: "The council should have a proper management plan where the
nannies are gathered up and injected so that they are infertile for
three years."
The National Trust had to apologise last week after culling 15 goats
it had placed at Purbeck, Dorset, as part of a grazing scheme. After
they were killed animal centres said they would have happily taken
them in.
Hamish
Apr 21
The farmer due to grow an experimental GM potato trial in East
Yorkshire may pull out because of the impact that the trial might have
on neighbouring crops [1]. The revelation comes as the Government
consultation for the GM trial by biotech firm BASF, closes and
campaigners hold a protest rally and GM-free potato picnic today
(Saturday) [2].
Farmers near the East Yorkshire trial farm are concerned about the
threat that the GM potato trial poses to their borage crops. Borage is
a high value crop grown to produce starflower oil for health food
supplements and skincare products.
But local borage growers fear massive financial losses if the GM trial
goes ahead because beekeepers (whose bees are vital to help pollinate
the borage crop and produce speciality borage honey) do not want to
bring their hives into the fields for fear that their honey will be
contaminated. One borage farmer alone estimates that this could result
in a Ł50,000 loss. Companies like Rowse Honey and Sainsbury's require
beekeepers supplying them with honey to place their hives at least six
miles away from any trial site [3].
The GM potato trial [4] has faced intense local opposition. Both East
Riding District Council and Hedon Town council have voted against the
trials. And local MP Graham Stuart, who supports the borage farmers,
believes that BASF's proposals had been rushed and that the trial
shouldn't go ahead this year. Furhermore, a local petition against the
trial has attracted hundreds of signatures.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs public
consultation on the trial closed yesterday (Friday) [5]. Campaigners
do not hold much hope that it will be rejected, despite strong
opposition, because Environment Secretary David Miliband personally
approved trials for the same crop in Cambridge last year.
Friends of the Earth's GM Campaigner, Clare Oxborrow said:
"BASF was so desperate to get its GM potatoes in the ground that it
neglected to consult with the local community and failed to realise
the impact that this trial would have on nearby borage growers. The
farmer due to host the trial is rightly concerned about the impacts on
neighbouring farmers. He should pull out and the trial should be
scrapped.
If this trial goes ahead it will not only risk a huge financial blow
for farmers, but also threatens to contaminate future non-GM potato
supplies. Conventional breeding already produces blight-resistant
potato varieties. There are too many risks and costs involved in
trialing this product that no-one wants."
Notes:
[1] The farmer due to host the BASF trial farms land on the
Preston/Hedon border but lives over 10 miles away in Welwick. He has
not yet signed the contract to conduct the trial.
http://www.holderness-gazette.co.uk/artgmpotatotrials.htm
[2] For more information about the rally and GM free picnic see
http://www.mutatoes.org/
[3] http://www.defra.gov.uk/hort/Bees/meet06.htm
http://www.j-sainsbury.com/files/reports/cr2005/index.asp?pageid=52
[4] BASF plans trials of blight resistant GM potatoes at two sites in
the UK, Cambridge (which already has Government approval) and
Hedon/Preston, East Riding of Yorkshire. Plans for the same trials in
Ireland were abandoned because the Irish Government imposed tough
conditions on the trial. The conditions imposed by Defra are much
weaker, making it easier and cheaper for BASF to go ahead with trials
in England www.gmfreeze.org/page.asp?id=309&iType=1079
[5]
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/regulation/applications/07r4201.htm
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Email: in...@foe.co.uk
Website: www.foe.co.uk
Hamish
http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/wanted/
http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/ceop/index.asp
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The following subjects have failed to comply with the Notification
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Andrew Jeremy EDEN
Failure to comply with notification requirements.
Sex Offences
Reference: CS0704-1569
Location: Last known address was in the Manchester area.
Date of incident:
Andrew Jeremy EDEN has failed to comply with the notification
requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Physical Description
Forename: Andrew Jeremy
Surname: EDEN
Street Name: Andrew Paul EDEN
Sex: Male
Age Range: 45 - 50
Height: 170 - 175 cm (approx 5' 8")
Build: Medium
Hair Colour: Brown
Hair type: Straight
Hair length: Shoulder Length
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Distinguishing marks: EDEN's front four teeth are false and on a
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..............................................................
Stephen Lionel GORDON
Failure to comply with notification requirements.
.........................................................................
John Richard MURRELL
Failed to comply with notification requirements
Location: Last known address was in Droitwich, Worcestershire. There
have been possible of sightings of MURRELL in Belfast, Aberystwyth,
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Date of incident:
John Richard MURRELL has failed to comply with the notification
requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Physical Description
Forename: John Richard
Surname: MURRELL
Sex: Male
Age Range: 35 - 40
Height: 170 - 175 cm (approx 5' 8")
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Hair Colour: Brown
Hair length: Short
Ethnic appearance: White European
Distinguishing marks: MURRELL has a scar on his lower lip and a burn
mark on his left arm. He also has a scar on his left side near his
hip. He has brown eyes.
.........................................................
Joshua KARNEY
Failed to comply with the notification requirements
Sex Offences
Reference: CS0701-1321
Location: Connections with the Lancashire area but travels all over
the United Kingdom
Date of incident:
Joshua KARNEY has failed to comply with the notification requirements
under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Physical Description
Forename: Joshua
Surname: KARNEY
Street Name: Mark MOFFITT, Devon DANIELS, Aiden or Aaron WIELY, Kieran
Arran O'SHEA, James O'SHAUN
Sex: Male
Age Range: 25 - 30
Height: 170 - 175 cm (approx 5' 8")
Build: Slim
Hair Colour: Brown
Ethnic appearance: White European
Distinguishing marks: Strong Dublin accent, pierced left eyebrow,
pierced left ear, large birthmark on the centre of his back.
Additional Info: Has hazel coloured eyes
........................................................
Peter WHEATHERLEY
Failed to comply with notification requirements
Sex Offences
Reference: CS0612-1316
Location: Connections with South Yorkshire the North East and
Manchester, could also be abroad/Spain
Date of incident:
Peter WHEATHERLEY has failed to comply with the notification
requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Physical Description
Forename: Peter
Surname: WHEATHERLEY
Street Name: Peter WHETHERLEY; Peter JACKSON; Peter KENNELLEY; Peter
KENNELLY; Peter HUDSON
Sex: Male
Age Range: 35 - 40
Height: 170 - 175 cm (approx 5' 8")
Build: Medium
Hair Colour: Light brown
Ethnic appearance: White European
Distinguishing marks: Scar on left arm where a tattoo has been removed
tattoo of a swallow (bird) on upper left arm
Distinguishing Features: Northern Accent
Additional Info: Known to use Alias and adept at changing his
appearance, Blue coloured eyes
Explanation of the Notification Requirements:
The notification requirements of Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act
2003 refer to relevant offenders who receive a conviction or caution
for certain sexual offences. The requirements also apply to those
found not guilty by reason of insanity or to have been under a
disability but to have done the acts charged in respect of those
offences. The notification requirements are not a punishment for a
sexual offence and are not part of the system of penalties. However, a
failure to comply with the requirements is a criminal offence,
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www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2003/20030042.htm for the full text of the
Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Promoting responsible behaviour:
CEOP are seeking your help to locate these individuals, but require
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A member of the Virtual Global Taskforce – making the internet a safer
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Paul
slaughter of bull calves at a few days for hunt hounds food, and the
persecution of wildlife, and the factory farming brutality.
Now they want to start on the badgers again!
Farmers to launch mass badger cull
http://tinyurl.com/3avh4r
Farmers are preparing to restart badger culls across the country for
the first time in almost a decade, it can be revealed.
Farmers say culling badgers is the only way to prevent cattle
suffering outbreaks of bovine TB
The culls could start within weeks after the completion of a
Government report into the role that badgers play in spreading the
infectious disease bovine tuberculosis among cattle.
In the expectation of an imminent end to the moratorium on licences to
kill badgers, farmers have earmarked areas of the country where the
cull could begin, while the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra) is conducting four secret trials to find which is the
most effective ways of killing badgers - snaring, trapping, shooting
or gassing.
A move to permit culling, however, would be certain to provoke
ferocious opposition from animal welfare groups, who insist it is not
necessary and believe the spread of the disease is due to bad
husbandry by farmers.
The Government research, by the Independent Scientific Group (ISG),
began in 1998 and was accompanied by the moratorium on licences.
advertisement
However, the final report, which ministers will receive later this
month, is expected to acknowledge that culling badgers can be an
effective means of controlling the disease. Defra officials have
already indicated to industry figures that following its publication
they would struggle to justify continuing the moratorium.
Tony Blair and David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, have been
involved in discussions about lifting the moratorium. The Cabinet will
make the final decision.
TB in cattle cost the taxpayer more than £99 million last year, £40
million of which went to compensate farmers whose animals were
slaughtered.
The disease is spreading fast along the "cattle belt", which runs from
Cornwall, up the west of the country, to Cheshire. Most outbreaks have
been in the southwest and the West Midlands, but there have been
others in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Sussex and Wales.
There were 788 new suspected outbreaks in January and February
compared with 703 in the same period of last year. There are reports
of the disease spreading to domestic cats, which has provoked fears
that this could lead to infections among humans.
Outbreaks have caused many farmers to leave the dairy industry, while
some desperate farmers are carrying out illegal culls.
The National Farmers' Union (NFU) claims that before the ban TB in
dairy herds was almost non-existent, but its introduction allowed the
disease to spread.
Until 1998 farmers were allowed to cull the animals, under licences
issued in line with the 1973 Badgers Act.
Meurig Raymond, the NFU's deputy president, said: "The Government
can't walk away from its responsibility this time. The scientific
evidence from the report will prove they must act. The anger and
depression of the livestock industry is unbelievable. We need to move
ahead with a cull as soon as possible."
Malcolm Light, a beef farmer from Okehampton in Devon, suffered an
outbreak in his herd last month, which has been blamed on badgers.
"It's not beyond the realms of possibility to get on top of this
disease," he said. "We want healthy cattle and healthy badgers, but we
must be able to deal with sick badgers."
Although the ISG report is expected to say that removing badgers can
play a positive role in tackling the disease, it will also warn of the
possible dangers of perturbation, where badgers that escape the cull
relocate elsewhere and help to spread the disease.
This will give farmers two options: to apply for a licence to cull in
a large area of more than 116 square miles, where research suggests
the benefits of culling outweigh the effects of perturbation, or to
demand small, targeted culls, in areas which are bordered by rivers,
railways or coastlines.
Richard Haddock, the union's south-west regional chairman, said: "The
hints we're getting are that there will be limited licences issued. If
they allow us targeted culls against the sick setts in the hot spots,
then in two years, we will be on top of it."
Richard Yarnell, the chief executive of the Badger Trust, said the
problem could only be dealt with by stopping the disease spreading
between cattle.
"Ours is not just a sentimental argument," he said. "It is based on
sound science, not just because badgers are cute, furry animals.
Farmers focus on the badgers because they then don't have to face up
to the fact that their own industry is responsible for spreading the
disease."
Paul
William Cobbett, radical chronicler of rural England at the start of
the late 18th century agricultural revolution, saw the Vale of Pewsey
in Wiltshire as the "promised land". Viewing the farms full of people,
orchards heavy with fruit and crops ripening in the small fields, he
declared that it was "impossible to find a more beautiful country than
this or to imagine any life more easy and happy than men might lead
here - if they were not tormented by an accursed system that takes the
food from those that raise it and gives it to those who do nothing."
He would barely recognise the vale today. The orchards and hedgerows
have been mostly grubbed up, there are few farms smaller than 300
acres, and there are more racehorses to be seen on the land than
people. The village shops are full of processed foods and on the downs
above the vale, one man may plough 400 acres a day in a giant
satellite-controlled tractor. An estate owner, who employs just six
people to farm 4,000 acres, earns perhaps £500,000 a year in wheat
subsidies alone.
It has taken only 60 years to achieve this radical transformation of
the land. Before the war, there were about 500,000 farms in Britain,
the vast majority of which were small and mixed, raising both crops
and livestock. Few bought feed or pesticides from agrochemical
companies, employing traditional husbandry and land management methods
instead. Then Britain was cut off by Hitler's U-boats and everything
had to change. The emergency measures to boost yields did not
disappear after hostilities ceased. In fact, they were formalised with
the passing of the 1947 Agriculture Act, which gave farmers guaranteed
prices and guaranteed markets. The Attlee government's aim was to make
sure Britain never suffered a food shortage again. Subsidies, first
from the UK government then from the common market, were increasingly
linked to the quantity of food produced, whether it was needed or not.
As specialisation became the norm, the mixed farming system was
replaced by monoculture, heavily reliant on pesticides and new
technology. And it is only now that the consquences are becoming
clear. British farming has become ruthlessly efficient and successful,
but while the land may never have produced more, it may never have
been so lifeless.
In just 50 years, say Essex University researchers, wheat yields have
increased from 2.6 to 8 tonnes per hectare, barley from 2.6 to 5.8
tonnes a hectare and each cow produces twice as much milk. But
"successes" like this come with a social and environmental price that
is passed on to everyone else via taxes and subsidies, which give the
lie to the food industry's claim that we enjoy cheap food. The Essex
university report tried to put a price tag on modern agricultural
practices. Cleaning up the chemical pollution, repairing the habitats
and coping with human sickness caused by industrial farming costs up
to £2.3bn a year - not far off the total income of farmers - concluded
Professor Jules Pretty of the Centre for Environment and Society, the
lead author of the report. According to industry figures, it now costs
water companies about £135m-£200m a year to remove pesticides and
nitrates from drinking water - costs paid for by consumers, not by the
polluters. The report reckoned the health costs of BSE, pathogens and
antibiotic overuse was between £1bn-£2bn a year.
Quantifying the cost of erosion and soil loss was hard but the
academics estimated that intensive farming practices have increased
the risk of floods by 14%, adding £115m a year to insurance company
bills. It's a problem that is likely to increase as the weather
becomes more extreme and farmers try to squeeze more from every acre.
Silt-laden water running off arable fields is now a common sight,
especially after heavy rain. Wind erosion, too, is a growing hazard,
especially in the eastern parts of the country where prairie-type
conditions have been created by the removal of hedges and woods.
Pretty's team estimated that air pollution and greenhouse gas
emissions from farming cost more than £1.1bn. About 10% of UK
greenhouse gas emissions come from the methane from livestock
digestion and manures and nitrous oxide from fertilised land.
Meanwhile, government agency English Nature calculates that it costs
about £25m a year to restore the habitats of endangered species and
wildlife damaged by agriculture. Most noticeable, but impossible to
put a price on, was the loss of birdlife and mammals. In the past 60
years, it is believed that farmers have grubbed up 190,000 miles of
hedges, destroyed 97% of flower-rich meadows, and 60% of ancient
woodlands, and farmland birds have suffered a catastrophic decline.
Organophosphate pesticides almost killed off the otter and many birds
of prey, since they were introduced in the 1950s.
Birds that depend on agricultural fields have fallen in numbers by as
much as 50% since 1970 as a direct result of the intensification and
specialisation of farming. Corn bunting numbers are down by 85% and
tree sparrows by 87%. Countryside birds that were once common, like as
the skylark, the linnet, the yellowhammer, the grey partridge, the
turtle dove and the song thrush, are now considered rare enough to
appear on official lists of endangered species.
But the greatest success of this kind of agriculture has been to drive
people off the land. Heavy on technology and inputs, it needs ever
fewer people to farm ever more acres. Since 1945, Britain has lost 65%
of its farmers, and now needs only 1.2% of the population to work on
the land. From the mid-80s to the mid-90s alone, the industry shed
200,000 jobs. The cost, says the New Economics Foundation, is seen in
the social devastation of once-prospering villages, with fewer shops,
post offices and bus services.
The same phenomenon is now taking place around the world, as
developing countries are forced to compete in the world market to sell
agricultural produce. India, with more than 700,000 small farmers,
expects to lose half within 20 years if present trends continue, China
even more. Countries like Poland, waiting to join the European Union
will - like Britain - inevitably lose hundreds of thousands of small
farmers as agriculture switches to the British/American model to
survive.
Pretty and others urge a wholesale switch to more sustainable
agriculture, which needs lower inputs, fewer pesticides and more
people. In fact, the need for change is now broadly acknowledged by
most farmers and by the government. But failure to reform the common
agricultural policy remains a problem, as does the inexorable drive to
make farmers compete on a global scale. Only the largest British
farmers may survive.
Farming can have environmental benefits, Pretty argues. It can absorb
carbon in soils and trees to provide new carbon sinks, thus helping to
mitigate climate change. It can hold water in wetlands to provide
flood control. It can produce the farmland birds we all feel are part
of our heritage and landscapes people enjoy, he says. Only by
rethinking farming completely will life be brought back to the land.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv_and_radio/story/0,,2072281,00.html
For just £2 and a bag of fudge, a farmer can get a perfectly healthy
calf shot in the head
Farmers have to pay £70 to have the carcasses of their dead animals
taken away by specialist disposal companies. Most of them prefer to
call men such as Ian, who, for four quid a cadaver, will load them on
to the back of his truck as part of the "flesh run" and deliver them
to the hungry dogs at the local hunt kennels. In the latest of her
unbroken series of fine documentaries, The Lie of the Land (Channel
4), Molly Dineen's unflinching camera follows Ian to a farm where the
owner has asked him to put down a perfectly healthy cross-bred
Guernsey calf. "There's no trade in them at the moment, you see,"
explains Ian ruefully. "The farmer can't afford to keep him." There is
a surprisingly quiet "Pop!" from his gun, and the wild-eyed calf
collapses in the mud. For performing this service, Ian is left £2 and
a bag of fudge.
Two more are killed by another man, Paul, at the next farm. "We were
not brought up to shoot healthy animals," says Paul, after doing just
that. "But under the new system, they're not worth rearing if they're
not going to be top-notch beef. It's pure economics that's driven [the
farmers] to this. You do get a pang in your conscience."
Dineen had thought her film would be about how the foxhunting ban was
affecting the countryside. But she soon picked up the scent of a trail
that led her to the coverts of farmers hamstrung by a combination of
three factors: government policy that seems set to strip them of
control over their land and make them custodians of the environment
instead of food producers; market realities ("The supermarkets will
get it from wherever they find it cheapest. They're superpowers now,
aren't they, and we're just ... nothing"); and a set of modern public
sensibilities out of step with the immutable truths of the bucolic way
of life and death ("We've become unreal in this country about animals.
You're treating meat as something that comes in cellophane").
Tony vents his despair about it all as he tramps across his dairy
farm, now largely given over to growing daffodils and providing
holiday lets. "The government says, 'Do this, do that.' Fair enough,
but what are you going to do when you've driven all the farmers off
the land? 'Oh, we'll import our food then.' Well, the welfare
standards of the imported food is a damn sight worse than those we
have here, so all you're doing is exporting your problems and ignoring
it. That's what cheap food policy does. I don't think the public
thinks it can rise above the muckiness of death. They've forgotten
what comes after life. We try to put it off for ourselves as long as
possible. People with animals accept it much more readily because they
always have to have it in the back of their minds."
The film drew out the hypocrisy and contradictions inherent in the
system, in our attitudes to our food and to our countryside and in a
government that is fostering them all. Why have we chosen to protect
foxes that kill pheasants and yet turn a blind eye to pheasant chicks
being slaughtered in industrial mincing machines? Is cheap milk worth
thousands of calves collapsing in the mud? Can farmers usefully
survive in this overpopulated age, even if their end isn't hastened by
the Single Farm Payment scheme, the governmental equivalent, in many
farmers' minds, of a bolt to the temple?
It was a brilliant, upsetting, thoughtful, attentive film. And
although it probably won't turn us vegetarian overnight (and that
might backfire anyway, if you take cowman Glyn Pearman's view that
herds "only exist because humans eat the meat and drink the milk"),
I'd be surprised if it didn't make anyone who watched it analyse their
food labels, and maybe even their ballot papers, a little more closely
next time.
Paul
The silky brown calf looks up, pleading, it flings its head from side
to side before it is shot between the eyes. The farmer has paid the
kennelman £2 and a packet of fudge to kill the newborn male calf and
feed it to the hounds.
A sick cow is next on the list: she is shot because the farmer can't
pay for antibiotics. A limping horse is blasted by a pistol because
the vet's fees are too expensive. Unwanted male chicks are tossed into
industrial mincers.
Molly Dineen's programme The Lie of the Land, broadcast by Channel 4
tonight, should have been called The Killing Fields. It is disgusting,
revolting and important to watch.
Here is a self-confessed townie telling us that genocide is going on
in the countryside, that farmers are so poor they are struggling to
feed their livestock and that Britain is in danger of becoming a grey
and unpleasant land.
Dineen was shocked at the amount of killing she witnessed when she
accompanied some kennelmen on the "flesh run", a service they provide
to help farmers dispose of their dead livestock.
The chronicler of Blair's Britain, who produced one of new Labour's
first party political broadcasts, explains, "Britain's farmers deserve
something better from us, before it's too late."
She makes it clear that this is a problem that affects everyone. We
are all implicated in the deaths of thousands of calves whenever we
drink a cafe latte. Dairy farmers, who are paid 14p a litre for their
milk, can no longer afford to keep the males when they are born. They
have to be shot.
We demand cheap food and drink and thus we force farmers into
desperate measures. But it is not only the fault of consumers. This
Government has presided over the growing divide between Scotland and
England and between rich and poor, but perhaps the most startling gap
that has opened up is between town and countryside.
In all the analysis of Mr Blair's 10 years, his rural legacy has been
forgotten. Margaret Thatcher always listened to Farming Today, John
Major was obsessed with village greens, yet the last decade has marked
the end of Britain's love affair with its rolling hills.
The foot and mouth crisis was the defining moment. Mr Blair flew
abroad when the disease hit the country. At least six million animals
were culled - resulting in losses of £3.1 billion to agriculture.
Funeral pyres littered the fields of Yorkshire and Devon, more than
100 farmers committed suicide and the general election had to be
postponed. The countryside was devastated, British farmers and the
tourist industry were left reeling, yet the Prime Minister refused to
take it seriously until it was too late.
Instead of trying to heal the wounds, Mr Blair hit the farmers again.
In an attempt to appease the Left of his party, he allowed them to
spend 700 hours debating the end of hunting.
It was a frivolous waste of time, the legislation was untenable, and
all it did was turn the countryside even further against the town.
They began to feel that no one in Westminster understood their lives;
the Countryside March was their desperate measure.
They traipsed through London in their wellies, looking trapped and
confused. This wasn't just about the right to ride horses to hounds,
they were protesting against the closure of village shops and pubs,
the lack of public transport and the concreting of arable land. Yet
400,000 people still made no difference.
The Prime Minister went even further. He championed a Brussels plan to
change the payments to farmers. Instead of subsiding their food
production, Defra announced that farmers would now be paid as
custodians of the countryside. It may have seemed a good idea to him.
Why should consumers pay twice for their food through the subsidy
system? Wouldn't it be better to ask countrymen to spend their time
pruning hedges and creating the perfect theme park?
The problem is that it has undermined farmers' self-esteem even more,
while convincing those in the town that their country cousins are
being paid large amounts to sit around on their tractors doing
nothing.
The scheme has also run into huge problems. First the farmers weren't
paid anything for months by the Rural Payments Agency, then the system
became so complex that farmers found they had to hire agricultural
advisers to fill in the forms.
Now it has become apparent that the people who have benefited most are
the richest landowners, rather than the struggling smallholders and
tenants who really need help. This comes on top of all the new
regulations that the farmers have had to wade through, and this is for
an average income of less than £10,000.
In Gordon Brown's last Budget he made it clear that he is considering
applying business rates to agricultural buildings. This may be the
death knell for many farmers who have tried to use their barns and
sheds to diversify.
One Labour MP told me that the past 10 years had been: "Payback time
for what the Tories did to the miners." But Mr Blair and Mr Brown
haven't been malicious, just careless.
The countryside isn't a priority. They prefer to champion supermarkets
and to ensure that consumers have cheap meat and dairy products - even
if it all has to come from countries where welfare regulations are
less stringent.
They holiday in Tuscany and Maine rather than the Lake District or
Exmoor and have little contact with hedgerows and copses. Many people
feel the same: education, health and crime are far more immediate
concerns. But in the long term it is our countryside that we will pass
on to the next generation.
Interviewing the American writer Bill Bryson, the new President of the
Council for the Protection of Rural England, this week he could not
understand how little the British valued their heritage.
"It is one of the greatest accomplishments of the British people to
have had this incredibly densely populated landscape and to have used
it productively for so long and still kept it so incredibly beautiful.
It's a miracle," he said.
"It is the farmers who have kept this countryside pretty damn
attractive. It is unthinkable to have an English countryside which
doesn't have cows or sheep or people tilling the land. You have taken
them too much for granted."
It shouldn't take an author from the prairies of Iowa to say it.
comments
It's questionable whether the countryside would look worse without
farmers working the land.
Bill Bryson has only to look to New England where he lived (in New
Hampshire). Around 150 years ago New England did indeed look like
England because the settlers had cleared most of the native forests to
make way for farm land. If you look at old landscape
pictures/paintings of Massachusetts, New Hampshire ... the scenes are
similar to today's English countryside.
Then the Mid-West opened-up, farmers from New England migrated to
states like Bill's native Iowa leaving their farms to be reclaimed by
nature.
Today, 100 years or so later, the native forests have returned to New
England producing a beautiful wooded landscape - and if you walk in
those woods you can still find the old dry-stone walls that mark-out
the abandoned fields. It didn't need anybody to pay "custodians" to
make it happen.
Some of these farmers need to move on, we don't owe them a living. The
the landscape will revert back to nice forests, with a short spell of
scrub/grassland. If we need more farmland in the future we can just
tear-up the forests again just as we did in ancient times.
As somebody that grew-up on a farm in the countryside I can testify
that most of the blight there is caused by people that have lived in
the countryside for generations.
Posted by H. Sadler on May 3, 2007 1:52 PM
I defer to no-one in my loathing for the Labour party and I entirely
agree about the hunting Act. However, I do not feel much sympathy for
the agricultural industry either. Like the miners, it deserves what
itis getting. I accept that there is a good case to be made for
intervention to stabilise agricultural prices, but the amount of my
tax money the state gives to farmers is completely out of control. I
do not think this would be any different if we were outside the EU,
either. Also, the protection accorded to the agricultural industry
impoverishes third world farmers whose only real chance of prosperity
lies in their ability to export to the developed world.
Many farmers seem to think they have a right to persist in their
heavily subsidised hobby; these tend to be the ones producing
indifferent food that cannot command a price premium. I look forward
to seeing a lot more of them going out of business and being forced to
do something that contributes to the national economy rather than
draining it of resources.
As for the benefit they bring to the countryside, I differ from that
fathead Bryson. The South of England has a great deal of indifferent
countryside and not nearly enough good roads, while the North would
benefit if large tracts were allowed to return to a natural state of
forest and wilderness.
Posted by Glenn Haldane on May 3, 2007 1:07 PM
This programme clearly showed the *other world* farmers live in today.
So many handouts! No wonder they have so much time to kill rats and
foxes for FUN, and to rant and rave like the lunatics they are. No
wonder Britain no longer supports it's farming community, and they are
treated with the contempt they deserve. This TV showed them for what
they are! Cruel, callous, heartless, nasty and vindictive. Thank God
society is speaking with it's feet!
Posted by Colin Davidson on May 5, 2007 11:07 PM
Paul
http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
We analyse results from last year's analysis and tests.
MAVIS (Medicines Act Veterinary Information Service) has just released
the data, which exemplify the constant need for detection and
traceability to set beside the problems with Sudan Red.
The Veterinary Medicine Directorate (VMD) produces quarterly reports
for the Medicines Act Veterinary Information Services (MAVIS), the
latest of which, for the end of 2004, is to hand.
The VMD operates two complementary surveillance programmes for
residues of veterinary medicines and other substances. The larger
programme, the National Surveillance Scheme (NSS), implements EU
legislation and therefore has a statutory basis. The programme covers
the points set out below, and is funded by the industry sectors, in
accordance with EU legislation.
The second programme is smaller and non statutory. It focuses more on
surveillance of imports of certain products where the presence of
banned substances is most likely to be found. The programme is funded
by DEFRA. The independent Veterinary Residues Committee scrutinizes
and advises on the content of the VMDs (and FSA's) surveillance work.
The VMD invites representatives of various active organisations such
as VEGA to its open meetings and sends them detailed reports, from
which we have abstracted material to give our readers an indication of
the interactions between government bodies and agencies on the one
hand and on the other informed NGOs and charities whose concerns range
over many aspects of farming, food, health and the environment. There
are some dilemmas: reluctance to treat animals with drugs to lessen
risks of residues in meat, broilers, milk, eggs, and honey may entail
avoidable suffering for the non-human animal.
Materials analysed in the course of investigations reported for the
last quarter of 2004
Cows Milk
Eggs
Feed
Kidney*
Liver*
Muscle
Plasma*
Serum*
Urine*
*Some materials were found to contain substances above action levels
Other products intended for human consumption that were tested and
analysed in the course of investigations reported for the last quarter
of 2004
Eggs
*Caged
*Free range
Honey
Cow's Milk
*Residues were found in some samples of these products
Species from which products were tested and analysed in the course of
investigations reported for the last quarter of 2004
*Broilers
Calves
Cattle
Deer
Duck
Goats
*Hens
Horses
Partridges
Pheasants
Pigs
Quail
Salmon
Sheep
Trout
*Turkeys
*Residues exceeding Action Levels were found in some products
originating in these species
Compounds Tested for in the course of investigations reported for the
last quarter of 2004
Annex IV*
Chloramphenicol
Dimetridazole
Nitrofurans**
Anthelmintics (Wormers)
Avermectins**
Benzimidazoles
Levamisole
Antimicrobial Screen**
Cephalosporins
Quinolones
Tetracyclines
Beta Agonists
Carbadox
Coccidiostats
Ionophores**
Nicarbazin**
Gestagens
Altrenogest
Glucocorticoids
Heavy Metals
Cadmium
Lead
Hormones*
Estradiol
Methyltestosternone
Nortestosterone
Progesterone
Stilbenes
Testosterone
Trenbolone
Zeranol
Malachite Green*
Leukomalachite Green
Mycotoxins
NSAIDS
Phenylbutazone**
Pesticides, including PCBs
OC/PCBs
Organophosphates
Pyrethroids/Carbamates
Pyrethroids
Sedatives
Carazol
Sulfonamides**
Thyrostats
* These are compounds banned or with very restricted use in European
farming and fishing.
** Residues of these compounds were found at above Action Levels in
some products.
Paul
>Testing, Testing, Testing………………Veterinary Residues in Food
>
>http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
Mr William Beckett, a dairy farmer of Brookfield Farm,
Bellbroughton, West Midlands, was found to have administered 12
different medicines, including antimicrobials, vaccines and NSAIDs,
which had been imported from the Republic of Ireland.These medicines
were administered without the appropriate guidance from a veterinary
surgeon. On 25th October 2004, at Redditch Magistrates Court, Mr
Beckett pleaded guilty to 17 charges of importation and administration
of medical products contrary regulations in the Medicines (Restriction
on the Administration of Veterinary Medical Products) Regulations
1994. Mr Becket was ordered to pay fines totalling £ 10, 200 and to
contribute £ 5, 600 to costs.
Paul
Testing, Testing, Testing………………Veterinary Residues in Food
http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
Mr Edward Gay, a farmer of Drakes Farm, Musbury, Devon, was found to
have administered unauthorized veterinary medicines to his animals
intended for human consumption. On 6 October 2004, Mr Gay pleaded
guilty at Honiton Magistrates Court to 2 charges of administrating
unauthorized veterinary medicines, antimicrobials contrary to the
regulations that Mr Beckett had infringed, as well as on one count of
administering an unauthorised antimicrobial without the appropriate
guidance from a vet. Mr Gay was given a 12-month conditional charge
and ordered to pay £ 1, 500 towards costs.
Paul
>On Mon, 07 May 2007 10:24:46 +0100, Paul <3423...@234234.com> wrote:
>
>Testing, Testing, Testing………………Veterinary Residues in Food
>
>http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
>
Mr Morris Grose, a dairy farmer of Helston, Cornwall, was found to
have administered unauthorized veterinary medicines, including
antimicrobials and NSAIDs, to his animals intended for human
consumption. On 30th August 2004 he pleaded guilty to 4 charges of
administering these products, contrary to the aforesaid 1994
Regulations. He was given an 18-month conditional discharge and
ordered to pay Ł 1,000 towards costs.
Paul
>On Mon, 07 May 2007 10:24:46 +0100, Paul <3423...@234234.com> wrote:
>
>Testing, Testing, Testing………………Veterinary Residues in Food
>
>http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
>
Mrs Gwendoline Morris, a dairy farmer of Trewern Farm, Pontfaen,
Pembrokshire, was found to have administered veterinary medicines
including antimicrobials that had been imported illegally from the
Republic of Ireland. These medicines were administered without the
appropriate guidance from a veterinary surgeon. Mrs Morris pleaded
guilty at North Pembrokshire Magistrates Court to 6 charges of
importation and administration of these products contrary to the 1994
Regulations. Additional charges were withdrawn by the prosecution. The
court imposed a 12- month conditional discharge and ordered Mrs Morris
to pay £ 500 towards costs.
Paul
>On Mon, 07 May 2007 10:24:46 +0100, Paul <3423...@234234.com> wrote:
>
>Testing, Testing, Testing………………Veterinary Residues in Food
>
>http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
>
Mr Stuart Ridley, a dog breeder from Crumpsall, Manchester, was found
to have imported and administered unauthorised veterinary medicines,
including vaccines and antimicrobials, to his animals. He pleaded
guilty on 25th August2004 at Manchester Magistrates Court to one
charge of importation of veterinary medicines contrary to section 45
(2) of the Medicines Act and 2 charges of administration of
unauthorized veterinary medicines contrary to section 45 (2) of the
Medicines Act. Mr Ridley was ordered to pay a fine of £500 plus £500
towards costs.
Paul
>On Mon, 07 May 2007 10:24:46 +0100, Paul <3423...@234234.com> wrote:
>
>Testing, Testing, Testing………………Veterinary Residues in Food
>
>http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
>
Mr Malcolm Trevor-Jones, a dairy-farmer of Oswestry, Shropshire, was
found to have in his possession, an unauthorised veterinary medicine,
and an antimicrobial, which had been illegally imported to the UK. Mr
Trevor-Jones pleaded guilty on 16 September 2004 at Oswestry
Magistrates Court to one charge of having in his possession, an
unauthorised veterinary medicine, an antimicrobial, which had been
illegally imported to the UK contrary to section 45 (2) The Medicines
Act 1968. He was ordered to pay a fine of £1,500 plus £ 1,000 towards
costs.
Paul
>On Mon, 07 May 2007 10:24:46 +0100, Paul <3423...@234234.com> wrote:
>
>Testing, Testing, Testing………………Veterinary Residues in Food
>
>http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
>
Mr Owen Vaughan, a dairy-farmer of Tynewydd, Boncastle, Pembrookshire,
was found to have administered unauthorized antimicrobial veterinary
medicines, which had been imported illegally from the Republic of
Ireland. Mr Vaughan pleaded guilty at North Pembrokeshire Magistrates
Court on 23 November 2004, to seven charges of importation and
administration of these products contrary to Regulation 3 of the
Medicines (Restriction on the Administration of Veterinary Medicinal
Products) Regulations 1994. He was fined £150 for each offence,
totaling £1,050, and ordered to contribute £750 towards costs.
Paul
>On Mon, 07 May 2007 10:24:46 +0100, Paul <3423...@234234.com> wrote:
>
>Testing, Testing, Testing………………Veterinary Residues in Food
>
>http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
>
Mr John Matten, a cattle farmer of Newsham, North Yorkshire, pleaded
guilty on 20 December 2004 to six charges at Northallerton Magistrates
Court. Four of the charges were for the importation of veterinary
medicines, antimicrobials and a NSAID, contrary to Regulation 3 of the
Medicines (Restrictions on the Administration of Veterinary Medicinal
Products) Regulations 1994. A fifth charge was for the administration
of a NSAID under the same Regulations. The final charge was for the
administration of an antimicrobial Prescription Only Medicine (POM)
contrary to Section 58(2) (b) of the Medicines Act. Mr Matten was
ordered to pay fines totaling £3,000 and to contribute £2,800 towards
costs.
Paul
>On Mon, 07 May 2007 10:24:46 +0100, Paul <3423...@234234.com> wrote:
>
>Testing, Testing, Testing………………Veterinary Residues in Food
>
>http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
>
Mr Peter Willes, a Director of Willes Farming Ltd, was found to have
administered veterinary medicines, antimicrobials, which had been
imported illegally from the Republic of Ireland. On 6 January 2005 at
Barnstaple Magistrates Court, he pleaded guilty to four charges of
administration of a veterinary medicinal product contrary to
Regulations 3 and 7 of the Medicines (Restriction on the
Administration of Veterinary Medicinal Products) Regulations 1994. Mr
Willes was given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay
£4,000 towards costs.
Paul
>On Mon, 07 May 2007 10:24:46 +0100, Paul <3423...@234234.com> wrote:
>
>Testing, Testing, Testing………………Veterinary Residues in Food
>
>http://www.vegaresearch.org/foodnut.asp
>
Mr James Rogerson, a dairy farmer of Game Farm, Fylde, Lancashire, was
found to have administered veterinary medicines, anti-inflammatories
and antimicrobials, which had been imported illegally from the
Republic of Ireland. These medicines were administered without the
appropriate guidance from a veterinary surgeon. Mr Rogerson pleaded
guilty at Blackpool Magistrates Court on the 12th January 2005 to nine
charges of administration of a veterinary medicinal product contrary
to Section 58(2) (b) of the Medicines Act 1968. The court imposed a
12-month conditional discharge and ordered Mr Rogerson to pay Ł500
towards costs. When sentencing, the court considered mitigating
circumstances presented by the defence.
Paul
http://www.vegaresearch.org/news_item.asp?NewsID=389
The supermarket has been fined £18,000 for selling a “meat-free”
ravioli product that had been wrongly labelled as “suitable for
vegetarians”. The major multiple store based in Bradford received
fines totalling £18,000 and was ordered to pay costs of £1,981 at
Northampton magistrate’s court after pleading guilty to 2 charges of
contravening the Food Safety Act 1990. (The Grocer, 24 March 2007;
Online Meat Trades Journal 21 March 2007).
A complaint made by a man who bought 2 tins of Morrisons own-brand
Meat-free Ravioli in Tomato Sauce – Suitable for Vegetarians from a
store in Northampton prompted an investigation led by the trading
standards team of Northamptonshire County Council that resulted in the
prosecution. A spokesman for the Council reported that the complainant
had been a veggy for 23 years and was “unimpressed, disgusted, and
disappointed” to find meat in the product.
The ravioli product had been manufactured and packed in Italy. During
the investigation “it became clear that Morrisons had received several
other consumer complaints of the same nature in the previous 2 months
and had failed to investigate them properly”, a spokesman for the
County Council said.
A councillor for community safety, Liz Taverner, said that “food
labels are there so that consumers can get the information they need
to know before they buy. This is important not just for health
reasons, but for people who follow specific diets or have food
allergies”. She added her blame for the incident on the supermarket’s
disregard of earlier complaints from other customers. “Thanks to the
TSOs the product has now been withdrawn from Morrisons supermarkets”,
she said.
Morrisons spokesman stated: “We take our responsibilities very
seriously and the integrity of all the products that we sell is of
paramount importance to us. This is an unfortunate incident where
small amounts of meat found their way into a small quantity of all the
products that we sell is of paramount importance to us. We now have
revised procedures in place. On this occasion we were let down by our
supplier and would like to apologize to all customers who purchased
the product”.
Reports of the incident do not disclose details of the supplier nor of
other retail outlets where such contaminated products may still be on
sale.
VEGA says: This is an excellent example of well-informed consumer
power applying facilities available to any careful consumer. The
actions nicely reinforce the activities of campaigning organisations
such as VEGA to impress on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) the need
for monitoring the labelling and claims made on foodstuffs and the
powers of enforcement manifest by manufacturers, retailers, and
sponsors, who must prove fitness for purpose and due diligence. We
have adduced examples for the FSA where juxtaposed warnings and
approvals appear confusingly on a single product. We must also admit a
lack of evidence of shoppers scrutinizing labels in the aisles in the
supermarket before they load their trolleys for the wait in the queue
at the cash point where they might usefully find time for inspection.
Consumer muscle must be flexed individually and collectively to much
greater effect in the market.
At least Morrisons and their insurers were not recompensed for the
expenses incurred in withdrawing stocks and loss of business. As a
spur to further Veggie Might we cite a decision by a government
“watchdog”, reported on 3rd April 2007, to spare the Bernard Matthews
plant at the centre of the bird flu outbreak from prosecution.
Investigators from the FSA examined the possibility that food waste
may have been stored wrongly but concluded that there was insufficient
evidence to prosecute. Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrat, environment
spokesman, said: “Given that the DEFRA-commissioned reports into the
Bernard Matthews affair pointed clearly to breaches in the regulations
and that there was TV footage of wild birds feeding off open
waste-bins at the plant containing poultry meat, this is an
astonishing decision”. (The Guardian, 3rd April 2007). It will
continue to rankle.
The Suffolk outbreak was confirmed 2 months ago. It was the first time
the virus had been found in farmed poultry in Britain. The turkey
sheds confining the birds were intended to separate them from wild
vectors of zoonotic diseases but breaches of biosecurity were
reported. The outbreak resulted in a cull of 152,000 “healthy” birds
as a precaution organised by the State Veterinary Service. Last month
it emerged that Bernard Matthews will receive £600,000 compensation
from DEFRA. The firm declared that it “has always maintained that it
has acted with the utmost integrity and cooperated fully with the
relevant authorities… We have systems in place to ensure we meet and
in some cases exceed the measures imposed by DEFRA, FSA, and the Meat
Hygiene Service”.
In consultations with these authorities VEGA contest many of these
assurances and relates the enormities to violations of animal welfare
and decent husbandry. A webcast of the latest Open Meeting of the FSA
Council in London on Thursday, 15 February 2007 shows VEGA in action
(Q&A session). Our website carries information on consultations.
Alan
http://nwhsa.redblackandgreen.net/convicted_gamekeepers.htm
Cliffard Larter, a gamekeeper, found guilty of assault on a Notts sab
and causing ABH. The sab's nose was broken and more serious injury was
only prevented by the intervention of two other saboteurs. Fined £200
and £75 costs.
Gamekeeper Antonio Cussato (35) of Herbert Avenue, Ellesmere Port,
Cheshire was found guilty on 19/6/96 by Wrexham magistrates of four
charges of setting traps and two charges of possessing them and was
fined £400 and £100 costs. The traps were found by RSPB investigators
on the Bryn-y-pys estate at Overton where Cussato worked. During a
search of 13 pheasant pens on the estate evidence was found of illegal
pole-traps in all but two, and in four of the pens the steel spring
traps were set. On a search of Cussato's house five identical traps
were found and restraining wires hanging from a hook. Cussato claimed
a trespasser with a grievance had placed them there while he was on
holiday.
On 18/1/96 Norwich magistrates heard how a gamekeeper set pole traps
to catch birds of prey, David Millican (42) of Kimberley Hall Estate,
Norfolk, a trainee at the estate, was told by the head gamekeeper
Sidney Carter (81) to set the traps. The traps which have been illegal
since 1904 were rigged to trap such birds as sparrowhawks and tawny
owls as they swooped down on pheasants which were being reared in pens
on the estate. The traps were set on five 10ft poles at various places
on the estate and steel jaws were triggered by a spring to snap shut
when the birds land on the poles. An RSPB officer commented that any
birds caught in a pole trap would die a very slow and painful death as
they would just be hanging there with one or two broken legs until it
either died from starvation or shock. Millican was fined £1,500 (£300
for each trap) and £30 costs, later said "I have been made a
scapegoat, I did not know these traps were illegal, I was just told to
do it and I did". He also told the court any fine would be paid by the
landowner, Eton-educated Roland Buxton (72). Later he told reporters
that he had to pack in his job and that nobody would employ him
because of this case. Sidney Carter, the head gamekeeper, was said not
to be prosecuted because of his old age and ill heath.
On 14/9/96 a former student who was studying to be a gamekeeper at
Newton Rigg College, Cumbria admitted illegally removing a dead deer
from land without the consent of the landowner. Penrith magistrates
heard that Kevin Lloyd Dean (28) of Hylton House, Long Marton, Cumbria
was stopped in a car and a dead roe deer was found in the back of the
vehicle. When the police asked where it had come from they said it was
found at the side of the road. On further examination of the deer it
was found to have slash marks to the throat and wounds consistent with
having been bitten by a dog. Magistrates also heard how Dean and
others had been out rabbiting in the Cockermouth area when a dog with
them had attacked the deer. They claimed deer had been killed with a
knife to put it out of its misery and then they were taking it home
for consumption. Dean, who has since left the college because of fear
of recriminations was fined £150 with £50 costs. Two other defendants
Paul Tony Wren (23) of South Street, Cockermouth, Cumbria and a youth
from Lancashire pleaded not guilty to the incident.
Gamekeeper Dennis Stephenson (35) of Park End Estate, Wark,
Northumbria was convicted of using a Larsen trap for the purpose of
killing or taking a wild bird and fined £100 with £200 costs. During a
hearing at Hexham magistrates on 18/10/96 the court heard how RSPB
officers and police had kept watch on the trap, which had been baited
with a live racing pigeon, and had been placed near a pheasant release
pen.
Gamekeeper Michael Skelly (31) of Stanhope Estate, Tweedsmuir,
Lanarkshire has been found guilty of having shotguns and rifles out of
his cabinet and of illegal possession of 20 rounds of .275 ammunition
and four slug cartridges. Following an anonymous complaint about
poisoning police obtained a warrant to search Skelly's house. During
the search they found Cymag gas, .275 ammunition and his guns were out
of their cabinet. Following an appearance at Peebles Sheriff Court the
police revoked his shotgun and firearms licence. However the court did
not fine Skelly or make him pay any costs, he was just admonished
(given advice) by the Sheriff.
On 31/12/96 a gamekeeper who shot dead a man he found trying to steal
his car was jailed for four months and had his guns seized and
certificates cancelled after he admitted keeping more guns than the
firearms certificates permitted. Martin Wise (35) of Hildenborough,
Kent admitted possessing a Webley revolver, a Spanish single-barrel
shotgun and 253 rounds of ammunition not covered under the
certificates. Earlier this year he was cleared of murder and
manslaughter. Wise said that he did not deliberately fire an automatic
pistol at Matthew Hodge (20), whom he caught trying to steal his car
outside his home in August last year. He said the gun went off after
he cocked it to warn Hodge. Sevenoaks magistrates were told that Wise
faced financial ruin and that, by taking away his shotgun certificate,
they would be taking away his livelihood. At the time of his arrest,
police found 23 weapons at his home and at his mother's house. Both
unlicensed weapons were found at his home after the shooting, although
his licence stipulated that he should keep his weapons securely locked
in a steel cabinet at his parents' home half a mile away. Ammunition
was also found throughout his council house, where he lived with his
wife, and three sons. Two rounds were found tucked inside a packet of
cereal.
In November 1996 Darren Pratt of Salle Park Estate, Norfolk pleaded
guilty to illegally poisoning foxes. Swaffham magistrates were told
that Pratt, who is a gamekeeper on the estate, admitted to laying
sodium cyanide (Cymag) at a fox earth which was located near to a
public footpath. Police went to the estate after a pair of passing
walkers found the body of a dead vixen. They found the earth had been
blocked with bags and sodium cyanide could be seen around the earth.
The court also heard how the Cymag canister had not been disposed of
properly and two garages used to store lethal chemicals were left
unlocked. Pratt was fined £550 and ordered to pay costs of £350.
Gamekeeper Adrian Littler from Essex was found guilty of 'asphyxiating
three fox cubs with intent to cause suffering'. The offence took place
at Coggeshall around the end of May 1996, the foxes were gassed with
cyanide, Littler claimed he did not know the gassing of foxes was
illegal. On 23/1/97 Witham magistrates fined him £350 and they ordered
him to pay costs of £150.
Gamekeepers Alfred Evans (62) of Tyn-y-Clwt Nanttyr, near Llangollen,
North Wales and his nephew Eifion Evans (28) of The Lodge Nanttyr,
Glynceiriog, North Wales appeared before Llangollen magistrates on
27/6/97. Both were charged with three counts of using a trap to take a
wild bird, possessing traps to take wild birds, having control of part
of a wild bird and keeping a pheasant in an under sized cage.
Magistrates heard how an RSPB employee found two Larsen traps near a
pheasant release pen, one contained a crippled pheasant. When the
police interviewed the pair they said one of the traps was to catch
fox cubs. The prosecution alleged the traps were really a decoy to
destroy birds of prey. The incident was alleged to have happened on
the Nanttyr Estate near Llangollen where many birds of prey breed.
Back To The Top
At Llangollen magistrates on 21/6/97 Patrick Sarsfield (49) head
keeper of Vivoid Estate, Llangollen was cleared of seven charges
involving the illegal use of traps and poisoned bait.
A gamekeeper appeared at a court in Dumfries accused of using a funnel
trap for the killing of wild birds. William Richards (33) of
Harelawgate, Canonbie, Scotland pleaded not guilty to the charge, he
also denied possession of a funnel trap and two pigeons capable of
being used to catch wild birds. The court heard how an SSPCA
investigating officer found a trap baited with pigeons. The sheriff
found the case not proven.
Leslie Morris (29) of Golf Link Cottages, Downley Common, Bucks was
cleared of killing badgers, sparrowhawks and a buzzard on the Dashwood
Estate in Buckinghamshire. High Wycombe magistrates heard on 15/7/98
how Morris a gamekeeper for the Bradenham Hill shooting syndicate had
recorded his killings in a sportsman's journal. During the trial Jason
Runciman, an underkeeper, told the court that Morris had admitted
killing badgers and feeding live foxcubs to his dogs. Morris was fined
£150 with £50 costs for keeping ammunition unsecured.
Gamekeeper of 30 years James Davidson (46) of Tynabaich Cottage,
Craithe, Invercauld Estate, Scotland appeared before Stonehaven
Sheriff Court charged with using an illegal spring trap. The court was
told how Davidson had used the traps after finding birds were eating
the rabbits he caught in small traps before selling them. When the
police questioned Davidson he admitted responsibility for placing
traps and knew it was illegal to set one uncovered above ground. He
was fined £120.
A gamekeeper has been charged with three animal cruelty offences,
after an incident in which a fox was caught in a snare. Jason Dakin
(26) of the Kennels, Whitfield, Northumberland, faces two charges of
killing wild animals by prohibited means and one charge of cruelty and
neglect.
On 24/5/99 Leonard White a gamekeeper from Dorchester, Dorset appeared
before magistrates. They found him guilty of possessing a kit that
could be used to poison wild birds keeping, possessing various
firearms and keeping poisons. He was fined a total of £4,500.
The South Lakes Badger Protection group called in the RSPCA when he
found dead badger carcasses and illegal locking snares on the Holker
Hall estate of Lord Cavendish, near Cark-in-Cartmel. A covert
operation was set up by the RSPB in response finding a cage trap. It
ultimately led to the discovery of two dead badgers though fifteen
were believed to have been killed in the preliminary investigation in
1998. One was found hanging over the edge of a limestone outcrop where
it had asphyxiated after dragging a snare for 30 yards. Badger bones
and skulls were scattered around the area and a dead buzzard was found
hidden in a hole. On 11/6/99 John Drummond (32) of Old Park Farmhouse,
Grange-Over-Sands who is the Head Gamekeeper for the estate was found
guilty on 46 out of 65 charges under the Protection of Badgers Act and
the Wildlife and Countryside Acts. Drummond was found guilty of
wilfully killing two badgers, wilfully taking one badger and cruelly
mistreating all three. On 12/7/99 Drummond was jailed for three
months.
Two gamekeepers from the Worksop Manor Estate, Nottinghamshire pleaded
guilty at Newark magistrates to the use of a cage trap baited with a
live pigeon in order to take birds of prey. The head keeper Michael
Mather was fined £440 with £560 costs while the underkeeper. Mark
Wardle a recently retired Nottinghamshire Police Wildlife Liaison
Officer was fined £600 with £840 costs.
Haydn Williams a gamekeeper on the Kentchurch Estate in Herefordshire
and also a falconer, was fined £500 for illegal possession and
non-registration of two goshawks, and illegal possession of two barn
owls. He was also fined £210 for driving while disqualified and
obstructing the police and £40 costs. A visit to his pheasant pens
suggested that illegal trapping had been taking place and during a
search warrant Williams ran up the garden and released two goshawks.
Two barn owls were also seized which Williams claimed he had rescued,
although neither bird had any injury. At court Williams admitted he
had illegally trapped the goshawks to reduce predation at his pheasant
release pens.
A gamekeeper who beat his pregnant girlfriend was jailed on 01/03/00
by Newcastle Crown Court. Kevin Bright (42) of Low Briarside Farm,
Burnopfield, near Consett, attacked his girlfriend claiming the baby
was not his. He used a walking stick and a hosepipe to inflict
bruising described by a doctor as horrific. Bright had denied causing
grievous bodily harm with intent and a further charge of assaulting
but was convicted on both accounts. He was jailed for three and a half
years.
A gamekeeper has been fined for the killing of three kestrels on
Holkham Estate in Norfolk. Martin Joyce admitted to shooting two birds
and poisoning a third because he blamed them for attacking young
partridges.
Viscount Coke (34) son of the Earl of Leicester, threatened to sue the
police and Crown Prosecution Service after being cleared of allowing a
gamekeeper to illegally use poison on the family's Norfolk estate. The
heir to the Holkham estate near Wells-next-the-Sea, had faced 12
charges following the conviction in March this year of one of the
estate's gamekeepers, who admitted killing a kestrel with a poisoned
pheasant carcass. However, on 15/6/00 magistrates at Fakenham, said
Viscount Coke had no case to answer. Land agent Richard Gledson (37)
and head gamekeeper John King (62) had all denied charges relating to
food and environment protection legislation, and pesticide
regulations. Gledson and King were each convicted of three charges of
allowing a gamekeeper on the 25,000-acre estate illegally to store
poison and were fined £1,200 and £750 respectively. In March Martin
Joyce, a gamekeeper was fined £850 for the killing of three kestrels
on Holkham Estate in Norfolk. He admitted to shooting two birds and
poisoning a third because he blamed them for attacking young
partridges
Gamekeeper Charles Arnold of Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire was fined
£500 with £40 costs after pleading guilty to setting four pole-traps
on the fence posts of a pheasant release pen near Snoddington Farm,
Cholderton.
Raymond Holden a keeper at Hi-Fly Game Hatchery in Pilling, was fined
£2,000 for using a live mallard as a decoy in a fox trap and fined
£2,000. He was also fined £500 plus £500 costs, for maiming a jackdaw,
which he used as a decoy in a cage trap (he actually maimed 10
jackdaws, one for each of 10 traps, but he was only summonsed once).
Holden was found not guilty of killing a moorhen, keeping a mallard in
a cage in which it could not stretch its wings and using a funnel trap
to catch wild birds.
A gamekeeper was cleared of killing a golden eagle on 20/12/00 after
prosecutors dropped the case. David Campbell had been accused of using
illegal poison to lace a red grouse as bait for birds of prey. But the
fiscal dropped the charge at Perth Sheriff Court, saying a key witness
in the case lacked credibility. Following an investigation into the
death of the golden eagle and a buzzard on West Glenalmond Estate in
Perthshire it was discovered that the eagle had been poisoned with the
outlawed pesticide Yaltox. The buzzard was found dead next to a grouse
which had been set up with poison to act as bait for birds of prey.
Back To The Top
Keith Lynch (44) of Dumbreeze Lodge, Knowsley Park, Merseyside was
banned from driving for 18 months after pleading guilty to driving
with excess alcohol. Lynch is a gamekeeper on a shooting estate in
Knowsley owned by Lord Derby. On 31/1/01 as well as the ban South
Sefton magistrates fined him £300 and ordered to pay costs of £50. He
know faces the prospect of legal proceeding to revoke his firearms
licence.
A gamekeeper admitted a firearms offence near the scene of the
Dunblane primary school massacre. Police found 20 live bullets lying
unguarded in William Kirk's cottage in the town, Stirling Sheriff
Court were told on 16/3/01. The prosecution said Kirk did not have a
firearms certificate to cover the ammunition. His defence said Kirk
had formerly possessed a .270 rifle, but had surrendered his
certificate upon selling the weapon. Mistakenly, he held on to the
ammunition. He said Kirk had already paid dearly for his error by
losing his job and tied cottage. Sheriff Wylie Robertson fined him
£250, saying he took into account Kirk's reduced circumstances and the
fact that the prosecution had accepted his not guilty pleas to three
further charges.
A gamekeeper was fined on 25/5/01 after admitting shooting a hen
harrier, one of Britain's rarest birds. It is the first conviction for
killing the bird. Douglas Ross (33) gamekeeper of Tigh na Mara, Main
Street, Dallas, is filmed carrying the rare hen harrier was fined
£2,000 at Elgin sheriff court for shooting the bird. Ross, who works
on the Craigmill Estate which is owned by Catharine Wills, was
convicted on video evidence compiled by two members of the RSPB. The
Crown accepted his not guilty pleas to shooting a second bird on the
same date, having the birds in his possession and carrying a shotgun
for the purpose of killing a wild bird.
A gamekeeper was fined £2,400 for illegally poisoning five Buzzards
and storing and possessing a banned agricultural pesticide. Malcolm
Kempson of Cardenden, Fife went before Perth Sheriff Court after the
offences in March 2000.
On 1/5/02 a gamekeeper was spared a jail sentence after admitting
keeping a trap and pesticides capable of being used illegally to kill
wildlife. Peter Frost (63) who worked at Snailspit Farm, Swaffham, was
the first gamekeeper to appear before the courts, now anyone
possessing items capable of being used illegally to kill wildlife can
be jailed. Frost admitted possessing a Fenn trap with a dummy wooden
egg and three syringes that could have been used for such purposes.
But magistrates at Swaffham decided against imprisoning Frost and
instead fined him £200. Frost also admitted five breaches of the Food
and Environment Protection Act by keeping potentially lethal poisons,
including cyanide, for which he was fined £150 with costs of £200.
Frost had been a gamekeeper for 40 years.
An unemployed gamekeeper was given a 6 month conditional discharge and
ordered to pay costs at Corby Magistrates court on 3/5/02 after he
pleaded guilty to smashing a hunt saboteur's CB radio. Mr W. Playford
was arrested at a meet of the Woodland Pytchley hunt at Stoke Albany
where he was acting as a hunt steward. A hunt saboteur had been trying
to stop the hunt chasing a fox when he was punched to the ground by
another man, dropping the CB. It was then that Playford deliberately
smashed the radio. Whilst hunt saboteurs welcomed the guilty plea,
they were disappointed to receive no compensation for the radio, which
will cost around £100 to replace. They were also concerned at the
light sentence and the fact that no action has been taken over the
assault that took place that day. Hunt Saboteurs Association
spokesperson, Nathan Brown said, "Yet again hunting has shown its true
nature. Non-violent tactics of hunt saboteurs save animals' lives and
are frequently met with attacks and aggression from the bullies in the
hunting fraternity. This hunt has a reputation for the violence meted
out to protesters. David Reynolds, Master of the Woodland Pytchley
hunt, is a prominent member of the Countryside Alliance, who have now
threatened a 'summer of discontent' showing total disregard for the
democratic process. I fear we will see more attacks on peaceful
opponents of hunting."
At Bishop Auckland magistrates on 13/5/03 the court was told how David
Dixon (50) of Keepers Cottage, Stanhope - head gamekeeper on the
7,000-acre Croglin Estate grouse moor - and underkeeper Ian Smith (39)
of Hope Level Cottages, Stanhope used a 4ft-high moss-covered pole
trap, which was banned 99 years ago, to the trap to try and catch hen
harriers. Dixon and Smith admitted setting the trap and possessing a
short-eared owl, they said they had been trying to catch crows. Dixon
was fined £100 for each offence, and Smith £50. Both were ordered to
pay £210 costs. Stephen Graham - for Dixon, Smith and their employers,
Croglin Estates, of Wellingborough, Northants - said both men were of
previous good character. They had been reprimanded and given verbal
warnings by their employers. Dixon, Smith and Croglin Estates also
admitted three offences relating to the keeping of pesticides. Smith
was fined £50 on each of the three counts, Dixon £100, and Croglin
Estates £2,000 on each count. The trap was used to kill birds on
Stanhope Common in Weardale, County Durham.
A head gamekeeper laced dead pheasants with illegal poisons to kill
predators that attacked the birds he bred for shooting parties, Exeter
magistrates were told on 16/6/03. Alan Hetherington (32) of
Rackenford, Devon, was responsible for looking after the 20,000
pheasants bred annually at Meadowview and Higher Barns, near Oakford,
Devon. The court heard how he had poisoned the dead pheasants because
he knew badgers, foxes and birds of prey, particularly buzzards, would
eat them.
On 15/7/03 Hetherington was ordered to carry out 240 hours of
community service and pay £250 costs when he appeared before Exeter
magistrates. At the earlier hearing he pleaded guilty to six offences
related to storing or using pesticides - some restricted or illegal -
under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. He asked for one
further offence to be taken into consideration. Hetherington also
admitted two offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, one
under the Protection of Animals Act 1911, and asked for one offence to
taken into consideration. One offence involved having two syringes
containing carbofuran, bromadiolone and warfarin, and three containers
of pesticide, two with carbofuran and one with bromadiolone. Another
related to poisonous matter placed at a pheasant release pen at
Chample's Farm, Oakford. A further charge said Hetherington used a
dead pheasant poult laced with pesticides containing carbofuran and
bromadiolone to kill or take a wild bird. One police officer who took
part in the raid spoke of "the awful smell of death and decay" given
off by the bodies of dead badgers and foxes littered in woodland at
the pheasant shoot.
Back To The Top
On 12/12/02 gamekeeper Philip Holland of West Street, Crewe was
convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and the use of
non-approved pesticides. The case follows an incident when a golden
retreiver strayed onto land used by a shooting syndicate in Hanklow,
Nantwich. The dog ate part of a dead rabbit and sadly died within
minutes. The owner discovered a Fenn trap baited with a rabbit carcass
and reported it to the police. The dog and rabbit were sent for tests
and they confirmed the dog had died from ingestion of mevinphos, an
insecticide that had been banned fo 10 years. The rabbit also
contained traces of the insecticide. At Vale Royal magistrates he was
fined £200 for causing unnecessary suffering and £200 for the use of
non-approved pesticides.
A gamekeeper who spent 10 years rearing pheasant chicks in huts filled
with dust and droppings, died from bird fancier's lung, an inquest
heard on 12/9/02. Anthony Wensley (54) was employed by the chairman of
the Countryside Agency Ewan Cameron on his Dillington Estate near
Illminster, Somerset. He died after developing severe breathing
problems. The Health & Safety Executive said it is the first
pheasant-related case of the disease in Britain.
At Bishop Auckland magistrates on 13/5/03 the court was told how David
Dixon (50) of Keepers Cottage, Stanhope - head gamekeeper on the
7,000-acre Croglin Estate grouse moor - and underkeeper Ian Smith (39)
of Hope Level Cottages, Stanhope used a 4ft-high moss-covered pole
trap, which was banned 99 years ago, to the trap to try and catch hen
harriers. Dixon and Smith admitted setting the trap and possessing a
short-eared owl, they said they had been trying to catch crows. Dixon
was fined £100 for each offence, and Smith £50. Both were ordered to
pay £210 costs. Stephen Graham - for Dixon, Smith and their employers,
Croglin Estates, of Wellingborough, Northants - said both men were of
previous good character. They had been reprimanded and given verbal
warnings by their employers. Dixon, Smith and Croglin Estates also
admitted three offences relating to the keeping of pesticides. Smith
was fined £50 on each of the three counts, Dixon £100, and Croglin
Estates £2,000 on each count. The trap was used to kill birds on
Stanhope Common in Weardale, County Durham.
A head gamekeeper laced dead pheasants with illegal poisons to kill
predators that attacked the birds he bred for shooting parties, Exeter
magistrates were told on 16/6/03. Alan Hetherington (32) of
Rackenford, Devon, was responsible for looking after the 20,000
pheasants bred annually at Meadowview and Higher Barns, near Oakford,
Devon. The court heard how he had poisoned the dead pheasants because
he knew badgers, foxes and birds of prey, particularly buzzards, would
eat them.
On 15/7/03 Hetherington was ordered to carry out 240 hours of
community service and pay £250 costs when he appeared before Exeter
magistrates. At the earlier hearing he pleaded guilty to six offences
related to storing or using pesticides - some restricted or illegal -
u nder the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. He asked for one
further offence to be taken into consideration. Hetherington also
admitted two offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, one
under the Protection of Animals Act 1911, and asked for one offence to
taken into consideration. One offence involved having two syringes
containing carbofuran, bromadiolone and warfarin, and three containers
of pesticide, two with carbofuran and one with bromadiolone. Another
related to poisonous matter placed at a pheasant release pen at
Chample's Farm, Oakford. A further charge said Hetherington used a
dead pheasant poult laced with pesticides containing carbofuran and
bromadiolone to kill or take a wild bird. One police officer who took
part in the raid spoke of "the awful smell of death and decay" given
off by the bodies of dead badgers and foxes littered in woodland at
the pheasant shoot.
On 12/12/02 gamekeeper Philip Holland of West Street, Crewe was
convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and the use of
non-approved pesticides. The case follows an incident when a golden
retriever strayed onto land used by a shooting syndicate in Hanklow,
Nantwich. The dog ate part of a dead rabbit and sadly died within
minutes. The owner discovered a Fenn trap baited with a rabbit carcass
and reported it to the police. The dog and rabbit were sent for tests
and they confirmed the dog had died from ingestion of mevinphos, an
insecticide that had been banned for 10 years. The rabbit also
contained traces of the insecticide. At Vale Royal magistrates he was
fined £200 for causing unnecessary suffering and £200 for the use of
non-approved pesticides.
A gamekeeper was fined £250 for illegally possessing poison, 11 gin
traps and a wild buzzard's egg. Ronald Allison (66) was the only
suspect when a buzzard was poisoned on Balmanno Estate in Perthshire.
At Perth Sheriff Court on 13/11/03, Allison denied the charges against
him but changed his plea midway through a trial. The buzzard had been
killed with the banned pesticide Carbofuran. The court heard that
there was no legitimate reason for a gamekeeper to have any
Carbofuran. Allison pleaded guilty to three charges. Others, relating
to the killing of a crow and a buzzard and the poisoning of protected
birds with Carbofuran were dropped by the Crown.
On 22/7/03 Gary Mark Taylor, a head gamekeeper for Northumberland
estates, pleaded guilty to four charges contrary to the Food and
Environment Protection Act 1985, at Alnwick magistrates. The charges
related to the use and storage of fumigant pesticides. Taylor's fines
and costs totalled £310. He was acquitted on five charges relating to
the use of three cage-traps. In July 2001, the RSPB found a cage-trap
on a grouse moor containing a live pigeon, with food, water and
shelter provided. It appeared that the trap was intended to take birds
of prey - in particular, peregrines. In one trap were two dead mistle
thrushes, thought to have starved to death. At his home, an unmarked
and unlocked outbuilding held fumigant pesticides that were legally
required to be stored under lock and key.
On 5/9/03 in the Court of Criminal Appeal of the High Court of
Judiciary in Edinburgh, gamekeeper Malcolm Kempson lost his appeal
against his conviction for a number of poisoning offences. On 21/11/01
at Perth Sheriff Court, Kempson was convicted of placing a bait
containing carbofuran, poisoning five buzzards and a carrion crow and
possessing carbofuran for the purpose of committing offences against
the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. He was also convicted of
illegal carbofuran storage. These crimes took place on Tillyrie Farm,
near Milnathort in Perthshire, where Kempson was leasing the shooting
facility and running a pheasant shoot. Following the failed appeal the
court made no adjustment to the penalty, however, Kempson must now pay
the £2,400 in fines that were originally imposed in the Sheriff Court.
A gamekeeper accused of slaughtering rare birds of prey kept a diary
in code detailing his killings Buxton's magistrates heard on 26/1/04.
When the police searched John Cripps's cottage in the Derwent Valley
they found 171 wild bird eggs and equipment for climbing trees. The
gamekeeper, for a private shooting estate in the valley, faces 19
charges under the Wildlife Act, including 10 of killing rare peregrine
falcons, goshawk and sparrowhawk. He is also accused of illegally
collecting and smashing birds' eggs. John Cripps (60) of Keeper's
Cottage, Ronksley, Derbyshire, denies all the charges. On 30/1/04 he
was acquitted of 12 charges of killing goshawk, sparrowhawk and
peregrine falcons, which are all protected species. However, he was
found guilty of recklessly disturbing a goshawk while it was on a nest
containing eggs and intentionally destroying the eggs of a goshawk. On
25/2/04 he was given a three-month suspended jail sentence.
Back To The Top
A gamekeeper and his wife were banned from keeping dogs for three
years after their two pets became seriously underweight. Caroline
Bunnett (23) and James Bunnett (25) of Narborough Road, Pentney, near
King's Lynn, pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary
suffering to a black and tan Alsatian cross and a white and tan Jack
Russell at Central Norfolk magistrates at Swaffham on 19/2/04. As well
as the ban on keeping dogs, the couple were ordered to pay £125 each
towards costs. Caroline Bunnett was given a year's conditional
discharge and James Bunnett was ordered to do fifty hours' community
service.
On 16/8/04 at Shrewsbury Crown Court John Frederick Twist, gamekeeper
for the Marrington Shoot near Chirbury in Shropshire, pleaded guilty
to two offences contrary to the Food and Environment Protection Act
1985. A police search revealed a number of pesticides, including Cymag
and Talunex. They were found stored on a shelf in an unmarked wooden
shed after Twist had denied storing any pesticides at this location.
Twist was fined £500 and one of his employers, John Wilde, from Kenley
in Shropshire, pleaded guilty to two charges. These related to failing
to provide appropriate instruction, training and guidance for
pesticide storage, as well as permitting the unsafe storage of
Talunex. Wilde received a12-month conditional discharge and costs of
£330
A gamekeeper who admitted poisoning birds of prey in one of the
country’s worst wildlife crimes has kept his job. Stephen Muir (38)
pleaded guilty to placing poison pellets in the countryside on the
Barns Estate at Kirkton Manor in the Borders, with the intention of
killing wild birds. Muir was given a £2500 fine for each of those
charges and a further £500 fine for endangering wildlife - a total of
£5500. On 26/8/04 he was admonished at Peebles Sheriff Court, sitting
in Selkirk, on a fourth charge of being in possession of the poisonous
substance carbofuran. Although suspended from the £900-a-month post he
has held for 17 years while Wemyss and March Estates conducts its own
disciplinary process, Muir is still employed at the estate carrying
out tree and ground maintenance. He was initially charged in
connection with the death of 25 wild birds.
A shooting estate manager who claims he was ordered by the former
husband of Lady Dale "Kanga" Tryon to shoot a golden eagle when the
peer bought over the estate, has launched a battle for compensation.
Ian Thomas, who worked as estate manager for Fordie Estate, near
Comrie, in Perthshire, said he was branded a troublemaker after
threatening to report Lord Tryon to the Wildlife Commission, the
Forestry Commission and the police. Thomas, who had worked on the
6,000-acre estate for 16 years, told an employment tribunal yesterday
that his career was left in ruins after he threatened to blow the
whistle on Lord Tryon’s plans. He said he believed the peer had
instructed him to shoot the golden eagle. He said he was told by the
peer, who had been married to Prince Charles’s close friend, Kanga,
for 24 years before they divorced, that the protected birds had "no
place" on the estate. And he claimed he was constructively dismissed
after he made it clear that he would not go along with the peer’s
plans for the exclusive hunting estate. Thomas said the peer, who had
the shooting lease for the estate but had not taken full ownership of
it yet, had also talked about using poison on the estate in a way that
gave him cause for concern. Thomas made his complaint official when in
June 2000 he wrote to Harp Farm Ltd saying that he felt "morally
obliged" to speak to the Forestry Commission, the Wildlife Commission
and the police. Lord Tryon, who’s late wife was nicknamed Kanga by
Prince Charles and who died of blood poisoning in 1997, is defending
the case.
A gamekeeper charged with what is believed to be Scotland’s worst
wildlife crime appeared in court on 9/6/04. Stephen Philip Muir (39)
made no plea at Peebles Sheriff Court against the charges of poisoning
24 birds of prey. The case was continued for two weeks.
On 6/12/04 a Derbyshire gamekeeper found guilty of persecuting rare
birds in the Peak District has lost his appeal against a three month
suspended prison sentence. John Cripps (60) of of Keeper's Cottage,
Ronksley, Derbyshire, was convicted in February of destroying the eggs
of the rare Goshawk. After a three-day hearing, Derby Crown Court
upheld the original sentence - which is suspended for two years.
A gamekeeper was fined on 15/12/04 after being caught with a deadly
poison which has been used to kill rare birds of prey. David Stewart
(39) of Taymist, Ballinluig, Perthshire was fined £1200 after he was
found to have two hazardous chemicals. Stewart, who runs shooting
parties, admitted illegally storing alpha chloralose in his car and
Cymag in his unlocked garage. Chloralose has been used to kill
thousands of birds, including golden eagles, kestrels and buzzards, in
recent years. Two tins of Cymag were found in Stewart's garage. The
chemical, which gives off a lethal gas, has been used to clear mole
and rabbit holes but will be banned at the end of the year.
A gamekeeper and her assistant were jailed for three months on 14/1/05
for firing their shotguns when they encountered an illegal rave. A
judge said that he recognised that many law-abiding people would take
the view that the organisers and revellers got what they deserved when
the pair shot at speakers and car tyres. He could not overlook the
fact that Jessica Allinson (46) from Pursers Lane, Peaslake, Surrey
and her under-keeper, Alexander Szyndel (28) of of Scotland Lane,
Haslemere, Surrey discharged their double-barrelled guns where people
were present. These offences are, in my judgment, so serious that only
a custodial sentence can be justified the judge told Guildford Crown
Court. A person who is angry has no business loading a shotgun. The
possibility of causing injury by those who have momentarily lost their
temper is only too obvious. If this court were to overlook what you
did it might lead to anyone in lawful possession of a shotgun and not
acting in lawful self-defence feeling free to discharge it near to any
trespassers on their land and to point a loaded shotgun at them. They
in turn might then decide to arm themselves against this possibility
and that would lead rapidly to a breakdown in law and order. Both had
pleaded guilty to four charges of possessing a firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence and causing criminal damage. Allinson has since
lost her job as a gamekeeper and the judge revoked her licence and
ordered that the two weapons be confiscated.
Two gamekeepers were fined £2,000 each for clubbing a bird of prey to
death. Michael Clare (23) of Cookshall Lane, High Wycombe was secretly
filmed battering a common buzzard with a stick. While under-gamekeeper
Clare killed the bird, which was caught in a trap, his superior Leslie
Morris (36) also of Cookshall Lane, watched on and failed to
intervene. Morris and Clare bred pheasants and partridges on the
Dashwood Estate in West Wycombe for the Bradenham Hill shoot. High
Wycombe magistrates heard on 29/4/05 Clare claim he killed the bird to
put it out of its misery after it had broken its leg. The pair were
found guilty of killing a wild bird and having in their possession or
control a live wild bird. Morris and Clare were ordered to pay £500
costs in addition to the fines.
Wildlife campaigners have expressed outrage after prosecutors dropped
44 charges against a gamekeeper accused of storing poisons capable of
killing thousands of people in an unlocked shed. Following
plea-bargaining Jock Whellans (68) admitted just four offences at
Jedburgh Sheriff Court on 11/6/05 and was fined a total of £190. The
alleged offences ranged from the laying of poison baits in the open
countryside and the use of an illegal snare. Whellans pleaded guilty
to just four offences, with not guilty pleas being accepted on the
remaining charges.
Alan
http://nwhsa.redblackandgreen.net/convicted_hunt_supporters.htm
Ian Randell, the son of The Badsworth Foxhounds huntsman, was
convicted of actual bodily harm to a Sheffield sab.
Supporter of the Enfield Chase Foxhounds, George Adair convicted of
criminal damage to a sab vehicle and ordered to pay a £100 fine and
£60 costs. On a charge of assault on sabs the jury were unable to come
to a unanimous decision so the judge decided for them, finding Adair
not guilty despite the evidence of six sab witnesses, a detective
constable, a sergeant, an inspector and a superintendent regarding his
alleged violent behaviour.
Martin Philips 'sympathies' towards the hunt were so inflamed by the
sight of two HSA sweatshirts, that he attacked the people inside them,
leaving one requiring stitches to his face. Philips was fined £325,
and ordered to pay £25 to each of his victims, as well as £19 damages
for breaking a pair of spectacles.
Maurice Bell who is the Master of The Wensleydale Foxhounds convicted
of assault and actual bodily harm on two saboteurs, one of which he
knocked unconscious and left needing stitches. A female sab was also
dragged over a barbed wire covered wall. Bell was fined a total of
£150.
Andrew Smith, a senior civil servant with the Dept. Of Agriculture,
his daughter Lorna and son Derek, all members of the Linlithgow and
Stirlingshire Foxhounds along with Andrew Crowe and Malcolm Dick, were
all convicted of charges of breach of the peace and assault. Each of
the five was fined £400. They also had a failed appeal.
Supporters of the Puckeridge Foxhounds, Ronald Edwards and his son
Steven, bound over for a year by the sum of £200 after an incident in
which a sab was beaten unconscious. Another hunt heavy was also fined
£100 with £303.41 costs and compensation for damage caused to a
saboteur's car, when he crushed it with his own.
William Bolton, Paul Hawkes And David Lynne, supporters of The
Tynedale Foxhounds, all bound over to keep the peace for 2 years in
the sum of £200, after a vicious and unprovoked attack on a Tyneside
sab. Bolton also admitted a further charge of criminal damage for
which he was fined £50 with £24.41 compensation.
Roger Howarth, a whipper-in for The Linlithgow and Stirlingshire
Foxhounds found guilty of damaging a cb radio belonging to Edinburgh
sabs. He was ordered to pay the group the princely sum of £10 for a
new one.
Albrighton Foxhounds Huntsman, Nigel Cox, convicted of firearms
offences and given a 3 year suspended prison sentence after he blew a
hole in the radiator of an occupied sab minibus with a shotgun. He was
also given a conditional discharge for assault (he had struck a sab
with the gun) and criminal damage to a camera. No damages were paid to
sabs.
South Dorset Foxhounds Kennelman Nicholas Stevens and two of his
friends all bound over to keep the peace after an incident when 3 sabs
were cornered in a field and attacked.
Paul Connolly attacked a sab with a pickaxe handle, beating him while
he lay on the ground. Fined £500 for assault.
Paul Willingale was sentenced to 6 months in prison for a vicious
attack on Eddie Coulson who was attending his first sab at the
Waterloo Cup hare coursing event. As a consequence Mr Coulson, who
needed emergency surgery to remove bone splinters & a blood clot,
suffered a fractured skull & is left afflicted by epileptic fits.
Thomas Smith and Jeffery Cook, supporters of The Bicester and Whaddon
Chase Foxhounds bound over for 1 year for breach of the peace after an
incident which left the back window of a sab's car completely smashed.
The prosecution dropped charges of criminal damage and section 4.
Robert Rous, Master Of Hounds and David Trotman, Kennel Huntsman of
The Waveney Harriers both bound over to keep the peace after an
incident when a hunt saboteur had to be taken to hospital following
repeated lashing from a riding crop. The C.P.S. attempted to drop the
case after medical evidence was 'lost', and witnesses weren't called.
Denis Lough-Scott, a Heythrop Foxhounds supporter fined £50 for actual
bodily harm on a hunt protester.
Neil Coleman, First Whip And Kennel Hand Of The Cottesmore Foxhounds,
fined £300 and £10 cost after knocking an old lady off her bike,
breaking bones and failing to stop, whilst driving the hunt fleshwagon
back from an evening down the pub.
Allan Summersgill
Edward Vickery of The Quantock Staghounds, convicted of assault after
riding down and attacking a saboteur. Fined £600
Duncan Branch, a subscriber to The Chiddingfold, Leconfield And
Cowdray Foxhounds found guilty of attacking 2 saboteurs with his fists
and a riding crop. Fined £400 with £250 costs and was ordered to pay
£50 compensation to each of his victims.
Mark Evans, whipper-in to The Hampshire Hunt, loses a private
prosecution brought by a saboteur he had beaten with his whip. Found
guilty of assault.
Bloodsports fanatic Jim Newbury Street jailed for nine months after
planting a bomb under his own landrover in an attempt to discredit
sabs.
Francis Momber, the Former Master Of The Hampshire Hunt, given a
conditional discharge and ordered to pay £175 compensation for
smashing the windows on three sides of a saboteur's vehicle. Flying
glass cut the drivers hand and another occupant's mouth.
Justin Ellis, Matthew Jones and Charles Peach, all supporters of The
Chiddingfold, Leconfield And Cowdray Foxhounds, found guilty of affray
after Ellis rammed the back of a sab landrover, and Jones And Peach
attacked it, breaking several windows. Ellis was fined £400 and banned
from driving, while the others were each fined £250.
Holderness Foxhounds Huntsman, William Deakin, convicted of criminal
damage to a sab van and given a conditional discharge.
Gary Whelbrand, an Albrighton Foxhounds supporter, found guilty of
fracturing a saboteur's jaw in two places and perforating his eardrum,
after Whelbrand jumped the sab from behind, dragging him to the ground
in an unprovoked attack. He was convicted of ABH, and was fined £250
with costs and £75 compensation.
Atherstone Foxhounds supporter convicted of assault and fined £200,
with £138 costs and £60 compensation.
Vale Of White Horse Foxhounds Whipper-In, Matthew Calcot was ordered
to pay £130 compensation and was bound over for a year for the sum of
£100 after the windscreen of oxford HSA'S van was smashed.
The South And West Wilts. Foxhound's Kennelman sacked after being
convicted of section 4 of the public order act. He had violently
rocked a sab's car with people inside. He was also convicted of drink
driving at the time.
Stephen Thayne, Whipper-In To The Chiddingfold Foxhounds, convicted of
assault and battery after riding down a group of saboteurs. Given one
years conditional discharge and ordered to pay £170 costs.
New Forest Terrierman, Keith Colbert and hunt supporter Adrian Bungay,
both given conditional discharges after a hunt saboteur was attacked
during a meet of the hunt. At the time of writing Colbert is wanted by
police for an alleged racial attack on a mixed-race hunt monitor.
Nigel Trevithick-Wood, husband of an Old Surrey And Burstow Foxhounds
Joint Master, received a 6 month suspended sentence for punching a sab
in the face at a cubbing meet. In a related incident 1st whipper-in
(now huntsman) Mark Bycroft was also found guilty of assault and
ordered to do community service.
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Keith Nobbs, New Forest Foxhounds Terrierman and Nick Stevens (again),
South Dorset Foxhounds Kennelman, both fined £200 for criminal damage
to a sab vehicle. The car, with sabs inside it, had been overturned at
a meet of the South Dorset Foxhounds.
John Funnell, Master Of The Surrey Union Foxhounds found guilty of ABH
on Brixton saboteur. The sab needed stitches to a serious head wound
and was left scarred for life after Funnell rode his horse over him
twice. He was given a 2 month prison sentence, suspended for 2 years.
Kenneth Banks, foot follower of The Old Surrey And Burstow Foxhounds
received a 12 month suspended sentence for punching a saboteur in the
groin.
Francis Momber (again) found guilty of criminal damage to a Portsmouth
sab landrover. He was given a 1 year conditional discharge and ordered
to pay £500 costs and £175 compensation.
2 followers of The South Dorset Foxhounds convicted of criminal damage
after over-turning a saboteur's car - with sabs inside it! They were
ordered to pay compensation to the car's owner
Hunt supporters Adrian Bungay (again) and Keith Corbett (again), both
given conditional discharges for 1 year after an attack on two
Southampton saboteurs. Both men had to pay costs and compensation to
their victims.
Quorn Foxhounds employee Timothy Taylor found guilty of possessing an
unlicensed shotgun. Fined £100 with £37 costs.
Pro-hunt farmer, Mark Fuller, attacked an Anglia TV reporter out with
local saboteurs, at a cubbing meet of the west Norfolk Foxhounds.
After assaulting the reporter, fuller proceeded to destroy two video
cameras and smashed a van's windscreen. He was convicted of affray and
3 counts of criminal damage. He was ordered to pay £1050 in fines,
£1463 in compensation and £150 costs - a total of £2663.
Richard and Thomas Cheshire, both hunt marshals, found guilty of
affray and assault causing actual bodily harm after they attacked a
car containing observers, smashing the windscreen before overturning
the vehicle down an embankment. Two of the passengers were repeatedly
punched and an attempt was made to drag one man through the broken
windscreen. They were fined a total of £2049, including £100 towards
the repair of a damaged video camera.
Richard Cheshire, (again) and Bicester and Whaddon Chase Foxhounds
Kennelman, Michael Smith both sent to prison for 2 months after a sab
was pushed in front of a speeding quad bike. The case was successful
because for the first time, sabs had video footage of the incident.
On the 3rd of April 1993, Tom Worby was crushed under the wheels of
the Cambridgeshire Foxhounds hound van. No action was taken against
the driver of the hound van huntsman Alan ball.
William Howells, forestry commission worker and supporter of The New
Forest Buckhounds found guilty of smashing a video camera belonging to
The New Forest Animal Protection Group. Ordered to pay £443
compensation and given a 12 month conditional discharge.
Kenneth Mansbridge, a supporter of The Hursley Hambledon Foxhounds,
convicted of unlawful wounding on a green party researcher, who needed
hospital treatment for serious head wounds after being kicked and
beaten by a group of hunt followers 1991. Mansbridge admitted kicking
the victim in the groin and punching him to the ground. (on the same
day, another protester was beaten around the head with a spade, and
left needing 10 stitches and a 6 and a half months pregnant woman was
hit on the head with half a brick, needing 4 stitches). Mansbridge was
sentenced to 140 hours community service and ordered to pay costs of
£150.
John Stride, a rider with the New Forest Buckhounds, found guilty of
assault on a saboteur (with his whip). Also convicted on a related
charge of criminal damage. Fined £25 for the assault with a further
£25 for damaging a map.
Christopher R G Nichol, hired steward, admitted assault on a female
Pickering hunt sab, who suffered cuts and bruises. Fined £370 after
admitting in court that he 'lost his temper'.
Edward Lycett-Green of the Portman Foxhounds, was given a 12 month
conditional discharge for criminal damage. Originally 5 hunt followers
including Lycett-Green were charged with various charges of affray,
violent disorder, assault and theft after an incident when a
blocked-in sab landrover had its windows smashed, a camera was smashed
and stolen and the occupants, including a local reporter, were
attacked. Unbelievably, at the trial the cps refused to offer any
evidence for the affray and violent disorder charges and only
Lycett-green was convicted. Patricia Harris, a rider with the Portman
Foxhounds, convicted of criminal damage to sab property and given a
conditional discharge.
Roger Wakefield, Essex and Farmers Union Terrierman, given 160 hours
community service after being found guilty of violent disorder and
affray against saboteurs. Hunt supporter, Bryn Chittenden was also
convicted of the same offences and given 120 hours community service.
A supporter of the Cumberland Foxhounds attacked a photographer with a
spade handle, after the photographer took the balaclava-wearing thug's
picture. He was fined £200 for assault.
The chairman of the Essex Foxhounds and two of his hired stewards paid
a total of £1053 in damages to three L.A.C.S. officials, after the
stewards had forcibly removed them from land. The L.A.C.S. people were
pushed around and threatened by the hired thugs.
Paul Martin attacked a sab repeatedly at a joint meet of The South
Dorset Foxhounds and the Cattistock Foxhounds. He pleaded guilty to
ABH and was only given a conditional discharge, as no medical evidence
was given.
Andrew Pearce head-butted the camcorder being used by a L.A.C.S.
monitor because he mistook him for a sab. The monitor receives bruises
and a swollen lip as a result. Pearce was convicted of assault and
given a 2-year conditional discharge.
Bramham Moor Foxhounds supporter Raymond Walker attacked saboteurs
with a scythe!, Leaving two with head wounds, and a van's windows
smashed. He was convicted of affray along with two other hunt
Supporters Mr & Mrs Winstanley, and criminal damage. All three were
given community service orders.
Leading supporter of The Surrey Union Foxhounds, Noel Cahill, arrested
in November after an attack on saboteurs left one hospitalised. Police
searching his home found a death threat ready to be posted to the HSA
press officer
Anthony Kirkham, supporter of the Cheshire Foxhounds, received a 12
month prison sentence (suspended on appeal) for attacking a lone
female sab who had gone to get help after the sab van had been
attacked by hunt heavies. When Kirkham caught up with her, he beat and
kicked her to the ground. More on him later.
Amateur Whip Of The New Forest Foxhounds, John Mitchell found guilty
of careless driving after sandwiching a Southampton saboteur between a
van and a landrover, running over the sab's foot and hitting him with
the wing mirror. A police officer witnessed the incident. Fined £180
and £150 costs and 7 penalty points on his licence.
Back To The Top
John Edward Wedmore, Terrierman For The Mendip Farmers Foxhounds found
guilty of 3 counts of assault after he launched an attack on three
L.A.C.S. monitors. (unbelievably, a L.A.C.S. monitor's tabard was
shown to the court to prove that the monitors could not have been
mistaken for hunt saboteurs - implying that Wedmore might have had
justification for attacking sabs!)
Adrian Thompson was found not guilty of being involved in an attack on
Dorset HSA's van while they were attending a meet of the Crawley and
Horsham Foxhounds. Two sabs had been subjected to a furious assault
and the van had been pushed into a ditch and its windows smashed.
During the trial Thompson seemed to lay the blame firmly on a
mysterious acquaintance 'Wayne' who has never been traced.
Surrey Union Foxhounds Supporter, Gary John Moore, pleaded guilty to
two charges of common assault and affray after an unprovoked attack on
local saboteurs outside a pub. At the time of his arrest police had to
drag him off his victim, who had already been beaten to the ground.
Even while he was restrained Moore attempted to kick the saboteur in
the head. He was fined £500
David Woolley, Joint Master Of The Cheshire Foxhounds, cautioned after
making a 2am phone call to the NW regional rep. Of the L.A.C.S. he was
said to have threatened 'I'm going to kill you, bitch!'
3 supporters of The Vale Of Clettwr Foxhounds bound over to the keep
the peace for a year after an incident when a sab van was surrounded
and the driver dragged out and held upside down. Terrierman Emyr
Davies and supporters John Galmore Jones and John Geraint Owens denied
violent disorder and the theft of 6 items of sab equipment.
Christopher Rooke (37) of Newton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire who is an
amateur terrierman with the York and Ainsty South Foxhounds was fined
£750 with £60 costs by Easingwold magistrates after admitting
interfering with a badger sett. The incident happened during a meet of
the York and Ainsty South. A local landowner who had fenced off an
area of his land which contained a badger sett, felt the fewer people
who knew about the it the better. However, later that day the
landowner noticed the fence had been broken down and somebody was
digging up the sett. Rooke who has 20 years experience an amateur
terrierman did not believe it was a sett, he thought it was a rabbit
warren, and was told there was a fox down it and it was his job to get
the fox out. Mr Darwin, mitigating said: "It wasn't his intention to
harm the badger or the sett and he has expressed his remorse".
On 9/8/96 Penrith magistrates found Edwin Russell Dickinson (38) of
Town Head Road, Cotehill, Carlisle, who is the terrierman for the
Cumberland Farmers Foxhound guilty of interfering with a badger sett
by causing a dog to enter it, and Peter James McColgan (30) of The
Kennels, Welton, Dalston, who is the amateur huntsman for the
Cumberland Farmers Foxhounds guilty of aiding and abetting Dickinson
in interfering with a badger sett by causing a dog to enter the sett.
The magistrates heard that the Cumberland Farmers were out hunting
near Penrith when McColgan found that a fox had gone down a hole, he
then called over Dickinson. The holes were then blocked and some nets
were put over other entrances, a terrier was then entered the holes.
Both men admitted in interviews that they had put a terrier down but
said the contentious issue was whether they were signs of the sett
being an active one. After a trial lasting nearly three days the
magistrates found the pair guilty and they were fined £150 each with
£250 costs.
Wooton Bassett magistrates heard how Richard Lovett (41) of Meysey
Hampton, Cirencester, Gloucestershire blocked up a sett in readiness
for hunting the following day. Lovett is the terrierman for the Vale
of White Horse Foxhounds, based at Meysey Hampton. Lovett (who is also
a former gamekeeper and Gloucestershire Area Representative for the
Fell and Moorland Working Terrier Club) gave evidence for five hours,
during which he totally denied having done anything wrong and said he
had followed the Masters of Foxhounds Association rules diligently.
Many witnesses were called in an attempt to persuade the court that
blocking up the sett entrances with lumps of wet, heavy clay did not
conflict with the Protection of Badgers Act, which dictates that if
earth is used it must consist of 'loose soil'. The trial lasted for 6
days after which Lovett was found guilty and fined £100. Lovett
appeared at Swindon Crown Court to appeal against his conviction for
illegally blocking a badger sett. The Crown Court rejected his appeal
and decided that Lovett had committed the offence.
A hunt supporter of the Seavington Hunt who trespassed on a railway
line was caught on camera and reported to the police by a member of
League Against Cruel Sports. Yeovil magistrates heard on 8/8/96 how
Bernard Martin (58) of New Close, Haselbury Plucknett, Somerset was
filmed walking along the track with a number of others during a meet
of the hunt. In his defence Martin said "He had been led to believe
that checks had been done and no trains were running on that day. He
had been doing what he did that day for many years. Ignorance of the
law is no excuse but no-one ever stopped him". Martin was given a 12
month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £20 costs, a charge of
trespass against his son Paul Martin (32) was dismissed at the request
of the prosecution.
Dean John Richards (36 ) of Glebelands Villas, Bishops Nympton, Devon
pleaded guilty to two charges of assault at Tiverton magistrates on
20/9/96. The court were told how two LACS sanctuary officers were
monitoring the Tiverton Staghounds. During the day Richards had thrust
himself through their car window, both the monitors inside were hit
around the face and one video camera was damaged. In court, Richards
claimed he had been given the task of getting between the hounds and
the stag to stop them attacking it. Magistrates fined Richards £50 for
each assault with £69 costs and ordered him to pay £25 to each of the
victims.
On 25/10/96 John Mitchell (56) of Outlands Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire
was found guilty of careless driving by New Forest magistrates. The
court was told how Mitchell, who is the amateur whipper-in with the
New Forest Foxhounds had sandwiched a hunt sab from Southampton
between a van and a Land Rover. The incident happened when a sab was
standing close to the side of a Land Rover when Mitchell drove past,
the front wheel went over the sabs left foot and the wing mirror hit
his shoulder, it was at this point when he was sandwiched between the
two vehicles. The Southampton sab suffered a badly sprained ankle and
other injuries. A police officer on duty at the time of the incident
said other vehicles had found room to pass comfortably. Mitchell also
claimed in court it was a "set-up". The court imposed a fine of £180
with £150 costs and had seven penalty points put on his driving
licence.
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Joanna Mary Scott (28) of Higher Cooksley, Upton, near Wiveliscombe,
Somerset, daughter of Diana and Maurice Scott who are the joint
masters of the Devon and Somerset Staghounds, was found not guilty by
Minehead magistrates on 8/11/96 of chasing a stag with a Land Rover to
stop it entering a sanctuary. Scott had denied the offence. She told
the court she was following the deer to see where it went, and to
prevent trespass by hounds onto sanctuary land.
Nicholas Grooby (22), of Paradise Lane, Old Dolby, Leicestershire (an
unpaid terrierman for South Nottingham Foxhounds), Gary Pearson (34)
of Souldern Way, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, David William Edwards (48)
of Roughcoat Lane, Cavershall, Stoke-on-Trent and Mark John Hulme (33)
of Ash Grove, Rode Heath, Stoke-on-Trent were all found guilty by
Nottingham magistrates on 15/1/97 of attempting to take a badger,
digging for badgers and interfering with a badger sett. The court
heard how they were spotted by a local gamekeeper who had watched them
digging at a well known badger sett. One of them had a dog locator
scanner while another was poking a large metal spike into the ground.
On 20/2/97 they were all sentenced to four months for attempting to
take a badger, two months for digging for badgers and two months for
interfering with a badger sett. All sentences are to run concurrently.
They were also banned from keeping animals for 5 years. Following the
appeal in July they all had their sentences reduced to 120 hours
community service plus costs of either £400 or £500.
Alan Owen (48) of Glandwr Gwynfryn, Llanbedr, Gwynedd has lost his
appeal for the revocation of his firearms licence. Owen, who is the
Master/Huntsman of the Nantcol Valley Foxhounds, first appeared in
court in March 1996 after he was accused of punching, kicking and
threatening a farming neighbour. The court was told how Owen had
threatened his neighbour with a knife after he had shot and wounded a
hound which was trespassing in a field of sheep. At the time he
admitted common assault, but denied the knife threat. The court
ordered that his firearms certificate be taken away. In September 1996
he appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court to appeal against the revocation
of his firearms certificate. The court heard he possessed a shotgun,
but not used it since he was twelve, two rifles and a handgun. The
local police opposed the appeal on the grounds that he was, in their
opinion 'not a fit person to possess firearms'. (In November 1993 Owen
was convicted of unnecessary suffering to his pet lurcher by Blaenau
Ffestiniog magistrates, he was fined £450 and had to pay costs of
£2,227, he was also banned from keeping dogs for a year).
On 8/5/97 Leonard Durman-Walters (57) of Hyndlee, Bonchester, Scotland
will stand trial for bird cruelty charges. Durman-Walters of the
Scottish Academy of Falconry appeared before Jedburgh Sheriff Court on
10/4/97 accused of releasing a live cock pheasant at Falside on
18/9/96, which was taken and killed by a trained bird of prey under
his control. He is also accused of causing unnecessary suffering and
terror on the same day to a captive tethered pigeon, by using it as a
live lure to attract birds of prey.
New Forest Foxhounds kennel huntsman Paul Woodhouse (46) of Romsey
Road, Lyndhurst, Hampshire was described in court as Mr Cool lost his
temper and struck a League Against Cruel Sports member with his whip.
Lyndhurst magistrates heard on 23/4/97 how Woodhouse did not have a
blemish on his character and had endured numerous provocative
incidents over the years. However, when he was out with the hunt the
court heard how he rode his horse at the LACS member and struck him
twice across the head with a whip resulting in him ending up on the
floor. At the time the LACS member was filming a fox being dug out
after it had gone to ground. Woodhouse was said to be in pain after
falling from his horse earlier on in the day was described as a very
cool character, however, he could only remember striking only one
blow. Woodhouse admitted common assault and was fined £75 and ordered
to pay costs of £35 and £40 compensation.
A haulier was sentenced to four months in prison and banned from
keeping any animal for five years after becoming the first man ever to
be caught unlawfully transporting a live badger. Desmond Joseph Mackin
(43) of Castle Lodge, Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland
(formally an official representative of the Fell and Moorland Working
Terrier Club) pleaded guilty to charges of possession of a badger and
ill-treating a badger at Darlington magistrates on 6/10/97. Mackin was
arrested by Durham police after being stopped in his lorry. Police
requested RSPCA assistance after discovering a live badger tied up in
a sack in the back of the lorry. Mackin had travelled to County Durham
from Northern Ireland. An inspector of the RSPCA's Special Operations
Unit, who assisted Durham police, said: "This is an extremely
important case. It confirms our suspicions that badgers are being dug
out and transported elsewhere for baiting. The badger was found tied
up and covered in mud in the middle of the loaded wagon and we believe
it had been driven all the way from Northern Ireland to be baited over
here". The badger was later found to be pregnant and after recovering
from the ordeal gave birth to three cubs. After rehabilitation, the
sow along with all the cubs were successfully released into the wild
in the South of England.
A Master Of The Cotswold Vale Farmers Foxhounds cautioned by police
after an indecent assault was made on a young female saboteur.
Stephen Barnes, a rider with The South Notts Foxhounds, found to have
deliberately ridden over a female saboteur, breaking her elbow and
causing severe bruising, in a civil case brought by the saboteur. She
was awarded £2,500 compensation. Barnes was apparently 'banned' from
riding with the hunt after the incident in 1993.
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John Charles Kneale (58) of Westminster Drive, Bromborough, Wirral
(terrier man for the Cheshire Foxhounds) and Peter Edge (28) of Hilbre
Bank, Alpraham, Tarporley, Cheshire both walked free from Northwich
magistrates on 31/10/97 after magistrates decided there was no case to
answer over allegations of badger digging. Both were charged with
disturbing a badger sett and causing a dog to enter a badger sett
after the Cheshire Foxhounds had passed over the land earlier the same
day. The farmer who owned the land said "I was approached by Kneale,
he said a fox had run to ground during the hunt and would it be all
right to dig it out. I gave him permission. I didn't know they were
going near where the badger sett." They were then seen digging at the
sett by forest workers, who then rang a badger protection group to
report them.
Robert Venner (30) who is a farmer from the West Country was ordered
to pay £4,000 compensation to the League Against Cruel Sports after a
practical joke went wrong. Apparently Venner tried to pinch a flag
from the L.A.C.S. stand at the 1997 Devon show, however, he found
himself in trouble when he smashed an awning and broke a windscreen.
Elaine Boddington (36) of Stonehouse Lane, Peckforton, Cheshire (who
is a member of the Cheshire Foxhounds) was found guilty of driving
without due care and attention at Chester magistrates on 11/9/97.
Boddington, who works for a public relations company called Written
Image denied the offence. However, magistrates heard how a former
traffic policeman was waiting to pick up his wife in the middle of
Chester when he saw Boddington return to her car, which was parked
between a Rover and a Maestro. The car only had a four feet space
behind it. He then watched as she reversed sharply knocking into the
bumper of the Maestro, pushing it down the road for about two feet,
she then drove straight off. When interviewed by the police she
repeated several times she had not had an accident. Boddington also
added "This may be a malicious allegation because of my high profile
activities with the Cheshire Hunt. My vehicle registration is very
well known". Magistrates fined her £200 with £200 costs and awarded
her five penalty points. The court also heard she already had six
points on her licence.
Farmhand Glen Norman (27) of Beverley, East Yorkshire was jailed for
two-and-a-half years for wounding by Hull Crown court on 5/1/98. The
court heard how he had punched Michael Wingfield Boyce (55) of Long
Lane, Beverley, huntsman with the Holderness Hunt, while Boyce was on
the ground Norman kicked him in the head, breaking his nose, cheekbone
and blacking both eyes. The trouble erupted after Boyce's lover Libby
Merryless (37) and Norman's wife Alison were seen fighting like
wildcats on a stable floor. The court heard how Boyce had seduced
Alison when she was 17 and began a 10-year affair with her. They both
launched an equestrian business but fell out when she found him
kissing her best friend Merryless. Alison Norman (28) of Wood End
Farm, Rise near Long Riston was given 150 community service after
admitting assault.
Builder John Black (41) from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire admitted
assaulting gamekeeper John Hollingworth (52) at a social evening of
the Pennine Foxhounds at Millbrook, Stalybridge. On 23/1/98 Ashton
under Lyne magistrates fined him £150 with £150 compensation.
On 4/2/98 a fox hunt was cleared over allegations that it damaged a
protected badger sett during an incident in which a pack of hounds
swarmed through a country park. Police have decided to take no action
against the Morpeth Hunt following an investigation into the incident.
Police launched an investigation into allegations that a badger sett
was damaged during the incident in which the huntsmen had to remove
the hounds from the country park, where hunting is banned.
Northumberland County Council launched its own probe after claims the
hounds chased foxes through the park three times in two hours. Hunting
is not permitted in the park but there is an agreement that huntsmen
can go in and remove hounds if they run into the area while chasing
foxes. The agreement states that the hunt should retrieve their hounds
as quickly as possible without disturbance to visitors or wildlife.
The huntsman of the Shamrock Harriers was fined £100 for cruelty to
hounds in his care. The huntsman, claims that the hounds were
'knackered' after a hard season was not accepted by the court. (C.W.
20/2/98)
The Pytchley hunt have been fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of
£820 for causing poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter a
watercourse, after blood from animal carcasses drained into surface
water drains rather than foul drains. Richard Payne, the hunt's
secretary and representative pleaded guilty to the charge. This is
similar to an incident in 1996 when the West Norfolk Foxhounds were
fined £5,000 with £449.29 costs after admitting knowingly permitting
pollution of a stream.
Three men who threatened members of the South Dorset Anti-Blood Sports
group at a hunt meeting in Somerset were sentenced by Yeovil
magistrates. Bernard Martin (59) of Haselbury Plucknett, his son Paul
Martin (33) of Dinnington, and Gordon Martin (51) of Haselbury
Plucknett pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour towards hunt
protesters at a meet of the Cattistock Hunt. The court ordered Paul
Martin to serve 80 hours community service and pay compensation of
£50. Bernard Martin was fined £70 and Gordon Martin was given a
six-month conditional discharge.
Rodney Ellis who is the joint master of the Tedworth Hunt escaped a
driving ban after blaming his wife's riding injury. Ellis (57) from
Malborough, Wiltshire told Kennet magistrates on 1/5/98 how he drove
home because his wife had fallen of her horse earlier in the day and
could not drive home from a hunt dinner. One of the magistrates Lady
Belinda Johnston (wife of Wiltshire's Lord Lieutenant General, Sir
Maurice Johnston) said "You had just cause in driving because this was
a sufficient emergency". When he was stopped by police Ellis was
arrested after he refused to give a breath sample. However, he later
agreed to provide on, which showed he was nearly twice over the legal
limit. Magistrates imposed a fine of £450. Ellis appeared before
Devizes magistrates after an Appeal Court ordered him to be
re-sentenced. On 10/12/98 he was disqualified from diving for three
years after police found he was twice over the legal limit.
Simon Williams (31) who runs the kennels of the South Devon Foxhounds
was given a one-year conditional discharge and made to pay costs of
£125 for threatening a hunt saboteur, but was cleared of charges of
common assault and using a bar as an offensive weapon.
The joint master of the Duke of Beaufort Captain Ian Farquhar (53)
appeared at Avon magistrates on 20/10/98. He pleaded guilty to
allowing Cypermethin, which is used to treat mange in the hounds at
the Beufort kennels to enter the river Avon. The pesticide killed
around 10,000 endangered white clawed crayfish in the river.
Joint Masters of Crawley and Horsham Hunt, Anthony Sandeman (41) of
Coombe Lane, Bolney, West Sussex and Philip Ghazala (40) of Shipley
Road, Southwater, near Horsham intend to appeal against a court's
decision finding them guilty of damaging a hunt protester's vehicle.
Ghazala and Sandeman denied a charge of criminal damage to protesters
car when they appeared at Mid Sussex Magistrates Court on 28/9/98. The
incident happened after the protester and his partner monitor a hunt.
The Crawley and Horsham Hunt had been cancelled and they travelled to
the Petworth Hunt instead in another vehicle. When they returned later
they noticed two males down the side of their vehicle. "One was
standing up and looked as though he was writing on the side. The other
one was behind him. When they were spotted they "hurried away very,
very quickly" He said there was scratching along the near-side panel
of his car and the paint was still blistering and flaking and the
nearside tyre had been let down. Taped interviews with Ghazala and
Sandeman were played to the court. Ghazala, managing director of Horse
Health Products UK, said he and Sandeman had driven to Kent on that
day for a hound parade, because the Crawley and Horsham Hunt had been
held a day earlier. Sandeman had received information that there were
"saboteurs" gathering in the area. Ghazala said he drove down the lane
on his way back from Kent at approximately 4 to 4.30pm, where he let
Sandeman out to "relieve himself" and to note down the registration
numbers of any cars parked along the road. He stated that he never
left the vehicle. Sandeman a farmer, said that they recognised the
approaching car and so they drove off. The prosecution asked both men:
"You were caught red-handed and that is why you are here today, is it
not?" The reply of both men was: "No." Magistrates fined Sandeman £300
with £250 costs and had to pay £58 compensation. Ghazala was also
fined £300 with £250 with compensation.
A long-serving member of the Southern Regional Fisheries Board has
resigned following his conviction for salmon poaching at Waterford
Circuit Court on 29/7/98. John Doherty (66) of the Quay, Cheekpoint,
Co Waterford, was fined £125 for salmon fishing in the River Suir
during the closed season. His case was appealed to the Circuit Court
by the Director of Public Prosecutions following dismissal in the
District Court. Doherty told the court he had found five dead salmon
in his weir. This was a most unusual occurrence which he had never
seen in 40 years of fishing. However, the Judge said he could not
ignore the coincidence that gardaí were waiting when Doherty found the
dead fish, which suggested there was a history to the case. Defence
counsel asked the judge to consider applying the Probation Act, as a
conviction would mean Doherty would have to resign from the board. The
Judge said he could not apply the Probation Act when a long-term
member of the board was charged with an offence under the Fisheries
Act. This, he said, would fly in the face of all reason and send out
the wrong message from the court. Doherty tendered his resignation
from the board at a meeting. The board chairman commended Doherty for
turning up to the meeting to resign in person. However, a regional
fisheries officer, said it was unacceptable for a board member to be
treated so leniently when "ordinary" fishermen received much harsher
punishments.
Back To The Top
Clive D Wenham, Joint Master Of The Bolebroke Beagles convicted of
assault and abusive behaviour on a 63 year old woman, when she
encountered the beagles on a road. Wenham coshed the woman over the
head with his whip, knocking her to the ground. He was fined £1000 for
the assault and £600 for the abusive behaviour.
Anthony Kirkham a Cheshire Foxhounds supporter was jailed for his part
in what the judge described as the 'cruel beating' of a L.A.C.S.
monitor. The man was chased across a field, sprayed in the face with a
liquid, hit over the head with a bottle and repeatedly kicked in the
head when he fell. Kirkham told the man, 'we've got you now; you're
dead' as he pulled him to his feet and ripped a camera worth £1,300
from his neck. Kirkham was jailed for 15 months.
Paul Martin and his father Bernard Martin convicted of affray and
Paul's uncle Colin Martin convicted of section 4 after they broke into
the back of a sab van and attacked the occupants with spades and
wooden staves. A sab photographing the event was dragged from the van
and beaten while the family of thugs tried to remove his film.
Simon William's Kennelman Of The South Devon Foxhounds, bound over for
a year after being charged with threatening behaviour towards a sab
(the kind of threatening behaviour that involves a 5 foot metal pole.)
The Huntsman Of The North Norfolk Harriers, Boyce Keeling successfully
convicted of assault on a local saboteur, whom he beat with the handle
of his whip.
Supporter of the Dunston Harriers, Patrick Everett managed to get the
hunt banned from one village after he viciously attacked a party of 1
man, 2 women and four children who had stopped to watch the hunt pass
by. He was fined £800.
Two hunt supporters who attacked a League Against Cruel Sports (LACS)
cameraman filming a staghunt were jailed as an example to others. John
William Bere (25) of Bishop's Nympton, near South Molton, Devon, and
Dean John Richards (38) of Bish Mill, South Molton, punched a
anti-hunt supporter during a meet of the Quantock Staghounds at East
Quantoxhead then took his video camera. They pleaded guilty at Taunton
Crown Court on 15/1/99 to assault and theft and Richards was sentenced
to six months jail while Bere was given a four month sentence. The
judge heard how a wing mirror on the LACS members car was damaged
while he was parked and colleagues told him Bere and Richards were
responsible. When he approached them, Richards became aggressive and
told him to turn of his camera. As he looked down, he felt a blow to
the right side of his face and fell to the ground. When he got up he
was struck on the other side and the camera was tugged from around his
neck as he fell. Both men denied any offence at first and Richards
said the LACS member had it in for him. Bere said he had never been in
trouble before but had momentarily lost his temper and had lost his
job as a result. He intends to continue supporting the hunt but a
lesson has been very well learned. Richards said he was a countryman
"through and through and hunting has been one of the most important
things in his life. He has been a follower of the hunt for all of his
adult life and allowed his love of hunting to rule his head." He also
admitted he had been involved in another incident with the LACS member
in 1996.
A farmer has been found guilty of driving his Land Rover at a group of
hunt protesters. Sampson Smith (45) of Church Lane, Ashington denied
aiming his vehicle at the protesters. On 15/1/99 Chichester Crown
Court heard how a police officer had witnessed the incident. He said
Smith had sped at a group of protesters then shunted back and forth at
the group of 30 people before getting out and brandishing a cane above
his head. The jury convicted Smith of dangerous driving and was fined
£1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,184. He was also banned from
driving for 12 months and ordered to retake a driving test before
going back onto the road.
Georgina Blundell of Pasturo farm, Stadhampton, Oxfordshire who is a
member of the Vale of Aylesbury Hunt was cautioned by the police
following an incident with an anti-hunt protester. The incident
happened at a her farm when Blundell hurt the protester with her
horse.
Back To The Top
Spokesperson for the Irish Masters of Foxhounds Association James E
Norton appeared in court on charges under the Control of Dogs Act.
During an incident in February 1997 when the South Westmeath Harriers
went out of control 12 sheep were killed and eight were injured.
An experienced gunman accused of blinding a grouse beater on a shoot
has been found not guilty of wounding. Bradford Crown Court heard on
16/9/99 how Graham Hill from Bury had been beating when a bird was
flushed out. Ian Brearley from Ramsbottom fired as it flew towards the
group. The trial was halted when the judge ruled there was
insufficient evidence against him.
Geoffrey Allen (45) of The Pry, Frith Common, Menith Wood, near
Bewdley used to produced articles for bloodsport magazines until he
was jailed on 2/9/99 for four years after admitting buggery, indecent
assault and gross indecency. The offences were committed against two
13-year-old boys.
On 14/2/00 the master and three other members of the Vale of Clettwr
Hunt were cleared of interfering with a badger sett by destroying it.
Hunt master David Lyn Lloyd (47) of Blaenpant Farm, Pencader and
terriermen John Geraint Owen Thomas (48) of Gwarbistgwynwydd,
Maesycrugiau, and Gethin Jones (46) of Gardde, Cwmdwyfran and foot
follower John Gareth Jones (64) of Golygfa, Heol Gilfachwen, Llandysul
had encroached without permission on to forestry land. Gethin Jones
who said he had 30 years' experience as a terrierman, dismissed a
prosecution suggestion that he had disturbed an active badger's sett
and said he had walked around the area and had not seen any signs of
setts. John Geraint Thomas said, "I have been a terrierman for over 30
years and there is no doubt in my mind that this was not a badger's
sett. I know there are active setts in the area but we couldn't see
these from where we were."
At West Somerset magistrates on 12/5/00 Anthony Richard Wright, a
huntsman of Exmoor Foxhounds pleaded guilty to an offence under the
Specified Risk Material Order 1997 of feeding to hounds parts of a
bovine carcase which contained SRM. Wright, who has been cautioned for
a similar offence in September 1997, was fined £500 and ordered to pay
£567 costs.
On 11/11/00 at Kidderminster magistrates Messrs James (a huntsman) and
Mallard (a joint master of hounds) each pleaded guilty to two charges
brought by Hereford and Worcester County Council of inadequate
separation and staining of SBM contrary to the SBM Order. Mr James was
fined £500 on each charge and ordered to pay £2,000 costs (total
£3000). Mallard was fined £1,000 on each charge with £5,000 costs
(total £7000).
Three men who were employed by one of Prince Charles' favourite hunts
appeared at Leicester Crown Court on charges relating to violent
attacks on hunt saboteurs. Dean John Ironmonger (39) from Wysall,
Notts; Kenneth Scott Rumph (22) from Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, Leics
and Paul John Tomlinson (40) from Clifton, Nottingham faced on a range
of charges relating to an incident which occurred at a meet of the
Quorn Foxhounds on the 4/3/00. All three were employed as hunt
stewards on the day. Sadly on 23/1/01 all three were cleared of
attacking hunt sabs after a judge ruled court regulations had been
broken. The case collapsed following legal arguments over abuse of
process relating to the disclosure of photographs and video footage
taken at the hunt. Tomlinson had denied assault occasioning actual
bodily harm in relation to one saboteur. Ironmonger and Rumph had
denied affray. Rumph was also charged with dangerous driving.
Huntsman Jonathan Broise (45) of Petworth, West Sussex, has been
barred from becoming master of the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and
Cowdray Hunt after being convicted of butting a disabled magistrate
and punching another man at a point-to-point meeting. Horsham
magistrates were told on 18/2/01 that Broise attacked Michael Halford,
a company manager, in a hospitality tent and turned on Philip Everest,
who walks with crutches, when the magistrate tried to intervene.
On 26/3/01 the huntsman of the New Forest Foxhounds was sent to prison
for 8 weeks after being found guilty of assault following a trial at
Lyndhurst magistrates. The case related to attack on a passing
motorist in which Paul Woodhouse, huntsman with the New Forest
Foxhounds since 1998, punched a motorist in the face during an
incident at the hunt kennels. Giving evidence in court the Master of
the New Forest Foxhounds stated that a custodial sentence may lead to
the closure of the hunt, as the hounds only responded to Woodhouse,
and that as exercising the hounds was now curtailed due to the Foot &
Mouth outbreak no-one else could deal with them.
On 14/10/98 Tot Goodwin, Joint Master and Master of Foxhounds and
huntsman for the Green Creek Hounds (N.C.), and Chip Anderson,
huntsman for the Tryon Hounds (N.C.), pleaded guilty to illegally
transporting foxes across state lines. Goodwin and Anderson bought 22
red foxes in South Carolina from federal undercover agents. It was
reported that the two huntsmen were seeking to ensure good hunting at
the week-long multiple-hunt joint meet. Their purchase was a
misdemeanor violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits interstate
transportation of illegally taken or possessed wildlife. The law's
purpose is to prevent the spread of such diseases as rabies, distemper
and parasites. On 12/3/99 the American Masters of Foxhounds
Association fined both hunts $1,000, placed each hunt on suspension
for six months, and reduced them from recognised to registered status
pending re-inspection by the MFHA. Goodwin and Anderson were each
fined $700 and given two years probation. Charges are still pending
against a third huntsman who allegedly bought 10 foxes. The MFHA's
executive director, said that his investigation showed the huntsmen
were trying to repopulate an area that had been depleted by disease.
"The MFHA found no indications that any of the huntsmen were
'dropping' foxes," he said. "Since this investigation, the MFHA has
found out that foxes cannot be released into the wild in most states,
no matter how they are obtained. There are no provision to restock
healthy foxes into diseased areas or in catastrophic situations where
populations have been diminished."
A huntsman who tried to stop a woman filming him after his horse died
of a heart attack in Hartfield, pleaded guilty to causing actual
bodily harm and damaging a video camera. Jonathan Wilkinson (38) from
Powder Mills, Leigh, was given a conditional discharge and ordered to
pay £50 costs and £550 compensation at Lewes Magistrates on 26/4/01.
He admitted trying to stop a 58-year-old woman from Brighton from
filming him when his horse collapsed and died during an Old Surrey,
Burstow and West Kent Hunt meet. Wendy Peckham, spokesperson for the
Countryside Alliance, said: "Jo did let his emotions get the better of
him but apologised readily at the time and was given credit for his
guilty plea in court. "Hi will be riding with the hunt in the future
as these were extreme circumstances and in normal conditions he is a
perfect gentleman.
A huntsman was cleared of assaulting a hunt saboteur who grabbed a fox
to protect it from hounds. John Hazeltine (32) of the East Devon Hunt
was acquitted at Exeter magistrates court on 20/11/01 of attacking a
hunt saboteur during a meeting of the hunt at Crammer Barton, near
Cullompton. The saboteur told the court that he saw the fox being
"bitten and mauled" by some of the pack so grabbed it by the scruff of
the neck and lifted it up. "The fox immediately bit me on the hand,
through my thumb," he said, adding that he then crouched in the hedge
and tried to cover the animal with his body. He then felt blows on the
back of his head, and was bitten on the hand by some of the pack. He
then claimed that Hazeltine had stamped him, and punched him in the
back of the head, and the fox escaped from his grasp.
T wo hunt employees accused of interfering with badger setts by the
RSPCA have had the case against them dismissed. Gary Edwards who lives
on the Milton Estate, near Bretton, Peterborough and Cyril Smith
Oakham, near Stamford both work as terriermen for the Fitzwilliam
Hunt, had been accused of illegally blocking the holes or damaging a
sett. But on 29/10/01 they were acquitted at Peterborough magistrates
after the RSPCA said it did not have enough evidence to carry on.
George Bowyer, joint-master of the Fitzwilliam Hunt, which is based at
Milton Hall, near Bretton, Peterborough, said the RSPCA had never had
a case against the men and condemned its decision to bring charges. My
men have always been innocent but their names have been blackened.
Anne Hull (40)of Maldon Road, Burnham was found guilty in of aiding
and abetting interference with a badger sett. But Chelmsford Crown
Court overturned the conviction at an appeal hearing on 2/11/01 after
ruling there was no direct evidence linking Hull with the blocking of
a badger sett. The court heard how Hull was a joint master of The
Essex Farmers and Union Hunt when the six-hole badger sett was
partially blocked by earth-stopper and terrierman Bryn Chittenden.
A hunt master was handcuffed by police after she drove away from a
hunt breakfast more than three and half times over the limit
Northampton Crown Court on 23/4/02. Charlotte Wilson-Smith (39)
threatened to punch a police officer in the face when he arrived with
two colleagues at her farmhouse after receiving reports that she was
driving dangerously. Minutes earlier she had been seen falling out of
her car by a driver who followed her home after seeing her straying
into the opposite lane and mounting a grass verge. The court was told
that when the police arrived at Wilson-Smith's farmhouse they found
her trying to climb over a barbed wire fence into a field. When asked
to return to the courtyard, she replied: "I will punch you in the face
in a minute," the court heard. After she insisted on walking off to
attend to a horse, she was handcuffed and arrested. Wilson-Smith,
Master of the Oakley Hunt, admitted a charge of dangerous driving. The
jury heard Wilson-Smith was making her way home from a hunt breakfast
held at Newton Bromswold point-to-point racecourse. Wilson-Smith said
she had taken part in a sponsored bike ride to raise funds for the
hunt before attending a hunt breakfast. She said she had a couple of
glasses of sparkling wine but later discovered someone had been
topping up her glass. She agreed she had been drinking Bucks Fizz.
"With hindsight I should not have driven," she told the court. She
said she had driven cautiously with a bicycle on a rack on the back of
her vehicle. At the junction, she thought she had time to pull out.
Wilson-Smith said: "I heard a bit of a screech. I looked in the rear
view mirror and the van was very close. I remember I was being
followed and that is why I may have put my foot down a bit more. I was
a little bit concerned because I thought I was being followed by a
hunt saboteur. I got out and told him to clear off because it was
private property." Inside her house, she said she drank some German
beer and added she was "petrified" when she saw the police arrive. She
said that was when she tried to get over the fence and found herself
being handcuffed. Asked why she had threatened to punch a PC she
replied: "I was quite frightened. Policemen were running after you and
all I was doing was trying to catch a horse." She was later found to
be three and a half times over the limit. The jury took 30 minutes to
find Wilson-Smith guilty of dangerous driving. She then admitted
driving with excess alcohol. Recorder Andrew Tidbury adjourned
sentence for reports. He asked for a medical report because of
Wilson-Smith's high alcohol reading. During the trial the court heard
she had been taking antidepressants at the time. At Northampton Crown
Court on 29/5/02 Charlotte Wilson-Smith of Poplars Farm, Wymington,
Northants, burst into tears and wiped her face with a tissue as a
judge sentenced her to three months in prison. She was also banned
from driving for three and a half years. She was found guilty of
dangerous driving and admitted drink-driving after she was found to be
three and a half times over the limit.
Back To The Top
An unemployed gamekeeper was given a 6 month conditional discharge and
ordered to pay costs at Corby Magistrates court on 3/5/02 after he
pleaded guilty to smashing a hunt saboteur's CB radio. Mr W. Playford
was arrested at a meet of the Woodland Pytchley hunt at Stoke Albany
where he was acting as a hunt steward. A hunt saboteur had been trying
to stop the hunt chasing a fox when he was punched to the ground by
another man, dropping the CB. It was then that Playford deliberately
smashed the radio. Whilst hunt saboteurs welcomed the guilty plea,
they were disappointed to receive no compensation for the radio, which
will cost around £100 to replace. They were also concerned at the
light sentence and the fact that no action has been taken over the
assault that took place that day. Hunt Saboteurs Association
spokesperson, Nathan Brown said, "Yet again hunting has shown its true
nature. Non-violent tactics of hunt saboteurs save animals' lives and
are frequently met with attacks and aggression from the bullies in the
hunting fraternity. This hunt has a reputation for the violence meted
out to protesters. David Reynolds, Master of the Woodland Pytchley
hunt, is a prominent member of the Countryside Alliance, who have now
threatened a 'summer of discontent' showing total disregard for the
democratic process. I fear we will see more attacks on peaceful
opponents of hunting."
Henry Brockhill (29) of Hale Carr Lane, Morecambe, was found guilty of
attending a cockfight after a trial at Lancaster magistrates on
17/5/02 and was fined £150. Magistrates were told how officers found
two carrier bags stuffed with dead and bloodstained cocks, a cockpit
and bird cages. A video taken after the raid revealed paraphernalia
associated with fighting cocks such as spurs, a cockpit surrounded by
straw bales, a pair of scales, money and a betting board. Nine cocks
were found dead, five were injured and another one had to be put down.
Thirteen birds were recovered alive. Brockhill alleged he had only
gone because his friend, David Howard, had called, asking to be picked
up. He said he was not present when any fighting took place and only
entered the building to look for his friend. Brockhill said he had no
idea what was going on until he went upstairs and heard cocks crowing.
A cornish huntsman who admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to
his hounds said that foot and mouth restrictions had contributed to
his inability to feed them properly. Stephen Heard (45) of Padstow,
was banned from keeping animals for ten years after magistrates at
Launceston heard on 18/6/02 how two pregnant beagles were found dead
at his kennels with no food or water. A previous conviction had
already banned Heard from keeping cattle. Heard, a part-time dairy
worker who kept the hounds on an "informal" basis, pleaded guilty to
three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to two beagle bitches
and a beagle puppy which was confiscated by the RSPCA. As well as the
ban, he was sentenced to 240 hours of community service to be
undertaken in the next 12 months and ordered to pay £559.48 in costs
to the RSPCA. David Hobbs was the RSPCA inspector who was sent to the
kennels, Rose Avanon near Winnards Perch, St Columb, in Cornwall,
after an anonymous tip-off. Outside the court, he said: "The
conditions in that ramshackle building were shocking. "The animals
were cramped, and there was not a dry area in the whole place. It was
soaked in urine and mess. The smell was horrendous. "In one area the
dogs had only a raised concrete platform to lie on and in another a
wooden platform with nails sticking out of it. "There was no bedding
at all and no fixed containers for water. Almost all of the water
bowls were empty. It was squalid." He phoned veterinary surgeon Mr
Hill, whose post-mortem examination revealed nothing in the beagle's
entire gastro-intestinal tract, signifying she had had nothing to eat
for about 48 hours. The bitch had been close to giving birth to eight
puppies. A puppy in the same kennel as the dead bitch was taken away
from Heard after it was found to be severely dehydrated. It was later
re-homed by the RSPCA. Another beagle bitch was also found dead, again
with eight unborn puppies. A post mortem examination revealed the
bitch was dehydrated, and the only items in her digestive system were
soil and a few leaves. Tissue samples from both dead hounds were sent
to a laboratory and came back negative to external illness. They have
banned him for 10 years from keeping animals, but in my view it would
be better if it were a lifetime.
Hunt saboteurs in East Anglia are fuming after a hunt supporter guilty
of assaulting a female protestor and a policeman was given a 12 month
bind over on 21/6/02 by Bury St Edmunds magistrates. "This amounts to
nothing more than a slap on the wrists for him and a slap in the face
for us" said one member of Suffolk and Essex Sabs, the local hunt
saboteur group. Sabs had been using non-violent direct action to
prevent the Suffolk Hunt killing foxes when Martin Nunn, a supporter
of the hunt who is also known to help out with kennel duties, attacked
a hunt saboteur. When a policeman intervened to halt the attack, he
too was assaulted. The incident at Wepstead near Bury St Edmunds was
clearly captured on video. Hunt Saboteurs Association spokesperson
Nathan Brown commented: "Is it any wonder that hunt supporters
continue to attack people who protest against them when this is the
punishment they receive?
A farmer arrested for his part in an illegal campaign to save
bloodsports says he was prepared to go to jail for his beliefs. Peter
Teasdale (48) from Pockley, near Kirkbymoorside is a member of a group
of hunt supporters who have been painting pro- bloodsports slogans.
The slogans have appeared over the last couple of months on roads and
public signs. The clean-up is estimated to be costing North Yorkshire
County Council thousands of pounds. "I know what I did was against the
law, but I just feel so passionately about fox-hunting," said
Teasdale. On 3/9/02 Teasdale appeared at Scarborough magistrates, but
no hearing took place after Crown Prosecutors announced he was instead
to receive nothing more than a caution. Teasdale had been accused of
damaging six signs around Nawton and Hawnby valued at £1,971 and
further signs to the value of £1,371. He was also accused of
possessing four tins of spray paint and a stencil of "Hands Off
Hunting" with the intent to cause damage to property belonging to
North Yorkshire County Council. Teasdale is a member of the Sinnington
Hunt .
Animal activists used an infra-red triggered camera disguised as a
twig to try to catch a man blocking a badger sett, a magistrates
heard. Members of the League against Cruel Sports used the equipment
to record Francis Phillips (65) of Thirlmere Road, Barrow upon Soar at
a badger sett. Phillips who is an earth stopper for the Quorn Hunt
denied two charges of obstructing a badger sett when he appeared at
Harborough magistrates on 28/10/02. The prosecution claimed Phillips
used heavy lumps of clay rather than loose soil to fill some of the 25
or so holes at the sett. On 6/11/02 Philips was found guilty of
interfering with a badger sett. One count of interfering with a badger
sett was dismissed but he was found guilty of the second charge. He
was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £1,000
costs. Philips is believed to be one of 40 registered earth stoppers
who do work with the Quorn
On 5/9/02 highways chiefs in North Yorkshire announced plans to pursue
a civil action against a farmer cautioned for his part in an illegal
campaign of spray-painting slogans on road signs across the county in
recent months. The cost of cleaning up signs across the region is
estimated to run into thousands of pounds. Hunt supporter Peter
Teasdale of Pockley, near Kirkbymoorside, was cautioned by Crown
Prosecutors after he was accused of damaging six signs. He was also
accused of possessing four tins of spray paint and a stencil of "Hands
Off Hunting" with the intent to cause damage to property belonging to
North Yorkshire County Council.
They were all due to appear before Bow Street magistrates on 23/12/02
however, David Sherwood (46) from Whittonstall, Northumberland, was
charged with being drunk and disorderly. Sherwood who is the kennel
man with the Braes of Derwent Hunt did not appear in court and did not
enter a plea but had written to the clerk explaining he could not
afford the travel costs.
Veterinary surgeon David J Dugdale (41) from Freckenham, Suffolk, was
been charged under Section 4 of the Public Order Act after being
arrested for using threatening words and behaviour. He pleaded not
guilty.
Salesman Marcus Wright (28) from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, was
charged with assault on a police officer. He did not enter a plea and
was bailed to reappear on 13/1/03.
Student George Todhunter Bramley (20) from Gillingham, Norfolk, was
charged with breach of cordon and demonstrating in a non-designated
area. Bramley also wrote to the court telling of travel difficulties
but pleased not guilty in his absence. He was bailed until 6/1/03
Four others were arrested during the demo ( click link to see pictures
of the demo ), no further action will be taken against a 14-year-old
boy from South Molton, Devon, arrested in possession of an offensive
weapon, and a 28-year-old man from Stagshaw Bank, Northumberland,
arrested for breach of the peace. A 23-year-old man has received a
formal caution following his arrest for theft and a 31-year-old man
has received a formal warning following his arrest for highway
obstruction.
A drunken kennel worker who swore and shouted at police officers
during a demonstration outside of the Houses of Parliament escaped a
penalty o 6/1/03 after he apologised in court. David Sherwood (46)
from Whittonstall, Northumberland, who is the kennel man with the
Braes of Derwent Hunt was conditionally discharged without penalty
after Bow Street magistrates heard he was "verbally hostile and
aggressive" during a demonstration. The prosecution claimed Sherwood
approached officers at a cordon erected to control the demonstration.
"He was clearly under the influence of alcohol," she said. "He grew
verbally hostile and aggressive to the officers. He continued to
behave in a disturbing manner. he was eventually arrested after being
warned." He was charged with being drunk and disorderly. Sherwood
pleaded guilty. Magistrates imposed no penalty and conditionally
discharged him for 12 months.
A fox hunt has had a noise abatement order imposed on it and the
Master of Hounds has been told to stop his pack from baying to prevent
a public nuisance. In what is believed to be the first action of its
kind, The Isle of Wight Foxhounds was served with the order after
complaints from people living close to its kennels. Joint Master
Richard Standing said on 8/1/03 that he would appeal against the
order, which has been suspended until the matter is decided by
magistrates later in January 2003. The complaints have come not from
people opposed to fox hunting, but from hunt supporters who say that
they cannot put up with the noise of barking hounds any longer. Anita
Fitzgerald (42) one of those to complain, is a hunt supporter who has
sung at the Isle of Wight Hunt Ball. She said: "This is nothing to do
with the argument about hunting. It is about the most basic human
right of being able to sleep." She moved to a house close to the
kennel at Gatcombe three years ago. "The noise has made my life a
living hell," she said. Fitzgerald said she had complained to the
council only after discussions with the hunt had proved fruitless. "I
tried everything to get things done amicably but now I have had to get
the council involved. The constant noise of the dogs was driving me
bonkers. "Together with another neighbour we complained to the
council. It has investigated and seen fit to serve the notice. "We
have been asked to give evidence and we most certainly will." (I don't
think she will be asked back to sing at the next hunt ball)
On 9/1/03 Julian Leefe-Griffiths of Hollyhill, Colemans Hatch,
admitted keeping a vehicle without an excise licence. He was fined
£190 plus £45 prosecution costs, and ordered to pay £160 back duty.
Leefe-Griffiths hunts with the Old Surrey & Burstow and West Kent
Foxhounds
Marcus Wright (28) of 7 Fernie Avenue, Melton, who is the kennel
huntsman of The Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire Beagles
was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer during a
demonstration outside Westminster . His charge was later reduced to
obstructing a police officer and he was fined £50 with £55 costs at
Bow Street magistrates on 13/1/03.
Back To The Top
Allegations of racism were dropped on 21/1/03 against Robin Page (61)
from Barton, Glos was questioned by police after saying country
dwellers should enjoy the same rights as blacks, Muslims and
homosexuals. Page was arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial
hatred after making a speech at a pro-hunting rally which began: "If
there is a black, vegetarian, Muslim, asylum-seeking, one-legged,
lesbian lorry driver present.I want the same rights as you."
Charges were dropped on 22/1/03 against a Norfolk farming student who
was arrested at a demonstration in London . George Todhunter Bramley
(20) from Gillingham, near Beccles, said last night he was "extremely
relieved" to learn that no further action would be taken against him.
He was due to appear before Bow Street magistrates charged with breach
of cordon and demonstrating in a non-designated area. But a spokesman
from the Crown Prosecution Service in London confirmed: "Mr Bramley's
case has been discontinued because it would not be in the public's
interest to continue it." He was arrested after he handcuffed himself
to the railings in front of the main entrance to the House of Commons.
Also on 22/1/03 Suffolk vet David Dugdale , from Freckenham, near
Mildenhall, is charged with using threatening words and behaviour
during a demonstration in London . His case is due to be heard at Bow
Street magistrates on 21/2/03 .
A father and son have been charged with assaulting two police officers
outside Nantwich Civic Hall. Tony Kirkham (58) and his son Timothy
(20) both of Ridley Farm, Tarporley, both are keen supporters of the
Cheshire Foxhounds and Cheshire Forest Hunt were arrested at 1.30am
and charged with three offences that left one police officer with a
fractured wrist and the other with facial injuries. Both officers are
now off work following the incident, with the policeman who suffered a
fractured wrist unable to work for a fortnight. The incident took
place outside the civic hall, which was staging The Cheshire Foxhounds
Farmers Hunt Ball when the two men are alleged to have assaulted the
officers who were helped by the hall's doormen who came to their
rescue. A police spokesman said: "The incident had nothing to do with
protesters, it was a disturbance that took place outside the civic
hall that ended up with two officers being assaulted. "Some of the
doormen who were working at the hall came to their assistance as it
was getting out of hand and we would like to say thank you to them for
helping out the officers - it was a nasty incident." Both men were
charged with actual bodily harm, resisting or obstructing a constable
in the execution of duty, with Tony Kirkham also charged with
threatening behaviour and his son with obstructing a person assisting
a constable in the execution of duty. The men appeared at Crewe
magistrates Court on 22/1/03 and the case has now been adjourned until
19/3/03 .
On 15/3/03 a company director who claimed to be a victim of a "regime
of terror" has been jailed for 15 months after he lied during the
trial of a major drugs dealer at the centre of a crime empire. Stewart
Sayer (45) of Crows Hall Lane, Attleborough who was field master for
the Dunston Harriers , said he was a under constant threat two years
ago when he gave evidence at the trial of Richard Carter. Carter,
along with his brother Stephen, ran a large-scale drug dealing
operation and smuggled a steady supply of cannabis and heroin to
inmates at Norwich prison. During the trial, Sayer lied in court to
help Richard Carter hide his "ill-gotten" gains from his drug dealing
empire. He said he bought a scrapyard in Wymondham for £75,000 through
an offshore company when in fact Carter had provided the cash. Sayer
admitted perjury.
On 29/4/03 Trevor Adams (44) from Eildon, near Melrose who is the
Master of the Buccleuch Hunt and Rory Innes (26) the Master of the
Jedforest Hunt , have both been accused of deliberately hunting a fox
with dogs. Also two men aged 19 were charged in the Borders in
February for chasing foxes and badgers with their dogs.
Four joint hunt masters and two workers were suspended on 28/6/03. It
follows allegations that a vixen and two cubs were moved from an earth
in breach of hunting rules. An investigation has been launched into
allegations of misconduct at the Cottesmore Hunt after pictures were
taken by The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). They said
its investigators filmed a member of the hunt placing two cubs in an
artificial earth in Leicestershire. The artificial earth to which they
had been moved was in a field of sheep and lambs and on a path used by
hunts. They also said that by moving the foxes, staff were
demonstrating that far from trying to keep numbers down, they were
trying to encourage foxes to breed in order to have sufficient numbers
to hunt. The ones who were suspended are Dean Jones , terrierman for
the hunt, Jones admitted that he had moved the foxes and was
suspended, as was his boss, Neil Coleman . The four suspended joint
masters are David Manning , a businessman, Charles Gordon-Watson , a
bloodstock agent, and Nicholas Wright and Roger Dungworth, both
farmers. A formal hearing is to take place on 2/7/03.
On 2/7/03 Dean Jones the terrier man employed by the Cottesmore Hunt
had his licence withdrawn after he was filmed moving fox cubs. The
Master of The Foxhounds Association (MFHA) disciplinary committee
launched an inquiry and suspended four masters of the Cottesmore Hunt
, a huntsman and their terrierman Jones. Jones, who admitted the
offence, told the disciplinary committee that it was done in a 'moment
of compassion'. Neil Coleman , the huntsman, admitted Jones had told
him of the matter later but he did not disclose this information to
his employers. The MFHA committee found the Joint Masters not guilty
of misconduct under Rule 49, not guilty of any other rules and lifted
their suspension. They withdrew the terrier man's licence with the
recommendation he should not be granted another licence for three
years. Alastair Jackson, director of MFHA said: "The committee was
impressed with the Cottesmore Masters' methods, execution of staff
training, records and protocol and was wholly satisfied at no time had
the masters acted negligently or deliberately against MFHA rules." The
Masters of Cottesmore Hunt have started their own disciplinary
proceedings against Mr Jones and Mr Coleman. On Thursday they
announced Neil Coleman, the huntsman, had been reinstated. Discussions
are being held about the future of Jones, who is still employed by the
hunt staff, but because of the ban can no longer be employed by them
as a terrier man.
On 30/6/03 the High Court ruled that Magpies have legal rights. A
senior judge declared it is unlawful to allow the birds to suffer
unnecessarily if they are used under licence as decoys in traps to
catch other magpies. Mr Justice Leveson, sitting in London, allowed an
RSPCA appeal against a refusal by Telford magistrates court in April
last year to convict a member of the British Association for Shooting
and Conservation of causing unnecessary suffering to a magpie kept in
a Larsen trap. Norman Shinton of Mendip Close, Little Dawley, Telford
set up the trap in his garden. Shinton was accused of causing a single
magpie unnecessary suffering as he used the bird over and over again,
instead of "rotating" decoys. Mr Justice Leveson said Shinton was
authorised as the owner or occupier of land to confine the magpie in a
cage trap. There was no doubt that the use of the Larsen trap fell
within the terms of the licence, and Telford district judge Philip
Browning was right to acquit on that charge. But the district judge
had gone wrong in law when he cleared Shinton of causing the bird
unnecessary suffering. The High Court judge ruled that, even though
the trap might be lawful, it was "illogical" to say its owner was
therefore absolved of all responsibility. The judge said it was
unnecessary to send the case back to the magistrates court for it to
be reconsidered as the RSPCA had only brought the case to clarify the
law.
Jonathan Boise (46) of London Road, Petworth was found not guilty on
16/7/03 of causing actual bodily harm to two hunt saboteurs. Video
footage had been shown in court of the him punching one sab and
fighting with the other. However, Boise who is the huntsman with The
Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray Hunt maintained he had been
acting in self-defence.
On 25/9/03 Edward `Danny' Phillips (58) of Broadstone Terrace,
Catbrook, near Tintern - a terrier man with the Curre and Llangybi
Foxhounds appeared before Abergavenny magistrates. Phillips denies a
charge of wilfully interfering with a badger sett by digging it up. A
hunt saboteur told magistrates he and two others had been following
the hunt for about four hours when the fox went to ground in a field.
He said they watched the scene from about 100 metres away. He said
that initially there were hounds marking the site where the fox was,
then they were replaced by terrier man Phillips and a few others on
quad bikes with spades. They got off the quad bikes, briefly examined
or looked at where the fox had gone to ground, and then proceeded to
dig around that area. He watched for about 45 minutes before leaving,
then telephoned the police and the local badger group. On 26/9/03 the
case was thrown out of court - after a debate about the animals'
toilet habits. The deputy district judge ruled there was no case to
answer as it could not be proved it was occupied by badgers.
A father and son were charged with assaulting two police officers
outside Nantwich Civic Hall in January 2003. Anthony Kirkham (58) and
his son Timothy (20) both of Ridley Farm, Tarporley, both are keen
supporters of the Cheshire Foxhounds and Cheshire Forest Hunt were
arrested outside the civic hall, which was staging The Cheshire
Foxhounds Farmers Hunt Ball. Both men were charged with actual bodily
harm, resisting or obstructing a constable in the execution of duty,
with Tony Kirkham also charged with threatening behaviour and his son
with obstructing a person assisting a constable in the execution of
duty. They both appeared at Crewe magistrates in August 2003 and both
were found guilty of resisting a police officer and sentenced to 200
hours community service. They were both also found guilty of assault
and sentenced to 200 hours community service to run consecutively.
They were ordered to pay £300 costs and £50 compensation. (see other
recent conviction)
Four men who assaulted a farmer at the kennels of the Blackmore Vale
Hunt have been remanded on bail for the preparation of pre-sentence
reports. Ryan Carvill (23) of County Down, Ireland; Marc Beale (28) of
Coldharbour, Sherborne; Adam Knight (24) of Bar Lever Lane, Charlton
Horethorne, and Martin Starks (18) of South Down, Charlton Horethorne,
admitted causing actual bodily harm to Glenn Hodges, who was kicked
and punched at the hunt kennels. All four accepted being part of a
joint enterprise but Taunton Crown Court was told on 4/9/03 that Beale
did not accept kicking and Starks did not remember and did not accept
using either his fists or his feet. The case was adjourned to a later
date.
Bloodsports supporter Vinnie Jones has been ordered to do 80 hours of
community service after admitting air rage charges. Jones was also
ordered to pay £300 compensation to a passenger he admitted assaulting
on board a flight from London to Tokyo. Jones was fined another £500
for an offence of using threatening words or behaviour towards the
cabin crew and was further ordered to pay £300 in costs. At Uxbridge
magistrates on 12/12/03 Jones from Tring, Hertfordshire, admitted an
offence of common assault on a male passenger and using threatening
words or behaviour against members of the cabin crew. He became angry
after being told he was being annoying, inciting Jones to launch a
tirade of insults and threats.
A hunt protester was hit on the head from behind by a hunt supporter
as he conducted a peaceful protest. The incident happened on New
Year's Day as supporters of Mendip Farmers' Hunt passed through a
village. Police arrested a man in connection with the incident and he
was dealt with by a formal caution. The protester stated "I asked the
huntsmen to stop mutilating our wildlife. I shouted at them to leave
our wildlife alone and stop stalking them for fun. I could see them
coming over the fields and noticed two people standing around with the
hunt following, coming down the road. One of them took exception to
me. He took a swing at me and his wife stopped him. He then came up
behind me and laid into my head. I suffered large lumps on the side of
my head - he was using a metal-tipped staff." A 67-year-old man was
arrested and has been given a formal caution by Shepton Mallet police
officers on 16/1/04.
On 8/2/04 Stephen Parkin who is the master of the South Cornwall Hunt
was charged by the RSPCA with causing unnecessary suffering to a
hound. Parkin (42) from Whitemoor near St Austell, denied the
allegations at Bodmin magistrates on 11/2/04. The case against Parkin
was adjourned for a pre-trial review to be held in front of
magistrates at Bodmin on 16/3/04.
A hunt master's wife who unfairly sacked her gardener of 15 years has
been ordered to pay him £3,420 by an employment tribunal. Adrian
Clarke (47) was dismissed by Fiona Smith-Bingham from The Whalebones,
Knossington after he picked up an arm injury and was unable to fulfil
his gardener and handyman duties. The tribunal, in Leicester on
8/4/04, heard her husband Kim, Master of the Cottesmore Hunt,
dismissed Clarke before the couple had seen a doctor's report
confirming their former gardener's condition.
Back To The Top
Jamie Hawksfield, West Sussex County Chairman of the Countryside
Alliance was arrested on 13/4/04 and taken to Crawley Police Station.
Here he was shown video of him threatening and assaulting an anti-hunt
protester. The incident occurred at a meeting of the Crawley and
Horsham Hunt . He admitted the offence and was given a formal police
caution as he is a first time offender.
A hunt supporter was jailed on 23/4/04 for four and a half years for
sexually assaulting three girls. David Stephens (44) a horse breeder
and dealer who rides with The Four Burrows Hunt in Cornwall was banned
from working with children under 18 when he appeared before Truro
Crown Court. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
Stephens of Kenwyn was found guilty of three charges of indecent
assault and admitted perverting the course of justice by asking two
friends to give him a false alibi.
A hunt master let a young foxhound become so horrifically emaciated
she could barely stand, magistrates heard on 29/4/04. Stephen Parkin
(42) of North Road, Whitemoor, Cornwall allowed an 11-month-old bitch,
to almost starve to death. She was reduced to a "bag of bones" and was
found on the verge of collapse weighing less than two stone. Liskeard
magistrates' were told the dog was also kept in filthy conditions,
with sodden, urine-soaked bedding. Parkin has admitted causing
unnecessary suffering while he was Master and Kennelman of South
Cornwall Hunt. Parkin initially denied the charge, but changed his
plea at an earlier hearing. He quit the hunt after the RSPCA launched
an investigation into allegations of cruelty. The court was told
members folded the hunt, which had a 30-year tradition in Cornwall,
after his resignation. Officers from the RSPCA visited the hunt's
Woodland Barton Kennels after a tip-off from a member of the public.
The court was told the foxhound had sores in her mouth, and was
bleeding slightly from her anus, both attributed to malnutrition.
Parkin had been Master of the Hunt for nine years, and Kennel
Master-Huntsman for six years. On 6/5/04 he was given a 12-month
conditional discharge and ordered to pay £200 and banned from keeping
dogs for five years.
The former Master of the Cheshire Hunt, Thomas Randle Cooke of Pigeon
House Farm, Handley, admitted two counts of moving cattle without the
relevant passports, failing to keep a register showing the movements
of a beast and re-tagging cattle without notifying the relevant
government department. Cooke was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay
£1,000 costs by Chester magistrates on 9/7/04. The matters relating to
Cooke came to light as a result of investigations into cattle dealer
Robin Arden from Tarporley which resulted in Arden receiving a £10,000
fine, with £2,500 costs, after appearing before Northwich magistrates
on 18 charges.
The Black Combe Beagles have lost a court action over the care of two
of the hunt’s beagles. Borrowdale fellrunner Billy Bland and his wife
Mary successfully argued at Whitehaven County Court in July 2004 that
the Black Combe Beagles, based at Waberthwaite, Cumbria had failed to
respect an agreement that they could have safe custody of two beagles
they had cared for in the off-season. The Blands from Mountain View,
Borrowdale took the legal action as they said they had been concerned
about the welfare of beagles. The couple looked after the dogs from
March to August when the hounds are not hunting. But because of their
concerns to ensure the hounds’long term welfare they drew up an
agreement with the hunt for the dogs return to them after their
hunting days were over. In the county court action the case was
brought against Stan Ellwood and Bruce Porter, master and chairman of
the Black Combe Beagles. Mary Bland said after the case: “We act as
walkers for the hounds in the off-season. You get attached to the dogs
and we paid vets bills and feeding. Thanks to the judge we have got
one back, but we were told the other had been ‘put down’ by a kennels
in Ireland. But we do not accept that version and we may use the £200
we were awarded to go over to Ireland to try and find out more. “Bruce
Porter, chairman of the Beagles said any comment should come through
their solicitors, but he rejected any claims that the beagles were not
cared for at the Waberthwaite hunt kennels.
A hunt supporter from North Yorkshire was cleared of driving his car
into a puddle to drench two animal rights campaigners and a child with
icy water as they protested at a New Years day meet of the Derwent
Foxhounds. Colin Pickering (63) of Prospect Place, Thornton-le-Dale,
denied driving without reasonable consideration to others when he
appeared at Pickering magistrates on 13/8/04.
On 31/8/04 the Tiverton Staghounds paid £500 to the League Against
Cruel Sports (LACS) in an out-of-court settlement over the shooting of
a stag in a sanctuary belonging to the league. The hunt and the LACS
have been in dispute about the fate of the stag since the incident at
the LACS sanctuary at Morebath near Bampton in October 2002.
A West Pennard farmer who attended the bloodsport demo at Parliament
Square on 15/9/04 appeared before Wells magistrates on 20/1/05 after
he admitted threatening behaviour. Brett George Parsons (45) of
Sticklynch initially appeared at Camberwell Green magistrates when he
was made the subject of a 75-hour community punishment order. The
community order was revoked and replaced by a £100 fine.
Lucy Ferry admitted her part in the pro-bloodports demonstration in
London on 15/9/04. She was given a 12-month conditional discharge at
Bow Street magistrates on 21/9/04 after admitting obstructing the
traffic. Ferry, who was also ordered to pay £40 court costs. Jackie
Coward (18) girlfriend of Ferry's son Otis, pleaded guilty to the same
charge and also received a conditional discharge and was order to pay
court costs. Magistrates heard how at 6am on the day of the
Countryside Alliance protest in Parliament Square, police were in the
process of setting up cordons. As a police carrier came to a set of
red lights, two vehicles appeared to park up at the lights. The
defendants got out of the cars. They walked away so that when the
lights turned green, the carrier was unable to proceed. She said when
police spoke to the two women, they refused to move their cars. Coward
said: "We were making a political statement and I was quite shocked at
what happened. I'm surprised I have had to come back down here. I am a
poor student from up in Newcastle”. Coward admitted that her car had
been blocking the highway.
At Tower Bridge magistrates on 29/9/04 a bloodsports supporter who
took part in the demonstration outside Parliament on 15 /9/04 swore
and spat at police who tried to move him out of the road. Brett
Parsons (31) from Stickle Ball Hill Farm, Sticklynch, Glastonbury,
Somerset admitted threatening behaviour and obstructing the highway
and was ordered to carry out 75 hours unpaid community work and fined
£75. Parsons, Parsons was also told to pay £50 towards prosecution
costs.
Two bloodsports supporters who dumped animal carcasses (see below) in
the street during the Labour Party conference pleaded guilty at
Brighton magistrates on 20/10/04 to breaching the Public Order Act.
Stuart Trousdale (33) from Gatcombe is the huntsman of the Isle of
Wight Foxhounds and James Butcher (39) of Ashley Road in Ryde,
horrified local residents by unloading two dead calves and a cow from
a pick up truck near the conference venue in Brighton. They pleaded
guilty to breaching the Public Order Act through threatening and
disorderly behaviour. Their defence claimed they are not hooray
Henrys, out to make a point. They are hard-working members of their
community. "They are countrymen who feel that, as they see it, their
way of life is under threat. "This is a crime of passion." Both
regretted any upset they had caused. Trousdale, who earns £10,000 a
year, was fined £80 and ordered to pay costs of £70. Butcher was fined
£167 and ordered to pay £70 costs.
Jonathan Broise (46) of London Road, Petworth was accused of riding
his horse at a hunt saboteur and breaking her shoulder has been
cleared. Broise who is the huntsman with the Chiddingfold, Leconfield
and Cowdray Hunt, denied a charge of actual bodily harm. On 27/10/04
the defence successfully argued there was no case to answer and the
jury at Hove Crown Court was ordered to return a not guilty verdict.
It had been claimed that Broise had pushed a 60-year-old hunt
saboteur, out of the way at a meet in September 2003.
Chester racecourse boss Richard Thomas - a master of the Cheshire Hunt
- had to intervene when a fight broke out at a hunt ball. Police are
investigating the alleged assault in front of 500 guests in which a
man got punched on the nose, causing it to stream with blood and
security guards piled in to form what one onlooker called 'a rugby
scrum'. Thomas, who at first denied a brawl had occurred, later
explained that two of his fellow hunt supporters had been involved in
a fracas. Thomas said he was walking past at the time and grabbed the
alleged perpetrator by the arm before security guards took over. The
man was unceremoniously ejected and is believed to have taken a taxi
home. When first asked whether a fight had taken place Thomas, who
lives in Churton, said: 'I don't think so.' But later he admitted that
he was concerned about attracting bad publicity. He said: 'Chief
executive in fight at racecourse would be an absolute disaster!
Alleged victim Douglas Thompson (40) from Great Barrow, a former
master of the Vale of Lune Harriers, whose shirt was covered in blood,
has complained to police about what took place.
A huntsman from the Buccleuch Foxhounds was cleared of deliberately
using a pack of hounds to hunt foxes in breach of anti-hunting
legislation. Trevor Adams (46) from Melrose denied the charge and
claimed the hounds were used to "flush" out foxes so they could be
shot. The sheriff at Jedburgh on 10/12/04 ruled that the dogs were not
out of control at any time. At an earlier hearing, the sheriff was
told that a tenant farmer had refused Adams' Fox Control Service entry
to his land at Courthill.
A Derbyshire police spokeswoman said that a 63-year-old man was
arrested and cautioned for a public order offence after he verbally
abused a hunt saboteur in the presence of a police officer. The
offence followed a meet of The High Peak Hunt at King Sterndale,
Derbyshire on 11/12/04. A police spokeswoman also said: "A victim
reported threats of physical violence and, while an officer was taking
a report from the victim, the alleged offender appeared and continued
the verbal abuse." "The man, from the Hartington area, was warned by
the officer to behave but continued with the abuse."
Eight bloodsports supporters appeared at Bow Street magistrates on
21/12/04 in connection with a hunting protest inside the House of
Commons. They all pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct charges
under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. The men were given
unconditional bail to return in January. They were Otis Ferry (22) of
Keeper’s Cottage, Eaton Mascott, Shrewsbury. Ferry is also the joint
master and huntsman of the South Shropshire Foxhounds. Luke Tomlinson
(27) of Down Farm, Westonbirt, Gloucestershire, who is a friend of
princes William and Harry. David Redvers (34) of Corsend Farm,
Hartpury, Gloucestershire; Richard Wakeham (36) of Alma Terrace, York;
Nicholas Wood (41) of Bowden Park, Lacock, Wiltshire; John Holiday
(37) of Ledbury Kennels, Bromesberrow, Herefordshire. Holiday is also
the huntsman of The Ledbury Foxhounds; Robert Thame (35) of Piper's
Cottage, Paley Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire, Thame also hunts with
the Bicester and Whaddon Chase Hunt; and Andrew Elliot (42) of Laurel
Cottage, Allbright Lane, Bromesberrow, Herefordshire, Elliot rides
with the Ledbury Foxhounds.
A hunt supporter who protested at the House of Commons along with
others has appeared before city magistrates on a firearms offence.
David Redvers (34) of Corsend Farm, Corsend Road, Hartpury pleaded
guilty on 1/2/05 to failing to comply with a condition of his firearms
certificate. When Police officers executed a search at the his home
they found the property to be unoccupied. They found four rounds of
.22 ammunition on a windowsill and more live rounds in a bowl in one
of the bedrooms. The officers returned the following day and seized
the ammunition. Conditions for his firearms certificate stipulate that
ammunition should be securely locked away and not left on display for
all and sundry. Magistrates fined him £350 and ordered him to pay
prosecution costs of £55. Magistrates made no order for the
confiscation of the defendant's firearms or ammunition, but they
decided to leave that matter in the hands of the police.
On 26/2/05 a man was charged on three counts of Actual Bodily Harm,
criminal damage and possession of a bladed article. The charges at
Pulborough police station follow an incident on 8/1/05 January during
a meet of the Crawley and Horsham Hunt in West Sussex when a man is
alleged to have thrown a bucket of ditch water through the window of
anti-hunt protester’s Landrover and then assaulted three women
protesters with a stick before smashing the vehicle's rear window.
A member of the Essex Farmers and Union foxhunt was arrested on 5/3/05
after a hunt saboteur was allegedly struck on the head with a riding
crop. The following Saturday (12/3/05) another member of the Essex
Farmers and Union foxhunt was also arrested on suspicion of causing
Actual Bodily Harm and Criminal Damage, following a series of threats
and attacks on hunt saboteurs and their vehicles.
On 23/3/05 a 37-year-old farmer was cautioned for throwing offal at
Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw during a pro-hunting demonstration. Mr
Bradshaw received a cut near his right eye after the protester threw a
piece of hollowed-out fruit containing entrails at him in Exeter in
January 20005. Devon and Cornwall Police arrested the man, from
Ashburton on suspicion of assault. He was questioned before receiving
an official caution and released. About 70 bloodsports supporters
shouted slogans as Mr Bradshaw arrived and one threw the offal. The
man cautioned for throwing the offal made a full apology to Mr
Bradshaw and gave a donation to the Fishermen's Mission.
A friend of William and Harry has been fined for hurling tomatoes at
Tony Blair in a pro-bloodsports stunt. Harry Meade spent six hours in
police cells after the attack on 28/3/05 at a church. The son of
Richard Meade said yesterday: "I fired off two tomatoes which hit the
building. Blair's suit was splashed with juice. He looked very hacked
off." Meade (22) from West Littleton, Gloucestershire received a fixed
penalty £80 fine. Jamie Wells (22) from Shipton Moyne in
Gloucestershire and Ed Ackerman (21) from West Kington also detained
after the incident in Kennington, South London, were cautioned and
freed after a spell in the cells. Meade who is a member of the
Beaufort Hunt disrupted the Labour Party conference and blocked the
Commons with a horse box in protest at the fox hunt ban.
Police have fined two bloodpsorts protesters who were arrested
following egg-throwing incidents during Prime Minister Tony Blair's
visit to Northamptonshire on 17/4/05. An 18-year-old man from Holcot
and a 20-year-old woman from Weston-by-Welland, near Corby, were both
charged under section five of the Public Order Act and issued with £80
fixed penalty fines by Northamptonshire Police. Also on the same day
while John Prescott was in Northampton Harriet Sluman (20) from Market
Harborough given was also given an on-the-spot £80 fine. Sluman who is
a supporter of the Woodland Pytchley hunt was fined after throwing an
egg at Prescott.
A hunt supporter has been accused of stealing more than £4,500 from a
Devon hunt supporters' club while she was its treasurer. Naomi Tamzin
Barrett (41) of Tythebarn, Branscombe, Seaton, appeared before Exeter
magistrates on 21/4/05. She faced three charges of stealing cash
totalling £4,626 from the Axe Valley Hunt Supporters' Club. She was
also alleged to have stolen £372.97 from the East Devon Hunt Pony
Club. Barrett was further accused of using a false instrument - a
Lloyds TSB Bank statement - with the intention of inducing Richard
Dormor and members of the Axe Valley Hunt Supporters' Club to accept
it as genuine. She was also charged with falsifying a cheque stub from
an account required for accounting purposes. Barrett will next appear
before Exeter magistrates 3/6/05 for a committal. She was released on
unconditional bail.
Otis Ferry who is the joint master and huntsman of the South
Shropshire Foxhounds was arrested by police after shouting at Tony
Blair as he arrived at an election party at the National Portrait
Gallery on 6/5/05. Ferry lunged over a barrier at the rear entrance to
the building and shouted in Mr Blair's face before a plain clothes
policeman stepped in to block him. As he was bundled away by uniformed
officers Mr Ferry shouted: "I've had enough of this Government." He
was held for alleged public order offences and were taken to a central
London police station for questioning.
Back To The Top
On 4/5/05 an inquiry by bloodsports organisations has cleared a stag
hunt of accusations of animal cruelty. The inquiry into the County
Down Staghounds followed the screening of a stag hunt on BBC Northern
Ireland. It was carried out by the Northern Ireland Masters
Association along with the Hunting Association and the Countryside
Alliance of Ireland. The board rejected the suggestion that the film
showed the stag was exhausted. The news report showed the hunt in
pursuit of a stag across farmland. The footage showed the stag being
chased through a garden, fields and hedges. The inquiry also dealt
with concerns regarding the welfare of sheep which were seen running
in a bid to evade the commotion of the hunt. Concern had also been
expressed that such exertion might pose a risk to the welfare of sheep
at a time of the year when many flocks are heavily pregnant. However,
the inquiry board said it was satisfied the sheep were not harmed in
any way. The inquiry, which was also told the landowner had given
permission for the hunt to cross the It concluded there was no
evidence of the hunt having broken any law or of breaching the hunting
code of practice. (Now why does all this not surprise me?)
Eight bloodsports supporters were convicted on 26/5/05 of violating
the Public Order Act Section 5 after invading the House of Commons
during a debate on the Hunting Bill last year. After a four-day trial
at Bow Street magistrates, the judge ordered that the men receive an
18-month conditional discharge and pay £350 costs each. Workman told
the eight that he was satisfied their conduct was disorderly and that
it had caused alarm. However, he said he could find no evidence that
their actions had resulted in either harassment or distress. The eight
are Otis Ferry (22) of Keeper's Cottage, Eaton Mascott, Shrewsbury.
Ferry is also the joint master and huntsman of the South Shropshire
Foxhounds. Luke Tomlinson (27) of Down Farm, Westonbirt,
Gloucestershire, who is a friend of princes William and Harry. David
Redvers (34) of Corsend Farm, Hartpury, Gloucestershire; Richard
Wakeham (36) of Alma Terrace, York; Nicholas Wood (41) of Bowden Park,
Lacock, Wiltshire; John Holiday (37) of Ledbury Kennels, Bromesberrow,
Herefordshire. Holiday is also the huntsman of The Ledbury Foxhounds;
Robert Thame (35) of Piper's Cottage, Paley Street, Maidenhead,
Berkshire, Thame also hunts with the Bicester and Whaddon Chase Hunt;
and Andrew Elliot (42) of Laurel Cottage, Allbright Lane,
Bromesberrow, Herefordshire, Elliot rides with the Ledbury Foxhounds.
(also see)
On 31/5/05 a youth was arrested in connection with an attack on an
anti-hunt campaigner at the East Kent Foxhounds. The 16-year-old was
arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm and released on bail, Kent
Police said. Officers are still seeking information about the identity
of the people who carried out the attack at Crundale, near Ashford.
The anti-hunt campaigner was treated in hospital after the assault for
multiple bruising and a suspected broken rib.
Two bloodsports supporters have been cleared of alleged criminal
behaviour. Gilles Wheeler (45) who was sentenced to 60 days
imprisonment by Bow Street magistrates, has been acquitted on appeal.
Wheeler's appeal was heard by Southwark Crown Court on 10/6/05. The
former professional huntsman to the Isle of Wight Foxhounds and Fernie
Foxhounds was originally sentenced following police testimony relating
to events in Parliament Square on 15/9/04, during the demonstration
against the Hunting Bill. It was originally alleged that, in throwing
a lit flare onto ground on the corner of Canon Row and Bridge Street,
Westminster, Wheeler had breached the Public Order act. Despite
pleading “not guilty”, he was sentenced on 25/4/05. He was released on
bail two days later. Bloodsports supporter and trainee farrier Thomas
Haddock has been acquitted of threatening behaviour. Haddock, from Mid
Glamorgan, was charged with a public order offence after an incident
outside a Labour Party charity dinner in Cardiff on 25/11/04. On
10/6/05 at Cardiff magistrates they found him not guilty.
A pellet from a gas-fired airgun went through the head of Alfred
Norton while he was out lamping with his uncle and two other men. Two
of his uncles were jailed on 28/605. Leeds Crown Court was told that
the pellet was still lodged in Alfred's brain as surgeons were unable
to remove it because of the high risk. He needed continuous care and
would suffer for the rest of his life. The shot was fired accidently
by Lee Beauchamp, Alfred's sister's boyfriend. Three brothers,
including Gary Norton admitted perverting justice by making false
statements and hiding evidence. John Norton(61) of Lumley Mount
Bungalows, Castleford, and Stephen Norton (35) of Hollywell Grove,
Glass Houghton, were each jailed for 15 months and 12 months
respectively. They each admitted a further joint offence of having a
firearm as a trespasser. On 4/7/05 Gary Norton (45) of Wellgate,
Castleford was given a nine-month sentence suspended for two years for
lying to police by telling them a stranger shot his son. On 14/7/05
Lee Beauchamp (19) of Penrith Crescent, Ferry Fryston was given a
12-month conditional discharge and £40 costs by Pontefract magistrates
after admitting trespassing on land with an air weapon.
Mal Williams (49) from Wormelow who is the master of the South
Herefordshire Hunt was cleared of using threatening behaviour towards
police at a bloodsports demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament
in September 2004. At Bow Street magistrates on 1/7/05 the court heard
how Mal Williams (49) from Wormelow, grabbed a police sergeant’s baton
and protective shield. He denied using threatening behaviour. A police
officer told the court Williams had grabbed the end of his baton with
both hands and tried to pull it away. Williams was arrested after
police examined video footage taken during the demonstration. Although
the District Judge dismissed the charge Williams was bound over for
£250 for 18 months.
Naomi Tamzin Barrett (41) of Tythebarn, Branscombe, near Seaton,
appeared in court charged with stealing money from a hunt supporters'
club while she was its treasurer. Barrett faced four charges of theft,
one of forgery and one of false accounting when she appeared at Exeter
Crown Court on 18/7/05. It is alleged she stole £2,100 from the Axe
Valley Hunt Supporters' Club and £372 from the East Devon Hunt Pony
Club. Barrett is also accused of forgery by making a false bank
statement with the intention of inducing members of the club to accept
it as genuine, and false accounting by falsifying cheques. The case
was adjourned until 5/8/05.
A Yorkshire hunt member allegedly involved in an attempt to halt a
steam train while demonstrating against the Government's ban on
hunting is due to appear in court soon. Ivan Richard Holmes (52) of
Tylas Farm, Old Byland, in North Yorkshire, has been charged in
connection with the protest near Pickering. He is due to appear before
Scarborough magistrates on 18/7/05 to face a charge of using
threatening behaviour likely to cause alarm or distress. Holmes, a
Glaisdale Hunt supporter, faces a further charge of obstructing or
disrupting a person engaged in lawful activity. The train was being
run by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway between Whitby and Pickering
when it was allegedly targeted. Three others were questioned in
connection with the incident but charges have only been brought
against Holmes.
On 9/8/05 retired New Forest Huntsman Paul Woodhouse was been charged
with threatening behaviour against an New Forest Animal Protection
Group (NFAPG) anti-hunt observer and will appear at Lyndhurst
magistrates on 30/8/05. Woodhouse had to be restrained by his own
colleagues after allegedly using threatening behaviour towards the
observer during the last official day of legal hunting in the New
Forest.
A bloodsports supporter who was arrested during the Parliament Square
demonstrations has been acquitted. Lee Peters, master and huntsman of
the Camarthen Hunt, appeared at Bow Street magistrates on 15/8/05,
charged under Section 4 of the Public Order Act. The lay magistrate
dismissed the case, saying there was not enough evidence to support
the charges. “He said that in the politically charged atmosphere of
the day, V-signs and clenched fists raised to the police does not
count as threatening behaviour,”
Douglas Hill (62) who is the joint master of the Essex and Farmers
Union Hunthas been charged with a string of offences – including the
assault of a police officer – after trouble flared at a hunt meet.
Hill of Church Road in West Hanningfield also faces two further
charges of assault, a charge of criminal damage and two public order
offences. He is due to appear at Chelmsford magistrates on 25/8/05.
Another Crawley and Horsham Foxhounds supporter has signed a police
caution admitting assault, following the theft of keys from an anti
hunt campaigners minibus on 28/11/04 at Spear Hill near Shipley.
Alan
http://nwhsa.redblackandgreen.net/convicted_terriermen_and_lurcher.htm
Bernard Perry of Green Avenue, Little Hulton, Salford and David
Worrall of Willdale Close, Clayton, Manchester have admitted
interfering with a badger sett and causing unnecessary suffering to a
dog. Leek magistrates heard about two men acting suspiciously around a
badger sett. One appeared to be digging in an entrance hole and he
heard dogs barking. When they were confronted they said they had been
given permission by a farmer to hunt foxes and rabbits. A dead fox and
two terriers were found at the scene. One of the terriers had part of
its ear missing and scratches to its face. A vet said this was caused
by a fox. They were both sentenced to 100 community service, ordered
to pay £260 costs and banned from keeping a dog for 5 years.
Keith Blakeman ( 25) of Fryer Road, West Heath, Birmingham and Mark
Hadley ( 32) of Kinlet Grove, Northfield, Birmingham have both been
found guilty of attempting to take a badger, digging for a badger and
interfering with a badger sett. The court were told how the two men
were found by the police near a badger sett on a farm in
Worcestershire. Both men were sentenced to 50 hours community service
and ordered to pay £750 costs by Redditch magistrates on 8/12/95.
Three North Tyneside men pleaded guilty to interfering with a badger
sett when they appeared before South East Northumberland magistrates
on 16/11/95. Spencer William Burgo ( 25) of 5 Trinity Buildings, North
Shield, Mark Templeton ( 26) of Gordon Square, Whitley Bay and Mark
Graham ( 23) of 11 St Lukes Road, North Shields. They were all given
conditional discharges for 12 months and ordered to pay £100 each
towards the costs. Burgo (who is keen on hunting rabbits, foxes and
now it seems badgers) told the magistrates they were looking for foxes
and did not know there was a sett in the area.
Three Englishmen were freed by a Dublin court on 10/10/95 after
charges of cruelly treating and causing unnecessary suffering to three
terriers were dismissed. They were arrested at Dublin's North Wall
docks following a tip-off. The judge ruled the charges against Graham
Evans ( 44) of Higher Charge Villas, Todmorden, Lancashire, Paul
Cunningham ( 34) of Hawthorne Road, Bacup, Lancashire and David
Atkinson ( 38) of King Edwards Crescent, Oxford, Leeds, had been
incorrectly brought, as they did not specify where the offence took
place. "As far as I am concerned they could have taken place on the
moon" the judge said. Three dogs with horrific injuries had to be put
down "on humane grounds" one had its lower jaw torn and this had
become infected; another was blind; while a number had pus coming from
their mouths, as well as deep lacerations to the face. Four surviving
dogs, which included a six week old pup, were moved to a secret
location.
Two men caught blocking up a badger sett appeared before Seisdon
magistrates on 24/10/95 they said they were asked to do so by the
landowner, who thought they were rabbit holes. Gary Pearce ( 21) and
his father Robert Pearce ( 48) both of 5 Kipling Road, Lower Gornal,
Dudley, West Midlands, pleaded guilty to interfering with a badger
sett. Robert Pearce also admitted possessing a shotgun for which he
was fined £250. The landowner Stephen Shakespeare of Greenhill Farm,
Lower Gornal, Dudley, West Midlands, who did not appear in court,
pleaded guilty through his solicitor. All three men were fined £750
each with court costs of £50.
Martin Bradley (29) of 88 Charford Road, Charford, Bromsgrove,
Worcestershire and Darren Hattersley (27) of 95 Hurlfield Road,
Gleadlass, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, were both given 6 months and
made to pay costs of £500 by Redditch magistrates on 9/2/96. They were
also both banned from keeping dogs for 5 years. They admitted cruelty
to a badger, attempting to take a badger and charges of putting their
terriers at risk. They were caught digging a badger sett. After they
realised they were being watched by the police, they ran off leaving
their terriers at the sett. The police arrested both of them nearby. A
dead badger cub was found at the sett along with their 5 terriers,
some of which had facial injuries. Martin Bradley also has a previous
conviction for attempting to take a badger dating back to February
1987, he was found guilty of digging for badgers. After an appeal at
Worcester Crown Court he was fined £200.
Robert Williams (48) of Rickstead Farm, Uppingham Road, East Norton,
Leicestershire was convicted of destroying a badger sett and damaging
another. On 30/1/96 Lutterworth magistrates fined the farmer £700 and
ordered him to pay £260 costs. Williams employed Peter Waddington (42)
of Melbourne Close, Kibworth Beauchamp (who was cleared of all
charges) to clear shrubs and trees on his land in April 1995. A body
of a 10 week old badger was found in one of the setts, on finding this
Mr Waddington became very concerned, he said he had no idea that the
land had a badger sett on it, and would not have cleared it if he did.
Damien Hughes (28) of 39 Ballytrodden Road, Benburb, County Armagh,
Northern Ireland was found guilty by Cookstown magistrates of
disturbing a badger sett under the 1985 Northern Ireland Wildlife
Order. He was fined £150 at a special sitting of the court in February
1996. The badger sett had been undisturbed for 20 years until Hughes
came along with his terriers, he claimed he did not know it was a
badger sett and he was only after foxes.
David Swanson (28), Darren Swanson (25) both of Pine Road, East Howle,
Ferryhill, and Graham Howard (25) of Coniston Road, Ferryhill pleaded
guilty to trapping badgers and cruelty to two of their terriers. They
all pleaded guilty to digging for a badger and two charges of causing
unnecessary suffering to dogs. On 26/4/96 Durham magistrates heard how
the police watched as the three dug up a sett with a pick and shovel.
Their three dogs were later examined by the RSPCA and a vet, and were
found to have suffered injuries. Part of the bottom lip of one of them
had been torn away. They were all sentenced to 5 months in jail,
banned them from keeping dogs for ten years, and ordered the
forfeiture of all their equipment.
On 3/7/96 Mark Graham Pavit (23) of 20 Ashley Road, Droylsden,
Manchester, Nicky Dixon (22) of 75 Edward Street, Audenshaw,
Manchester and Andrew Conboy (27) of 14 Sherwood Avenue, Droylsden,
Manchester appeared before Macclesfield magistrates. They all pleaded
guilty to interfering with a badger sett. A charge of cruelty to a dog
was dropped previously by the prosecution. On 9/8/96 Macclesfield
Magistrates sentenced them to 150 hours community service and were
ordered to pay costs of £100 each. They were also banned from keeping
dogs for three years and the court ordered the confiscation of their
equipment.
Three men from the Midlands were convicted by Oswestry Magistrates on
10/7/96 for interfering with a badger sett. Stuart Anthony Fellows
(28) of Pond Lane, Parkfields, Wolverhampton, William John Richards
(46) of Harrold Road, Rowley Regis, West Midlands and Stephen James
Rogers (33) of Lane Avenue, Walsall, West Midlands had claimed in
court they were digging for foxes when a local resident heard dogs
barking and went to investigate. On arrival the local resident was
told that it was a rabbit warren and they were digging for foxes. He
then began to take pictures of the men digging, Fellows then proceeded
to chase him across the field and at one point hit him across the back
with a spade. Fellows was also admitted stealing a camera and assault.
During a search of Fellows house in October 1995 by the RSPCA they
found three wildlife traps and a stuffed badger on top of the TV. On
13/8/96 Oswestry Magistrates sentenced Fellows to 4 months for
assault, 1 month for stealing the camera and 2 months for interfering
with a badger sett, all to run concurrently. Richards and Rogers were
sentenced to 150 hours community service each and ordered to pay £150
costs each for interfering with a badger sett, they were all banned
from keeping dogs for 10 years. Fellows has had his ban from keeping
dogs cut to just 3 years following an appeal at Shrewsbury Crown Court
on 13/9/96.
Kevin Gustard (24) of Victoria Terrace, Murton, County Durham admitted
three offences of digging a badger sett. On 6/7/96 Durham magistrates
heard that Gustard was spotted by a local gamekeeper who then phoned
for the police, the gamekeeper then made three return trips to the
sett after Gustard had disappeared, a puppy could be still heard
yapping from inside the sett. The following day Gustard and John
William Norman (23) of Barnes Road, Murton, County Durham returned
with the puppy's mother, who had been fitted with a tracking device
was put into the sett to find it. Gustard told the police he knew it
was a badger sett but was trying to retrieve his puppy. He was given
120 hours community service and ordered to pay cost of £973.90.
Norman, who admitted to one offence of interfering with a badger sett,
was given a 2 year conditional discharge. The court was told that
Norman was given a 3 month sentence for an unconnected offence by
Peterlee Magistrates on 30/8/96.
Back To The Top
The case against Edward Tuckwell of Hampton Estate, Seale, near
Aldershot was dismissed after two hours, he was originally charged
with interfering with a badger sett at Little Common which is on the
Surrey Estate. Defended by Michael Goodridge, Tuckwell pleaded not
guilty to the charge, he said he suffered a lot of problems with
rabbits on the estate and thought the sett was inhabited by rabbits.
He denied he intended to gas the sett.
Neil Keith Bingham (24) of Pateley Moor Crescent, Darlington admitted
to interfering with a badger sett by causing a dog to enter it at
Northallerton magistrates on 30/7/96. Bingham said he had been out
chasing foxes with some friends when his dog had got trapped down a
hole. He said Bingham did not know it was a badger sett and added "It
was done unwittingly and he had full co-operated with the police".
However, examination of the sett later had showed one entrance had
been enlarged while two others had been blocked by lumps of concrete.
A terrier that was found nearby after the incident had various wounds
and scars in the nasal area. It is now in a safe RSPCA home. Bingham
was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £470 costs, banned from keeping
dogs for 5 years and had all his equipment, including nets and
tracking devices confiscated.
Ronny Sanderson of Halifax was found guilty of possession of badger
parts under the Badgers Act and for possession of a tawny owl under
the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Magistrates heard how Sanderson
claimed the badger was a road casualty, however, it was found to have
dog bites on its neck. The court also heard how the owl had lead shot
injuries. He was fined £100 and ordered to pay £750 costs to the
RSPCA.
Three men who admitted interfering with the set of a badger were
described as "blackguards" by a judge at Trim District Court on
25/4/97. Eventually one of the men, Peter Maher of Grangeclare,
Robenstown, Co Kildare was remanded in custody for a seven days. The
court heard he had given a false name and address to a wildlife ranger
who came across the men. The others were fined. Maher, along with John
Casey (32) of Coolcarrigan, and Patrick Mulligan jnr (28) of
Knockmore, Carbury, Co Kildare, were charged with entering lands
without the owner's permission. Casey and Mulligan were told they must
pay £100 witness expenses each in addition to fines of £150 and £100
respectively. The judge also disqualified Casey from driving for 12
months for using his car in connection with the offence. The three
defendants also admitted interfering with/destroying the breeding
place of a protected wild animal and carrying a spade and shovel
capable of being used for the hunting of a wild bird or animal. He
remanded Maher in custody for one week to appear again in Trim
District Court at a later date. Recognisance was set in the event of
an appeal.
David Clark (37) of Bentley Close, Lillington, Leamington Spa and
Richard Underhill (37) of Abbey Lane, Southam, Warwickshire were both
found guilty of interfering with a badger sett, attempting to take a
badger and causing a dog to enter a badger's sett. On 11/9/97 Banbury
magistrates took only one hour to find them both guilty. During the
trial which lasted two days the court heard how the pair were caught
armed with spades at a badger sett. When police raided Clark's home
they found his living room filled with badger and fox trophies and gin
traps were mounted on the walls. He also had dozens of books on
bloodsports and hunting and 50 videos containing footage of rabbits
and foxes being trapped and killed. Also caught was Frederick Smalley
(69) of Hill Farm, Kineton Lane, Warmington. He was charged with
interfering with a badger sett by destroying it on his farm. He was
due to be tried separately, but sadly I don't know the outcome of his
trial. Their appeal against conviction and sentence was thrown out by
a judge at Oxford Crown Court on 12/1/98. Clark and Underhill took
their protest before a judge after Banbury magistrates gave them both
60 day sentences for attempting to take badgers, sending a dog into a
badger sett and damaging a badger sett. The judge ordered the men to
serve the remaining time of their original sentences, and gave them 30
days each on the other 2 charges, to run concurrently with their
longer sentence.
Following a trial at Matlock magistrates court four men from
Derbyshire were found guilty of interfering with a badger sett,
digging for badgers and killing a badger. The court heard on
18-19/9/97 how Garry Shaw (28) of White Terrace, Rowsley, near
Bakewell, Gary Pettipierre (37) of Belper Road, Alderwasley, David
Wragg (32) of Sandbed Lane, Belper and Michael Holland (32) of Cowsley
Road, Chaddesden were seen by a badger protection group. The group
were keeping watch on a sett when they observed the four approach the
sett and begin digging. They then watched in horror as a badger was
knifed, then bludgeoned to death. The police were called and found the
body of a fully grown male badger still warm in a shallow grave near
the sett. However, Wragg told magistrates he had stabbed the badger
through the heart and then buried it. He said the two terriers were on
a scent and had run into the sett, he then dug out the terriers and
found one dog locked jaw-to-jaw with the badger and the other dog was
also clamped onto it. Wragg said the killing was unavoidable. "It was
not sport. I did it to save the dogs." Police took a knife from Wragg
and a boilersuit from Holland both were bloodstained and DNA genetic
profiling (used for the first time in such a case) matched the blood
of the dead badger. On 17/10/97 all were sentenced to five months in
prison by Bakewell magistrates. The court also ordered that their
terriers be forfeited to the RSPCA. Following a failed appeal at Derby
Crown Court on 12/2/98, Holland was sentenced to four months, Wragg
and Pettipierre both received three months sentences.
Steven Taplin (28) of Kilburn Street, Liverpool, Paul Archer (23) of
Snave Close, Liverpool and Stanley Young (30) of Elizabeth Road,
Bootle, Liverpool were all found guilty on 14/11/97 of interfering
with a badger sett and causing unnecessary suffering to a fox. Young
was also found guilty of cruelty to his terrier. Stockport magistrates
heard how a vet had examined the fox that was found at the scene. It
was still warm, had 'pretty horrendous injuries' and had bled to
death. The court also heard how a greyhound and two terriers were
injured, and one of the terriers had such serious injuries that it
required three operations to repair the damage to the lower jaw. The
three said in court how they had travelled to Stockport to hunt foxes
because there were none in Merseyside. Taplin also told the court that
they would not have dug at the sett if they believed badgers were
inside. He also disagreed that the fox had been savaged by the dogs.
"What do you think they did? Give it a kiss?" asked the prosecution.
Taplin also stated it was a duty to kill foxes "because they are
vermin". All three were sentenced to over 200 hours community service
and ordered to pay £200 costs each. Young also had to forfeit his
terrier and was banned from keeping dogs for two years.
Back To The Top
James Dempster, Grogor Mitchell and Mark McLay all of Blackburn, West
Lothian and Daniel Scott of Livingston were all found guilty of breach
of the peace, under Scottish law, after torturing a pregnant vixen to
death. The court heard how the incident was caught on video at a
disused factory in Rathgate. The video showed the vixen was kicked and
then thrown to four waiting terriers, one of the terriers was also
kicked by Dempster after it refused to attack the vixen. Dempster was
sentenced to three months (but was released on bail pending an appeal)
after the court heard he had a previous conviction for being involved
in a dog fight. Mitchell, McLay and Scott were ordered to do 200 hours
community service.
Three men appeared before Dewsbury magistrates charged with damaging a
badger sett and causing unnecessary suffering to a dog. William
Lowther, Andrew Lowther and Ian Priestley claimed they were trying to
rescue their dog that had been stuck in a badger sett for two days.
Magistrates found all three guilty of the offences and were sentenced
to 160 hours community service for each offence (to run concurrently)
and ordered to pay £50 compensation. Priestley who was the owner of
the dog was banned from keeping dogs for three years. The dog was also
confiscated.
Unemployed gamekeeper Colin Eddy (36) of 88 High Street, Stetchworth,
Cambridgeshire appeared before Newmarket magistrates on 30/4/98. Eddy
had denied charges of causing unnecessary suffering to sheep and nine
ferrets. Eddy already has a convicted from three years ago for
neglecting 40 chickens.
Teeside Crown Court ruled on 4/9/98 that hunting foxes with dogs can
be cruel to the dogs. As a result two terrier men were sent to prison
for 60 days. Stuart Bandeira (35) of Templar Street, Stockton and
Darren Brannigan (25) of Archibald Street, Middlesbrough. Teeside
magistrates imposed the sentence of 60 days in July 1998. The court
dismissed their appeals against both sentence and conviction for a
charge alleging they cruelly ill-treated a black Lakeland terrier by
putting it down a hole where it met up with an unspecified wild
animal. They had been using spades, nets and dogs to dig the hole and
also they did not have permission to be on the farmland. The court
were told of the injuries to one of the three terriers with them, cuts
and scratches to its face, were a result of ill treatment in putting
the dog 'head to head' with a wild animal such as a "fox, badger or
other carnivore" in a tunnel. The court also upheld the decision to
ban the pair from keeping animals for three years and the confiscation
of the terrier.
A man has been jailed for two months after a court ruled that he used
two dogs, one of which was found with horrific injuries, for hunting
badgers. Darren Wilkinson of Bells Lane End, Hartshorne was also
disqualified from keeping a dog for 10 years. Derby magistrates heard
on 6/3/99 that an RSPCA officer and a policewoman discovered the Jack
Russell terriers at Wilkinson's home. One of the dogs had most of its
snout missing and the other one had bite wounds on its ears, cheek and
leg. They described the injuries to the more severely-hurt dog as the
worst of its kind they had ever seen. Wilkinson admitted causing
unnecessary suffering to a Jack Russell terrier by failing to get
medical treatment for the animal. But he claimed he had found the dog
while out walking and taken it home. Wilkinson's girlfriend, Angela
Yates (24), who lives with him, was given a one-year conditional
discharge and disqualified from keeping a dog for three years. She had
denied causing unnecessary suffering to the badly-injured dog by
omitting to take it to a vet, but was found guilty of the charge at a
previous hearing at Swadlincote magistrates. A further charge against
Wilkinson of causing unnecessary suffering to the other terrier was
dismissed at the same hearing after the prosecution offered no
evidence. The badly-injured terriers has since made a full recovery
after having its face reconstructed by vet. Wilkinson and Yates agreed
to sign over both animals to the RSPCA.
Andrew Williams has been sentenced to 100 hours community service and
fined £400 for digging out a badger set near Newbury. Williams was
arrested in March 1998 with a badger cub and four dogs in the boot of
his car. A second defendant failed to appear at court and a warrant
was issued for his arrest. (BBC1 South West Today 10/2/99)
Two men found guilty of digging for a badger in farm land near Ibstock
have been jailed for two months. Lee Robert Burton (25) of Tower Road,
Hartshorne and Richard Alan Atkins (31) of Elmsleigh Green,
Swadlincote, both in Derbyshire, were found guilty on 23/3/99 of
digging for a badger after a five-day trial at Coalville magistrates.
Police were called and after a chase Burton and Atkins were caught.
Both men refused to give their names and Burton threatened an officer
with a spade he was carrying. Three dogs were also found on the site
they all had scratches on their faces. Other equipment such as a
ferret finder, shovels and knives were also recovered nearby. A dead
badger was found at the scene and the body was still warm. When they
were taken to their new home there was a concrete badger on the front
garden which all three dogs immediately attacked. Both men were
sentenced to two months in prison. Magistrates ordered all equipment
recovered by police to be destroyed and disqualified both men from
owning a dog for three years. The three dogs had since been found new
homes by the police.
William McGregor (33) from Kinross, Fife, was accused of torturing a
fox while it was trapped in its den he used terriers equipped with
radio location collars to trap foxes in their dens. Dunfermline
sheriff court was told on 26/3/99 that McGregor denied torturing and
terrifying a captive fox by using two terrier dogs to prevent it
escaping from its earth. He also denies cruelty by failing to feed the
dogs adequately and failing to provide vet care for a dog with an
infected mouth and ear. The court heard that the police had gone to a
fox earth after complaints from walkers in the wood. They found three
or four exits to the earth, however, all but one had been deliberately
filled in. In the middle of the earth was a hole that had been dug
out. There was a strong fox smell. Earlier the owner of the wood told
the court the accused had no permission to hunt or kill foxes on his
land. The court was told that police searched McGregor's house and
found a diary. The entry for 2/1/99 read: Went to Dalgety Bay to where
there are some fox holes. There was one with a 20lb dog fox. Birky's
dog tried for about one hour but it was too fat. Tried Cougar. He did
very well for an hour and then let the fox go." Police also found two
terriers suffering from injuries. In a bag was a dog's collar fitted
with a transmitter, a radio receiver, and a spade with a lead attached
to it. On 17/4/99 McGregor appeared at Dunfermline Court and the
Sheriff was not persuaded that he had blocked the escape holes of the
earth. However, he found him guilty of neglecting his two dogs by
failing to feed them properly or provide them with prompt veterinary
care and fined him £250.
Three men travelled from South Wales to Milton Keynes on a badger
baiting trip Milton Keynes magistrates heard on 26/10/99. Paul
Rivenberg 934) of Coed-Coe, Nantyglo; Michael Dutton (27) of Merthyr
Vale, Merthyr Tydfil and Stephen Booth (20) of Coed-Coe, Nantyglo, all
deny a charge each of killing, injuring or attempting to take a badger
and a further charge each of interfering with a badger sett at a
landfill site near Milton Keynes. Rivenberg also denies two charges of
cruelty to an animal. Booth is also accused of badger baiting but he
failed to appear before magistrates. They are alleged to have
attempted to lure badgers out of their sett during an evening's
"hunt". The men had travelled from South Wales with dogs, spades, nets
and bags. The previous night they had been lamping for foxes and there
is evidence that they did catch two foxes claimed the prosecution.
They were found on a landfill site by a site foreman and a gamekeeper,
and asked to leave. They moved on but came back to the sett later on.
"The site foreman called police and RSPCA officers and the men were
arrested.
Two Bolton men who were caught red handed trying to set a terrier on a
badger in its sett have escaped jail. Paul Sheridan (43) of Johnson
Fold Avenue, Johnson Fold, and Shaun Harwood (34) of Selkirk Avenue,
Astley Bridge, had both been found guilty of badger baiting by
Blackburn magistrates and on 21/8/99 they were each sentenced to 150
hours community service and ordered to pay £150 costs. When they were
discovered Sheridan had three terriers with him and claimed one of the
dogs had run off and chased a fox down the sett, then become trapped
underground. Magistrates found the men guilty of digging for a badger,
damaging and obstructing a badger sett and causing a dog to enter a
sett.
Police on an undercover operation against badger baiters found a
disturbed sett, a freshly killed badger with wounds consistent with
badger baiting, and five men with dogs hiding nearby, Lampeter
magistrates heard on 11/11/99. The men claimed to be hunting foxes,
but one, who told police he would never touch a badger, was later
found to have two stuffed badgers and a mounted badger's head at his
home. When they all appeared at Lampeter magistrates on 1/12/99 Gary
David Venton (24) and his brother Kevin Venton (22) both of Bryn y
Wawr, Pentregat, New Quay; Gary Alan Williams (22) of Heol y Craig,
Clydach, Swansea; Geraint Ronald Woolcock (21) of Cowbridge Square,
Gwae-Cae-Gurwen, Ammanford and John Alan Gilmore (30) of Bryn Teifi,
Cilcennin all had their charges dropped. Gary Venton also denies
possessing excess ammunition and failing to notify the transfer of a
shotgun.
Gary Lee Haslam (29) of Moorend, Clitheroe was convicted of digging
for badgers but has escaped a jail sentence. Haslam was also found
guilty of cruelty to his dog, which suffered facial injuries, was
given 100 hours community service and put on a four-month curfew. On
7/2/00 Burnley magistrates banned Haslam from keeping a dog for five
years and told him to pay £1,200 in costs and his dog was forfeited.
The court heard how Haslam had been seen by police coming out of a
wood wearing camouflage clothing and his dog was bleeding from the
mouth and eye. Haslam said his terrier had disappeared into a hole and
he had dug her out. While digging, he claimed, he saw a fox vault from
the hole followed by the dog. Officers later found the defendant's
spade and iron bar near to an active badger sett. Haslam said he had
never seen a badger. The court also heard that Haslam has had working
dogs virtually all his life.
On the 19/9/00 at Southend magistrates Brian Anthony Holder was found
guilty of interfering with a badger sett in his garden, in Hockley,
Essex, by obstructing sett entrances. In sentencing Holder to a £500
fine plus £250 costs. The Magistrates also expressed their disapproval
of the defendant's lack of cooperation with the police - he refused to
allow the police to examine the sett and refused to be interviewed by
the police.
On 27/2/02 Dolgellau magistrates heard about six men who were found
allegedly digging a badgers' sett in a wood. They were accompanied by
a dozen dogs. The men told police they were digging for a fox which
had gone to ground. They denied all charges. The court heard that two
dogs were seen trying to get into a tunnel at the bottom of the hole
and a squealing noise could be heard. When one of the dogs, a terrier,
was pulled out of the tunnel it was heavily bloodstained and had
badger hairs in its mouth. The six were: Tony Edwards (27) of Grimshaw
Lane, Ormskirk; Gerrard Gary Daniel Stanley (38) of Cloucas Gardens,
Ormskirk; John Garreth Griffiths (34) of Ty'n Llwyd Terrace,
Trawsfynydd; Donald Keith Edwards (44) of Cysgod y Coleg, Bala; David
William Thomas (36) of Old Tan y Banc, Penrhynndeudraeth; and William
Evans (40) of Pengwndwn, Blaenau Ffestiniog. Tony Edwards was also
found not guilty of an additional charge of causing unnecessary
cruelty to his Lakeland terrier. Donald Keith Edwards said he had seen
a fox enter one of the holes in the area. All six told the court they
were hunting for foxes and denied they had visited the site to dig for
badgers. David Thomas, who farms at his mother's farm at Blaenau
Ffestiniog, told the court: "I've got no interest in digging for
badgers. "Why should I go all the way to Llanfrothen when I've got
badgers on my own farm?" William Evans said outside court: "I'm glad
it's over and our names have now been cleared. "The boys hunt every
week and have been doing it for 20 years and we want to carry on
hunting."
Back To The Top
Three men re-appeared before Wirral magistrates on 13/3/02 charged
under the 1992 Protection of Badgers Act. Stephen Baker (37) of
Overpool Road, Ellesmere Port; Stephen Butler (29) of Cedar Gardens,
Queensferry; and Stephen Fowell (29) of Whitfield Street, Birkenhead,
all deny digging for badgers at Heswall and interfering with a badger
sett. The case was adjourned until early July for evidence to be
called.
On 8/3/02 a man charged with two counts of causing suffering to a dog
has been refused his request to have the dog back in his care during
the court proceedings. Paul Nightingale of Thornfield Avenue,
Waterfoot, did not appear at Rossendale magistrates but was
represented by his solicitor who made an application that his
crossbreed terrier be returned to him. But the magistrates believed
the dog was being looked after adequately in the care of the RSPCA and
refused his request. Nightingale is pleading not guilty to both
offences that he was concerned about the care his dog was receiving
while not with him. The dog disappeared and was found by a dog warden
and taken to kennels in Whitworth. When Nightingale collected it two
days later he was told it needed medication for a mouth ulcer. The
case was adjourned for a pre-trial review on 4/4/02. This man has a
previous conviction for badger digging and ill-treating a dog.
A hunt enthusiast was jailed on 20/3/02 for having an illegal gun to
kill foxes. James Hearne (26) of Bryn Coch Road, Sarn, Bridgend
admitted swapping his terrier dog for the illegal gun to kill the
animals. But the court heard his experience being in jail on remand
means he will never go hunting again. After four months custody,
Hearne told how he felt like a "caged animal" and he will never touch
another weapon. Cardiff Crown Court heard how Hearne had swapped a
terrier dog at a country fair in Ludlow for the gun to kill animals
"humanely". He told police he the gun for the purposes of shooting
foxes. Hearne admitted possessing a firearm without authority,
possessing expanding ammunition without authority and was jailed for
18 months.
An accusation of badger-baiting was dismissed on 1/5/02 after a
District Court judge said that the incorrect date was specified in the
charges. The judge dismissed the charge against Colin Bowie of
Glennorth, Banteer, Co Cork at Kanturk District Court, after animal
welfare inspector described the condition of a Fell terrier who had
lost half its lower jaw and large areas of flesh as among the worst he
had seen in 32 years as an inspector. Police found 22 dogs in kennels
behind Bowie's house. The court heard that four Fell terriers were
found in be in a particularly appalling condition. One dog had more
than 30 injury or bite marks on it and had lost part of its lower jaw.
Bowie claimed that he was out hunting when his terrier had gone into
what he presumed was a fox den. However, he realised that a badger
must have been in the hole when the dog emerged bearing terrible
injuries.
Three men accused of hunting badgers with dogs lied under oath in a
tale concocted to protect themselves Wallasey magistrates heard on
12/7/02. Stephen Baker (38) of Overpool Road, Ellesmere Port, Stephen
Butler (30) of Cedar Gardens, Queensferry, and Stephen Fowell (30) of
Whitfield Street, Tranmere are accused of badger digging on farmland
in Pensby. Prosecutors alleged they fled the scene when officers
approached, leaving a dog trapped underground in a badger sett. The
trio deny the charges, saying they ran away because they knew they
were trespassing. They admitted trespassing on the land up to three
times to rescue the dog. The prosecution old the court how the three
men, who are not members of recognised terrier clubs, failed to take
warnings about possible badger activity on the site. "To hunt on a
piece of land, you must obey rules. "You firstly must obtain written
permission to hunt, be a member of a working terrier club, be able to
identify badger sites on the land and give reliable evidence of your
name and address, if stopped by the police. "What you are telling the
court today is nonsense because you were there to try to get a
badger." The men claimed that they had been interested in visiting the
land to hunt for rats, rabbits and a fox. Baker told the court how he
had been familiar with the area of land and had been intrigued by fox
holes he had found on a previous visit. "I went to the land because
there was a nice fox earth there. I could tell by the size of the hole
and it stank of fox," he said. "I checked the hole first and then the
dog went down it "I am more interested in foxes and rats than badgers.
I am not a badger baiter and have even worked with Clwyd Badger
Group." Baker then told how he was forced to dig the hole when he
found that the terrier was missing. He said: "I tried using my locator
and put my arm in to the hole. I was a few inches away, it was so
frustrating. I then decided to dig the dog out." The dog was recovered
three hours later by officers in a hole on the other side of the
field. No signs of fox activity were found at the location. The men
were remanded on unconditional bail. On 15/7/02 and witness called The
Reverend and Worshipful Professor Doctor Barry Peachey ( dressed as a
priest in a bid to appear more creditable) was called as a defence
witness.
On 27/7/02 Stephen Baker , Stephen Butler and Stephen Fowell were
found guilty of badger digging. The judge told the trio it was "
abundantly obvious" they had deliberately set out to hunt badgers. In
doing so, he said, they had ransacked the sett and as a result it had
since been abandoned by the animals. He also said "I am in no doubt
whatsoever that the three men set out on a joint enterprise and
deliberately dug into a badger sett. "I'm warning you that these
matters go way beyond the custodial threshold." "You lied about the
dog being stuck underground and lied about the smell of fox. These
lies are beyond an innocent explanation." All three men had pleaded
not guilty to the charges. Baker, Butler and Fowell, who have no
previous convictions, were remanded on unconditional bail to await
pre-sentence reports. They will be sentenced on 20/8/02 and face up to
six months behind bars.
On 30/702 at Market Harborough magistrates Francis Kevin Philips of
Barrow upon Soar, near Loughborough, Leicestershire, pleaded not
guilty to two counts of interfering with a badger sett. Philips is
charged with blocking a badger sett as part of his terrierwork for the
Hunt, by using illegal methods. The offences are alleged to have taken
place, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. The case was adjourned by
magistrates until 29/8/02, when a date will be set for trial.
On 20/8/02 Stephen Baker (38) of Overpool Road, Ellesmere Port,
Stephen Butler (30) of Cedar Gardens, Queensferry, and Stephen Fowell
(30) of Whitfield Street, Tranmere were found guilty of badger digging
and of interfering with a badger sett, they were also sentenced to six
weeks to run concurrently. The judge also banned the trio from owning
a dog for three years.
Animal activists used an infra-red triggered camera disguised as a
twig to try to catch a man blocking a badger sett, a magistrates
heard. Members of the League against Cruel Sports used the equipment
to record Francis Phillips (65) of Thirlmere Road, Barrow upon Soar at
a badger sett. Phillips who is an earth stopper for the Quorn Hunt
denied two charges of obstructing a badger sett when he appeared at
Harborough magistrates on 28/10/02. The prosecution claimed Phillips
used heavy lumps of clay rather than loose soil to fill some of the 25
or so holes at the sett. On 6/11/02 Philips was found guilty of
interfering with a badger sett. One count of interfering with a badger
sett was dismissed but he was found guilty of the second charge. He
was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £1,000
costs. Philips is believed to be one of 40 registered earth stoppers
who do work with the Quorn.
Three men were arrested in connection with badger baiting at Teesside
Retail Park on 7/5/03. The three local men were arrested and then
released on police bail after being caught allegedly setting dogs down
badger holes.
On 29/5/03 Edward Daniel Phillips of Catbrook, Monmouthshire, will
appeared before Newport magistrates. He was charged with interfering
with a badger sett under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. The
offence is alleged to have taken place at a badger sett in
Monmouthshire.
Back To The Top
On 24/603 a member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs' (DEFRA) wildlife unit admitted putting a badger's skull on a
stick on land at a cull zone in North Devon. The discovery of the
skull and a note on DEFRA-headed notepaper giving details of the
number of badgers killed in the cull. The Coalition of Badger Action
Groups (CBAG) warned that DEFRA staff could be operating illegally.
DEFRA pledged to carry out a full investigation into the matter and
yesterday it emerged that a member of the wildlife unit had admitted
using a skull found on the ground and leaving a message relating to
the number of badgers killed in the latest operation. A DEFRA
spokesman said: "The member of staff concerned greatly regrets his
actions. The incident will be dealt with through internal disciplinary
procedures.
Three men were caught digging at a badger sett that had been disused
for years, Barnsley magistrates heard on 26/6/03. Darrell Harper (38)
of Wellington Crescent, Worsbrough, Anthony Fisher (31) of
Monksprings, Worsbrough and Kenneth Hume (54) of Park Road,
Grimethorpe, deny the charge of interfering with a badger sett. Hume
also admitted he had been rabbiting for 40 years. The three accused
were arrested after a swoop by police acting on a tip-off. The trio,
who had two Patterdale terriers tethered nearby, told police a third
dog had gone down one of the holes after a rabbit. It eventually
emerged wearing a locater collar. The site was said to have been
recorded as a badger sett by South Yorkshire Badger Group since at
least 1996. Dr Barry Peachy was appearing as an expert witness for the
defence. On 28/6/03 all three were acquitted of all charges.
John Threlkeld (37) of Low Scales, Renwick, near Penrith, appeared
before Eden magistrates on 19/1/04 charged with killing two badgers.
Threlkeld pleaded not guilty to both offences. He also denied setting
a snare to cause injury to a scheduled wild animal. The cases were
adjourned to fix a trial date.
On 31/3/04 Leslie Fowell (34) appeared before Wirral magistrates
charged with eight offences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.
The charges include willfully injuring badgers and cruelly
ill-treating badgers. The badger offences are alleged to have taken
place in Flintshire. Fowell is also charged with possession of an
offensive weapon and possession of a controlled drug.
Stephen Scott (21) of Galalaw Road, Harwick was fined £300 at Jedburgh
Sheriff court on 19/3/04. But, his two co-accused brothers Ian
Marshall and Paul Marshall of Burnfoot Road and Wilson Drive
respectively both walked free after the procurator fiscal accepted
not-guilty pleas. All three men had initially faced several charges
relating to foxes and badgers. Scott admitted sending a lurcher and
two terriers into a fox set. Two foxes fled from the set and one was
caught by the lurcher. A farmer noticed the terrier dogs running loose
and saw them entering the fox set. He approached the accused and saw a
fox close to the set in its last throes of life. "The accused was then
told to get off the land by the farmer". During police interviews
Scott a forestry worker admitted responsibility for his dogs and the
death of a fox. Since the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act
was introduced in 2002, in an attempt to outlaw foxhunts, there has
only been one other successful conviction. In December 2003 of a
Dundee man, David Murray, who was found on a beach at night with two
dogs trying to lure foxes into a trap. Although Murray did not catch
any foxes, he was still found guilty under the terms of the law. He
admitted hunting for foxes with dogs, but was not convicted of killing
foxes.
On 31/3/04 Leslie Fowell (34) of St Paul's Road, Rock Ferry appeared
before Wirral magistrates charged with eight offences under the
Protection of Badgers Act 1992. The charges include willfully injuring
badgers and cruelly ill-treating badgers. The badger offences are
alleged to have taken place in Flintshire. Fowell is also charged with
possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a controlled drug.
He was bailed until 23/6/04
Ten people were arrested on suspicion of causing suffering to animals
and disturbing a badger sett. The arrests were made as part of in a
joint police and RSPCA operation in Bracewell near Gisburn on 26/4/04.
The men - three from Barnoldswick and the other seven from Wigan and
Leigh - were released on police bail pending further enquiries. The
operation followed a tip-off that a group were planning to visit the
area to carry out a deer hunt and badger digging. They were arrested
at the site of a badger sett. On 6/5/04 a man was arrested on
suspicion of taking part in badger baiting after a raid on a house in
Lancashire. Police and RSPCA officers raided a house in the Todmorden
Road area of Bacup. They seized property and removed two dogs, which
are now in the care of RSPCA officers.
A man who pleaded guilty to interfering with badger setts in a nature
reserve was fined Euro €350 on 4/6/04. Michael O'Dowd (45) of Grange
Crescent, Mullingar, pleaded guilty to two counts of interfering with
a breeding area of a protected wild animal and of failure to comply
with a request of a ranger. Mullingar District Court heard how O'Dowd
admitted he dug out a badger sett, but only after a terrier he had
brought hunting got stuck in the hole. His solicitor said he had been
hunting foxes and not badgers. National Parks and Wildlife Service
rangers found freshly dug out badger setts and bait. When they called
to Mr O'Dowd's house he refused them permission to see his dogs or
shovel.
On 10/6/04 two Ashington area men were arrested by police in
connection with alleged badger baiting and stealing dogs. The arrests
followed investigations into badger setts being dug up and the animals
being taken away by the group of diggers. Both arrested men, a man in
his 30s and a teenage male, have been bailed to appear before Crawley
magistrates on 17/7/04. The RSPCA was involved in raids which led to
the arrests. Three terrier-type dogs and a cockerel were seized from a
house in the Penne Retreate area of Ashington and a Saluki cross-bred
was taken from a Washington property. A dead badger cub was found at a
sett after the diggers had left.
On 13/9/04 three men were given a lifetime ban from keeping dogs and
each ordered to pay £1000 in costs after pleading guilty to disturbing
a badger sett. Wayne Robert Hitchcock Senior (45) Wayne Robert
Hitchcock Junior (21) both from Norwich Street, Derby and Ian William
Hartley (29) of Thurlow Court, Oakwood, Derby, admitted the charge at
an earlier hearing and then appeared at Derby Magistrates Court. As
well as the ban and costs their dogs were confiscated. A youth, who
cannot be named for legal reasons also pleaded guilty for offences
under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 at Derby Youth Court the
previous week and was given a three-month referral order and a
five-year disqualification from keeping a dog. A member of the public
had tipped off police that the men were digging at a sett. Police
officers were dispatched along with a police helicopter which hovered
overhead and followed the group back to a layby where their car was.
Police were waiting for them at the layby. Two Patterdale terrier type
dogs were later recovered shortly afterwards and taken to the vets by
the RSPCA. Both were injured, one seriously. The dogs had transmitters
on their collars and the men were discovered with locator devices on
them. The judge also ordered them each to pay £1,000 costs at a rate
of £10 a fortnight. (HOW MUCH!!!)
On 28/9/04 Leslie Fowell (34) of Rock Ferry, Merseyside was sentenced
to 12 weeks imprisonment at Wirral magistrates for eight offences
under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 (four offences of cruelly
ill-treating a badger and four offences of willfully injuring a
badger). He was also disqualified from keeping dogs for two years. The
offences came to light this year when officers were investigating an
incident near to a badger sett. Fowell was arrested at his home and
during a search of it the police found still photographs and
video-tapes showing his Staffordshire Bull terrier and other dogs
fighting with badgers. The tapes showed several savage and prolonged
attacks by the dogs on badgers. The video also showed the badgers
being attacked at night and illuminated by high-powered lamps. When
interviewed Fowell admitted that he was present with his dog during
all the attacks.
Three men were arrested in Rossendale on 12/10/04 on suspicion of
animal cruelty following a joint operation between Pennine police and
the RSPCA designed to tackle suspected badger baiting. The three men,
a 63-year-old from Whitworth, a 57-year-old from Harrogate and a
43-year-old from Nelson, were arrested following the execution of a
police warrant at an address in Whitworth. The warrant was executed as
part of Operation Imperial and involved six RSPCA staff and around 20
police officers. The arrests are the third set of badger baiting
related arrests this year in the Pennine area; 11 people have already
been dealt with by officers following similar operations in Rossendale
and Pendle. The three men have been released on police bail and 10
dogs which were seized have been taken to an undisclosed location.
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Lurchermen
Courser Kenneth Alsop is bound over for a year after a sab was
assaulted at the national hare-coursing event at Swaffam.
Three pet lurcher dogs involved in savage attacks on cats and dogs
were led astray by two rogue animals according to their owner. Michael
Murtagh (52) of Warrener Street, Sale, Cheshire has since given the
terrier and lurcher greyhound back to their original owner, and taken
out extra precautions with his remaining dogs. Murtagh admitted two
offences of being the owner of dangerous dogs not under proper
control. The court heard that an order had already been made following
two incidents in 1984, when two cats were savagely killed in the Sale
area. Murtagh was again cautioned in February 1995 when two other dogs
were attacked by three greyhounds. Then on 31/3/95 another dog was
savagely attacked by four Lurchers and a terrier. Another dog was
attacked on 31/5/95 by four Lurchers and a terrier. Murtagh had since
got new muzzles and now exercises them on farms in Knutsford,
Cheshire. (What does he mean by exercised, coursing maybe?)
Darren Thomas Shanks (26) of Nettlewell, Chester-le-Street, pleaded
guilty to the charge of unlawfully taking rabbits. Shanks was fined
£40 and £40 costs by Appleby magistrates on 27/10/95. Shanks returned
to his transit van (after being out lamping) with 14 rabbits and a
hare. He had been hunting with 3 lurchers, and so had broken the
conditions set down by the farmer, a David Hastwell, The Buildings,
Kaber near Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria.
Three men from West Cumbria have been fined after admitting taking
rabbits from the Lowther estate. On 25/5/96 Penrith Magistrates were
told that Steven Richardson (37) and Mark Newell (25) both of Needham
Drive, Workington and Neil Metherell (38) of Pica Cottages, Distington
all took rabbits at night from land at Thrimby Hall farm near Little
Strickland. The three were kept under observation by police and a
gamekeeper on 25/3/96. They had in their possession lamps and
batteries. They were all fined £60 plus costs of £40 and the court
ordered the seizure of their equipment.
Edward Scarrot (56) from Warwickshire was caught taking part in hare
coursing. Scarrot, who came with a group of people, told the police
when caught he believed that hare coursing was perfectly legal, but
they were then told it was private land. Scarrot pleaded guilty to a
charge of trespass in pursuit of game on 23/1/97. The magistrates
fined him £30 and he was ordered to pay £10 costs. The case against
four others was adjourned until 1/4/97.
Two illegal hare coursers were caught by a gamekeeper, P. Nurdin and
C. Johnson both from Poole, Dorset were part of a group of seven
coursers seen by a local gamekeeper who phoned the police. When the
police arrived the gamekeeper, John Nicholls, identified two men who
he had seen releasing dogs on to hares. Both pleaded not guilty and
claimed they were just walking their dogs. However, they were both
found guilty by magistrates of trespass in pursuit of game. One was
fined £100 and the other £50. Charles Blanning of the National
Coursing Club said "The NCC totally condemns illegal coursing" he also
said "There is no connection between the organised 'sport' of
greyhound coursing - such as the Waterloo Cup - and illegal poaching
with long dogs".
Three men from Hampshire Darren Cole (23) of Mount Pleasant Road,
Alton, Simon Slone (24) of Kingdom Mews, Alton and John Smith (22) of
Lytham Close, Borden were spotted trespassing on private fields near
Ridgeway, Oxfordshire by a police officer. Didcot magistrates heard on
30/8/97 how the policeman saw the three men in a field with their dogs
off their leads. All three admitted trespassing on fields in search or
pursuit of game or woodcocks or conies and were fined £75 each and
ordered to pay £25 costs each.
John Richard Oswin (31) and Martin Scott Kendall (36) both of New
Street, Southowram, West Yorkshire appeared before Calderdale
magistrates on 29/5/98 charged with unnecessary suffering to a fox.
The court watched a video showing two lurchers attacking a fox which
had been released from a sack. The video showed the lurchers attacking
the fox over and over again. The defence claimed the coursing session
had been organised to train Oswin's young lurcher. He also claimed the
fox was dead or deeply unconscious after the first attack and
therefore had not been in any pain. Sadly magistrates acquitted them
both after the case was not proven.
Back To The Top
Two County Durham couples have been convicted of using pet rabbits as
bait for hunting dogs. Bishop Auckland magistrates heard how Jean
Dixon, John Jordan, Michaela Shorrocks and Steven Johnson were watched
by their neighbours as they set their lurchers onto pet rabbits.
Johnson received a 200 hours community service order and was ordered
to pay £400 costs. The other three were each ordered to do 180 hours
community service and pay £300 costs.
A farmer said today that four men who were fined £400 for illegal
hare-coursing got off lightly. The gang travelled from Wellingborough
to Thorney, near Peterborough, with their dogs to gamble on the sport
which is responsible for the brutal death of hundreds of hares every
year. The four, who were on farm-land at Thorney using lurcher dogs,
had come from homes at Gypsy Lane Caravan Site, near Wellingborough,
with seven dogs. But farmers spotted the men and alerted police. John
Lee (28), Francis Docherty (22), Francis Docherty snr (44) and a
17-year-old youth were all arrested and charged under the Gaming Act
1831 with daytime trespass by five or more in pursuit of game. None of
the men turned up for the hearing at Peterborough magistrates on
22/5/00. "This is a cruel sport. Farmers sometimes shoot the hares to
stop them being killed in hare-coursing." One local farmer said after
the court case.
On 21/12/01 four men from Worcester were fined more than £2,000 after
they were caught hare coursing. The group, all from the Lower Smite
Caravan Park site at Hindlip, each admitted two charges of entering
land in pursuit of game. David Butler (52), David Butler junior (27),
John Butler (19), and Harry Butler (25) all from the caravan park off
Pershore Road, were each fined £510. Both David Butlers were ordered
to hand over their cars. A fifth man, Harry Smith (33) of Cherry Brook
Close, Hereford, was also fined £510. The five faced the charges with
10 others following incidents at Southstoke, Wallingford, Oxon, and
nearby Chain Hill, Wantage. The 15 who come from the West Midlands,
Worcestershire, South Wales, Hereford, Hampshire, and Surrey were all
fined between £155 and £510 by magistrates at Didcot, after all
admitted entering on to land in pursuit of game.
A dog suffered in agony for days from a broken back after its owner
failed to get help. The greyhound was found lying on a urine soaked
floor in an outhouse. The dog's owner, Brian Waggott (51) of East
Clere, Langley Park, near Durham, admitted causing unnecessary
suffering to an animal when he appeared in court at Consett on
22/1/02. Magistrates banned him from owning a pet for five years for
the offence and ordered him to do 120 hours community service with
£260 costs. The greyhounds had been injured when it ran into an iron
fence while chasing a hare.
Martin Joseph Quinn (41) of Africana Road, Moss Bank, St Helen's,
Merseyside, was caught on land in Lincolnshire chasing hares. Lincoln
magistrates were told on 24/1/02 that Quinn and a co-accused were
spotted on a farmland in Metheringham fen with two lurcher dogs. A
farm employee saw the pair hare coursing with dogs. They were watched
for 20 minutes and then reported to the police. The co-accused's dog
was seen to attack and kill a hare. Quinn returned to a vehicle and
left the co-accused to continue pursuing hares. Quinn admitted
trespassing with intent to pursue game. Quinn told the court he only
went to look at a dog. "I was not on land but I've admitted it to get
it over with," he said. The self-employed builder was fined £110,
including costs.
An illegal hare courser has been fined £420 after admitting
trespassing and hunting with dogs on farmland. Reuben Butler was in a
party of three men, two of whom had dogs, Spalding magistrates heard
on 5/3/02. The offence on happened while foot-and-mouth controls were
still in place. Butler was taken to Spalding Police Station where he
admitted illegal hare coursing. For daytime trespassing in pursuit of
gain Butler of Crawley was fined £70 and for illegally hunting with
dogs he was fined £350. He was also ordered to pay £60 costs.
A former pub licensee from North Wales has been banned from keeping
animals for five years after he starved a dog and a rabbit to death.
On 29/8/03 Flintshire magistrates heard how Richard Jones who now
lives on Cannon Drive in Bagillt, claimed in court he was an animal
lover, admitted two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to the
rabbit and a lurcher-type dog found in outbuildings at the rear of the
Swan Inn at Rhewl near Mostyn. In addition to the five-year animal
ban, he was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work under a
community punishment order.
On 2/9/03 a gang of hare coursers caught poaching in Norfolk were
fined a total of £2050. King's Lynn magistrates also confiscated a car
belonging to one of the five men. Leonard Gaskin (46) Steven Gaskin
(29) and Charley Gaskin (18) all from Coventry, had denied trespassing
in pursuit of game and using any dog for the purpose of killing or
taking any game. Nelson Smith (42) and a 17-year-old, both from Cleeve
Prior, Worcestershire, also denied both charges. The group drove along
private tracks in two cars and had six lurcher-type dogs with them.
When police questioned the men, they found Steven Gaskin had blood on
his hands and over his trousers. "He said all the dogs were his, he
was training one of them and he had been coursing. Nelson Smith, who
had sold his car since the incident, was fined £1000. Leonard Gaskin
was fined £600, Charley Gaskin £300 and the 17-year-old £150. Each was
ordered to pay £30 costs.
A man whose lurcher allegedly killed a cat has been ordered to control
a Jack Russell terrier said to have been with the dog at the same
time. Jimmy Scott Murray (36) of Sandersons Croft, Kirkby Thore, had
denied at an earlier hearing having a lurcher and a Jack Russell which
were not kept under proper control. On 10/12/03 the case relating to
the lurcher was withdrawn after the Eden magistrates were told Murray
no longer owned the dog. Murray accepted having a Jack Russell which
was not kept under control.
A Little Lever man was convicted of trespass after being caught hare
coursing on farmland in Lancashire. William Rogers (40) of Hall Lane
Caravan Site, Little Lever, pleaded guilty to trespassing on land, in
pursuit of game. Rogers was given a 12-month conditional discharge and
ordered to pay £60 costs by Blackpool magistrates on 20/1/04. Rogers
was among a group of men working three dogs who were seen trespassing
on the farmland. Rogers has three previous similar convictions for
Richard Cartwright (30) of West View, Low Row, near Brampton agreed to
help a farmer to rid his land of rabbits ended up in court after
straying into a neighbouring field. Cartwright admitted taking 32
rabbits without permission. Carlisle magistrates heard on 11/3/04 that
a farmer called the police after seeing Cartwright and two other men
Darren Snowden (32) of Brookside, Carlisle and John Taggart (29) of
New Street, Wigton on his land. The court heard how they had a ferret,
and a small terrier dog tied to the fence and that the men had been
digging in the hedgerow where the police saw 32 dead rabbits. Charges
were dropped against Snowden and Taggart as prosecutors accepted that
they genuinely believed they had permission to be in that field.
Cartwright was given a conditional discharge and warned to stay away
from unauthorised land in the future. He was also ordered to pay £43
costs.
A Carlisle man who encouraged his dogs to kill a cat in a savage
attack has been banned from keeping animals from three years. After
his dogs had mauled the cat Darren Michael Coady (33) of Talkin Close,
Durranhill, Carlisle, then stamped on its body, picked it up and threw
it over a wire fence into some bushes. Following a night out in the
pub, Coady was seen and heard by witnesses encouraging his Lurcher and
Greyhound dogs to kill the cat by shouting ‘Go on lass, kill it’. He
was heard shouting this about five times. Prosecutor Linda Vance told
Carlisle Magistrates Court: Coady had pleaded guilty to ill treating
the animal. On 31/3/04 Carlisle magistrates gave Coady an 120-hour
community punishment order and banned him from keeping animals for
three years. He was ordered to pay £70 costs.
Two men admitted poaching for rabbits in Wirral at Birkenhead
magistrates on 14/4/04. Gary Fowell of Alderley Avenue, Claughton, and
Lee Murphy of Weathersfield Road, Noctorum, were caught at Poulton
Hall, Bromborough. The court heard they were dressed in army-style
clothes and boots, and were flanked by a pack of five or six dogs. The
police saw four males and identified all four of them, in particular
Gary Fowell and Lee Murphy. Gary Fowell said they were there
rabbiting. They entered guilty pleas to poaching. Both pleaded guilty
to trespassing on land at Poulton Hall in pursuit of game, woodcocks,
snipe or comies. They were fined £100 each and ordered to pay £65
costs
On the 8/7/04 a Dean Quantrell (44) from Liverpool was imprisoned for
3 months and banned from keeping any animals for 3 years. Quantrell
was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a Patterdale
terrier by failing to obtain treatment for a severe and infected
injury to the mouth. The dog was examined by a vet with expertise in
recognising injuries in dogs. He concluded that the injury was
consistent with those inflicted by a badger snout. Several other old
scars were also noted on the dog. Whilst it was not possible to prove
when or where the dog had been in conflict with a badger or who was
responsible for the badger fighting, Quantrell was charged under the
Protection of Animals Act 1911.
On 13/9/04 three men were given a lifetime ban from keeping dogs and
each ordered to pay £1000 in costs after pleading guilty to disturbing
a badger sett. Wayne Robert Hitchcock Senior (45) Wayne Robert
Hitchcock Junior (21) both from Norwich Street, Derby and Ian William
Hartley (29) of Thurlow Court, Oakwood, Derby, admitted the charge at
an earlier hearing and then appeared at Derby Magistrates Court. As
well as the ban and costs their dogs were confiscated. A youth, who
cannot be named for legal reasons also pleaded guilty for offences
under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 at Derby Youth Court the
previous week and was given a three-month referral order and a
five-year disqualification from keeping a dog. A member of the public
had tipped off police that the men were digging at a sett. Police
officers were dispatched along with a police helicopter which hovered
overhead and followed the group back to a layby where their car was.
Police were waiting for them at the layby. Two Patterdale terrier type
dogs were later recovered shortly afterwards and taken to the vets by
the RSPCA. Both were injured, one seriously. The dogs had transmitters
on their collars and the men were discovered with locator devices on
them. The judge also ordered them each to pay £1,000 costs at a rate
of £10 a fortnight. (HOW MUCH!!!)
On 28/9/04 Leslie Fowell (34) of Rock Ferry, Merseyside was sentenced
to 12 weeks imprisonment at Wirral magistrates for eight offences
under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 (four offences of cruelly
ill-treating a badger and four offences of willfully injuring a
badger). He was also disqualified from keeping dogs for two years. The
offences came to light this year when officers were investigating an
incident near to a badger sett. Fowell was arrested at his home and
during a search of it the police found still photographs and
video-tapes showing his Staffordshire Bull terrier and other dogs
fighting with badgers. The tapes showed several savage and prolonged
attacks by the dogs on badgers. The video also showed the badgers
being attacked at night and illuminated by high-powered lamps. When
interviewed Fowell admitted that he was present with his dog during
all the attacks.
On 12/11/04 seven men were convicted of a charge in relation to hare
coursing. They were found guilty of entering a St Osyth farm to pursue
daytime game by a district judge after a two-day trial at Chelmsford
magistrates. After the verdict was delivered, their solicitors
announced they will all lodge appeal notices. Lee Ambrose (35) of
Hovefield Avenue, Basildon, Walter Buckley (35) of Fenton Road,
Braintree, Thomas Harbour (48) of Acacia Road, Basildon, Tom Harbour
(22) of Grange Road, Pitsea, Joe Lee (43) of Cranham Hall Site, Little
Waltham, and Leonard Lowe (21) of Howefields in Wickford, all denied
charges of entry to pursue daytime game and jointly using dogs to kill
game. The judge found there was no case to answer for any of the
defendants on the charge of jointly using dogs to kill game, and threw
it out. Billy Broomfield (19) of Dunmow Road, Braintree, had admitted
jointly using dogs to kill game. He denied a charge of entry to pursue
daytime game along with the others but was also convicted. A charge of
careless driving against him was thrown out. Thomas Harbour had denied
a further charge of driving a car off-road, but was convicted. Each
defendant, apart from Broomfield, was ordered to pay a fine of £100,
with a contribution to costs of £150. Broomfield wa told that because
of his guilty plea, he would be fined £50 for jointly using dogs to
kill game, and issued no separate penalty for the offence he was
convicted of. He must also pay £150 towards costs. All the men were
told they could pay their fines at a rate of £5 a week, but the fines
will be suspended once the appeal notices are formally lodged.
A farmer who ran over an illegal hare courser has been cleared of
deliberately trying to injure him. John Hoyle suffered a damaged
vertebrae and shoulder after he was knocked over the farmer on his
land near Sleaford, Lincs. Hoyle who admitted trespassing, told
Lincoln Crown Court on 19/11/04 that the farmer "tried to kill" him.
But the jury found the farmer not guilty after he insisted he braked
but could do nothing to avoid a collision. Hoyle and a friend had
travelled from their homes in Manchester to hunt hares.
At Sudbury magistrates on 8/12/04 Matthew Giles (25) of Stovolds Hill,
Cranleigh, Surrey; Joe Kerry (28) of Gurney Road, Norwich; Matthew
Wenham (20) Ellens Green, Horsham; Edward Lee (21) of Parkers Lane,
Bracknell, Berkshire; Alfred Kerry (29) of Stovolds Hill, Cranleigh,
Surrey; and Wesley Butcher (30) of Stovolds Hill, Cranleigh, Surrey,
all pleaded guilty to trespass in search of game. They all took part
in an illegal hare coursing event at Great Barton, near Bury St
Edmunds. During the hearing Butcher said: "We have all got rid of our
dogs and now we know it is illegal we are sorry. We will not be doing
it again." All six were fined £100 and ordered to pay £20 in court
costs.
Seven people appeared at Bourne magistrates on 23/12/04 to face
charges connected to hare coursing illegally on private property.
Warrants were issued to a further 17 people but they failed to attend
court to answer. In court were Joseph Lee (17), David O'Connor (26),
Sean Page (22) and a 13-year-old boy, all from Cambridgeshire, each
admitted trespassing in the pursuit of game. Lee, O'Connor and Page
were each fined £480 with £20 costs, and the 13-year-old received a
six-month conditional discharge with £20 costs. Martin Doherty (24),
from the West Midlands, was fined a total of £775 with £30 costs after
admitting taking game on a Sunday and trespassing in the pursuit of
game. Patrick Doherty (57), also from the West Midlands, was fined a
total of £1,000 plus £30 costs after admitting the same charges. John
Charles Smith, from Birmingham, admitted trespassing in the pursuit of
game and taking game on a Sunday. He will be sentenced at a later
date. Smith denies a charge of driving a Subaru estate car on private
land. His case has been adjourned to 11/1/05.
A hare courser caught operating on two farms was fined £650 and banned
from driving for six months. Danny Mobey (35) from Wallingford in
Oxfordshire was brought before magistrates at Ely. The court was told
that magistrates had a discretion to ban hare coursers from driving
under the Criminal Courts Sentencing Act, because vehicles were used
during the offence. Mobey admitted he was part of group of hare
coursers. Mobey was also ordered to pay £43 costs. Seven other men
accused of the same illegal hare coursing were due in court, but had
their case adjourned until 27/1/05.
Six men accused of taking part in illegal hare coursing are due to
appear at Ely magistrates on 3/2/05. All six men have been charged
with trespass in pursuit of game. Those charged are Larry Connors (22)
of Crop Common, Hatfield, Hertfordshire; Francis Connors (23) of
Pilgrims Lane, Thurrock, Essex; Thomas Connors (26) of Carshelton
Road, Surrey; Martin Hanrahan (33) of The Avenue, Bentley, Doncaster;
Felix Connors (41) of Brookwood Lane Road, Guildford; and a 17-
year-old man from Banstead, Surrey. The men were due to appear in
court on 6/1/05 to answer the charges but as all failed to appear the
hearings were adjourned until 3/2/05. On 10/2/05 Larry Connors was
fined £500 and also banned from taking out a driving licence for the
next nine months.
On 13/1/05 two hare coursers were each fined £500 with £150 costs for
operating on farms in Ely. The court heard how the police helicopter
was used to catch eight men and six dogs hare coursing. Patrick
Connors (41) of Banstead, Surrey and Francis Coyle (45) of Thurrock,
Essex, both admitted daytime trespass in pursuit of game. The court
was told that Connors' four-wheel drive vehicle was seized by police
at the time of the arrest, but the magistrates refused to make a
confiscation order for the vehicle this week, after hearing that the
loss of his vehicle had put Connors out of work.
Philadelphia - A pit bull enthusiast who sold videos of dogfights and
dogs attacking a pig became the first person on 14/1/05 to be
convicted under a federal law banning depictions of cruelty to
animals. Robert Stevens (64) of Pittsville, Virginia, was found guilty
in a Pittsburgh court of selling three videos a jury decided violated
the ban on depicting the intentional maiming, mutilation or torture of
animals or any wounding or killing. Stevens who runs a company called
Dogs of Velvet and Steel, also sold "break sticks" and "spring poles,"
which are used to condition pit bulls for fighting. Stevens advertised
the videos in an underground dog-fighting paper called the Sporting
Dog Journal, which reports the results of illegal dog fights. He was
caught by undercover law enforcement officials posing as customers.
The District Judge also banned Stevens from owning, breeding, training
or selling pit bulls or possessing any device used in dog fighting.
The court rejected Stevens' argument that banning the videos denied
his First Amendment rights of free speech. Stevens faces up to 15
years in prison and a maximum fine of $750,000. His sentencing was set
for 21/4/05.
Philip Rowe (50) appeared at Plymouth Crown Court on 21/1/05 accused
of the manslaughter of his teenage stepson, who was shot during a
night-time "lamping" expedition. Rowe of Stafford Lane, Colyford,
spoke only to confirm his name. He was not asked to enter a plea and
was given bail until a plea and directions hearing on 8/4/05.
Eight alleged hare coursers appeared before Ely magistrates on
28/1/05. They are Riley Smith (28) from Sandy Lane in Waterside,
Isleham; Elijah Wilson (54) from Hasse Road, Soham; Sean Page (22) and
Hiram Wilson (31) from Sandy Park in Fen Road, Chesterton; James Ball
(22) from Sandy Park in Skeltons Drove, Beck Row; and Albert Smith
(20), Reginald Wilson (51) and Terry Smith (21) from Oxney Road
Caravan Site, Peterborough were accused of daytime trespass by five or
more people in the pursuit of game. They pleaded not guilty to the
charge at a pre-trial hearing. They were released on bail and will
next appear before Ely magistrates on 3/3/05.
A gang of men from Hampshire caught hare-coursing illegally in the
Fens had their dogs and cars confiscated by Fenland magistrates on
14/2/05 to stop them reoffending. Leslie Smith (50) of Alton; John
Smith (29) of Bordon; Glenn Keet (40) of Bordon; Simon Sloane (31) of
Alton; and Stephen Wells (46) of Bordon, were also banned from driving
for three months and fined £350 each with £35 costs after admitting
trespassing in pursuit of game with dogs.
Six men caught hare-coursing illegally on farmland in West Norfolk
were all banned from driving and fined a total of £4000 on 22/2/05 .
They appeared at King's Lynn magistrates and admitted one charge each
of trespassing in pursuit of game. Joseph Jefford (21) of Scotland
Road, James Crickmore (24) and William Winter (27) of separate
addresses in Fen Road, Chesterton, near Cambridge; Joseph Lee (17) of
Green End, Landbeach, near Cambridge; Matthew Wenman (20) of Ellens
Green, Horsham, West Sussex, and Joe Winter (31) of White Rose Walk,
Cambridge, were all unrepresented in court. Crickmore and Jefford, who
have similar previous convictions, were each fined £1000, with the
remaining four defendants each given a £500 fine. All were banned from
driving until 1/4/05. The bench also ordered the forfeiture of their
two vehicles a Toyota and Land Rover and told each defendant to pay
£15 towards costs. John Jefford (28) of Scotland Road; Christopher
Jenkins (19) and Henry Lee, of separate addresses in Fen Road,
Chesterton, near Cambridge, and John Lee (31) of Gypsy Lane,
Wellingborough, were all convicted of the same offence in their
absence. On 22/4/05 magistrates issued warrants for the arrest of two
men caught hare coursing in West Norfolk after they failed to turn up
at court. The bench at King's Lynn ordered Henry Lee and John Lee
should be tracked down. The pai were convicted in their absence in
March and were due to be sentenced. John Jefford and Christopher
Jenkins both of separate addresses in Chesterton, had been convicted
in their absence. Both were banned from driving for 28 days, fined
£500 each and ordered to pay £15 costs each. Following an appeal at
the start of April Joseph Jefford, James Crickmore, William Winter,
Joseph Lee, Matthew Wenman and Joe Winter all appealed against their
disqualifications at Lynn Crown Court. The appeal was upheld with the
exception of Joe Winter. The remaining five had their bans reduced to
periods of 28 days and 14 days.
Two men caught illegally hare coursing have been fined and the Land
Rover they used to carry their dogs is to be destroyed. On 28/2/05
Ipswich magistrates ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the Land
Rover after the men pleaded guilty to entering the land as trespassers
in search of game. Kenneth Smith (38) of Meadow Road, Farnborough and
Derek Tomlin (55) of Newbury Avenue, Enfield Lock were charged under
the Game Act 1831 after witnesses saw their dogs chase and kill a hare
on land. Magistrates fined Smith and Tomlin £100 each for trespassing
in search of game and ordered them each to pay £43 costs.
A convicted badger who was said to "despise" homosexuals has been
banned from going within 100m of his gay MP. Paul Lewis Rees (38) of
Llwynypia, Rhondda, admitted harassing Chris Bryant between 2001 and
2004. Rhondda magistrates heard on 2/3/05 how Rees, harassed the
Rhondda MP during political surgeries. A two-year restraining order
imposed on Rees also banned him from making attacks on Bryant's
sexuality and from threatening or doing anything in terms of harassing
him. Rees was also sentenced to a 220-hour community punishment order,
to be completed within a year.
Pittsburgh (AP) - A man was sentenced to more than three years in
prison 21/4/05 for selling videotapes of fighting pit bulls. Robert
Stevens (64) of Pittsville, Va., became the first person sentenced
under a 1999 federal animal cruelty law. He was convicted of three
counts of selling depictions of animal cruelty. Stevens, tried in
Pittsburgh because the tapes sold from his home were bought by the
Pennsylvania state police and federal Department of Agriculture
agents, sold two videos featuring dog fighting montages and a third
showing pit pulls attacking hogs. Stevens' lawyer said the law is
overly broad and violates Stevens' First Amendment right to freedom of
expression. On the same day, a judge in Mobile, Ala., sentenced Walter
T. Ware to 40 years in prison for dog fighting and possession of
steroids that could be used to enhance the dogs' performance. Several
witnesses testified at trial that most of the 23 pit bulls found his
property in December 2003 were disfigured with injuries.
A man with a conviction for dog fighting has continued to own
dangerous pitbulls despite a lifetime ban on owning animals, a court
heard. Anthony Mullen (47) was discovered with two pitbull terriers in
a raid by the RSPCA and police at Tarragon Gardens, Northfield,
Birmingham magistrates were told on 25/4/05. The raid on his home
uncovered "dog-fighting paraphernalia" including weighing scales, a
treadmill, and a breaking stick, used to separate dogs during an
organised fight. The two dogs were found to have scars and injuries
consistent with dog fighting. Mullen was jailed for three months and
banned from owning dogs for life following a court case in Mansfield,
in 2001, where he was found guilty of involvement in dog fighting.
During the raid - inspectors found 11 dogs, including puppies. Mullen
is charged with breaching the original order banning him from owning
dogs. His partner, Susan Hancock (48) who lives at the same address,
is charged with aiding and abetting the breach. Both are accused of
possession of two illegal pitbulls. Mullen and Hancock deny the
charges. Mullen claims the dogs belonged to Hancock and he had nothing
to do with them. They both say the dogs are not pitbulls but
Staffordshire Bull terriers.
Three hare coursers from Cambridge have been fined £200 each for
trespassing while hunting hares with their lurchers. At Cambridge
magistrates on 3/5/05 John Burton (59), Norman Burton Snr (57) and
Norman Burton Jnr (31) all from Grange Park, Fen Road, Chesterton, all
pleaded guilty to daytime trespass in pursuit of game. Both Norman
Burtons also admitted obstructing a police officer during the incident
and were each given a conditional discharge of 12 months. All three
were ordered to pay £35 costs each.
Back To The Top
Four men pleaded guilty to ransacking the sett with five terriers and
causing the dogs unnecessary suffering. Robert Wenham (23) Edward
Murphy (21) Jimmy Eastwood (21) and William Dennard (19) appeared at
Sevenoaks magistrates on 25/5/05. Wenham, Murphy and Eastwood all live
in Darenth Wood Road, Dartford, while Dennard lives in Mill Road,
Dartford. Each was given a 30-month conditional discharge, ordered to
pay £500 costs and banned from keeping dogs for five years. Two dogs
owned by Murphy are currently in the care of the RSPCA while the other
three dogs have been re-homed.
A gang of eight convicted of attempting to take or injure a badger.
They were spotted with a pack of 13 dogs, spades and electronic
tracking devices on a shallow badger sett near Skipton. At Burnley
magistrates on 13/5/05 Craig Jones (30) of Neville Street, Platt
Bridge, Wigan; Walter Hankey (38) of McDonald Street, Orrell; David
Travis (38) of Winward Street, Leigh; Dennis Buxton (38) of Lune
Grove, Leigh; Kim Halliwell (48) of Aylesbury Crescent, Wigan; Lee
Standen (24) of Arundel Street, Hindley; Nicholas Lowe (31) of Manor
Place, Wigan; and Mark Law (40) of Park Avenue, Barnoldswick, all
denied attempting to take or injure a badger. Jones denied a second
charge of disturbing a sett by allowing a dog to enter. All eight were
found guilty after a five-day trial and warned jail sentences would be
considered. The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports. Sean
Parkinson (20) of Gisburn Road and Daniel Clark (21) of St Mary's
Avenue, were discharged after the prosecution produced no evidence
linking them to an alleged badger dig. On 11/7/05 they were all given
three-month prison sentences after they were found guilty of
attempting to take badgers.
On 31/5/05 at Newtownards magistrates Martin David Joseph Titterington
(30) from Rathgael Road, Bangor, Co Down pleaded guilty to badger
baiting and to disturbing a badger in its set. The charges, of badger
baiting and disturbing a badger in its set, follow the incident when a
pitbull was filmed savaging a badger to death for sport with the man
looking on. Sentencing was adjourned until 27/6/05 when the magistrate
will receive a pre-sentence report.
On 6/7/05 Stephen Tucker (50) of Lyndhurst Avenue, Blidworth admitted
interfering with a badger sett by putting his pet terrier down one of
its holes. Tucker was spotted by police digging at a sett with former
gamekeeper Walter Wilkinson (79) of Retford Road, North Wheatley, who
initially denied digging for badgers, interfering with the sett and
ill treating two terriers. During the trial at Worksop magistrates
Tucker admitted damaging the sett and ill treating the dogs as it
emerged he had been convicted of similar charges 12 years ago. Tucker
told the police and RSPCA inspectors that he loved hunting and 'lived
for it'. All charges against Wilkinson were dismissed by the judge on
the grounds of his age and ill health!!!!! On 8/8/05 Tucker was
ordered to pay £6,000 costs to the RSPCA and to complete 180 hours
community punishment. He was also banned from keeping terriers for
life.
On 24/5/05 a judge upheld the decision made by Wisbech magistrates in
October 2004 that a Subaru Legacy belonging to Patrick Ward (45) of
Buckington, Warwickshire be crushed. It was confiscated after he was
charged with taking part in illegal hare coursing in Spaldwick, near
Huntingdon. As well as having his car crushed, Ward was given a £300
fine and disqualified from driving for six months.
Three men charged with poaching just hours after the hunting ban came
into effect in February appeared before Chippenham magistrates on
26/5/05. They were not charged under the new legislation that made
hunting with hounds illegal but they were found with four dogs, a gun
and two dead animals. Timothy Barry (54) of Cork, Ireland with Steven
Edwards (32) and Davyn Jones (33) both from Mid Glamorgan pleaded
guilty to poaching by night. The gun belonged to Gerard Mabey (33)
also from Mid Glamorgan who did not appear in court. He is charged
with possessing a firearm and poaching. Magistrates issued a warrant.
Jones was found in possession of two lock knives and was charged with
having a blade or point in a public place. Jones, Barry and Edwards
were ordered to pay £70 costs and an £80 fine. Jones was fined an
extra £100 for being in possession of the two lock knives and he was
ordered to destroy them.
On 31/5/05 Patrick Nevin his son Martin Nevin and a 15-year-old boy
pleaded guilty to trespassing in pursuit of game. At Cambridge
magistrates Martin Nevin of Saunton Court, Southall, admitted he
trespassed. The 15-year-old admitted he committed the same offence.
Patrick Nevin, also of Saunton Court, Southall, pleaded guilty to both
incidents of hare coursing when he previously appeared at Cambridge
magistrates 13/5/05. He was also convicted at an earlier hearing of a
third offence of hare coursing. On 27/6/05 the a judge put an
anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) on Patrick Nevin after he was
persistently caught breaking the law. If Nevin steps foot inside
Cambridgeshire with lurcher dogs, or if he trespasses on land in the
next three years, he faces being jailed. The court also ordered that
two lurchers and a Ford Fiesta Courier van, owned by Nevin are
forfeited. He was also handed a suspended six-month driving ban and
ordered to pay a £900 fine and £200 court costs.
On 1/6/05 a pair of travellers were each been fined £450 and banned
from driving for three months after being caught hare coursing.
Patrick Nevin and Martin Nevin both of Saunton Court, Southall, Hemel
Hempstead were arrested as they tried to flee police through a hedge
with another man, a 12-year-old boy and four lurchers dogs. Both
admitted trespass in pursuit of game. Both men were also ordered to
each pay £75 court costs.
Police arrested two men in connection with alleged attacks on domestic
cats using lurcher-type dogs in Carlisle. The two local men were
arrested on 6/6/05 and are now helping Cumbria Police with their
inquiries. The arrests follow several reports in the media of pet cats
being targeted by gangs of youths with dogs.
James MacDonald (32) from Kirkcaldy, admitted he deliberately hunted a
hare with dogs on a field. Not guilty charges were accepted for Shaun
Mahon (17) and Samuel McDonald both of Kirkcaldy, by the Crown.
Sentence on MacDonald was deferred until 15/6/05 for background
reports.
Steven Booth (30) of Provost Rust Drive, Michael Sim (22) of Moir
Drive, Colin Stewart (21) of Cummings Park Drive, and Donald Stewart
(35) of Strachan Place, all from Aberdeen were all arrested by police
as they returned to the van after illegally hunting hares with
lurchers. Kevin Leslie (23) of Fowler Avenue, Aberdeen was found
hiding in woodland. All admitted the crime at Stonehaven Sheriff Court
on 19/8/05. The Sheriff Forbes and deferred the case, including the
requested forfeiture matters, for reports.
Alan
http://nwhsa.redblackandgreen.net/other_bloodsport_convictions.htm
Robin Foyd, Lennox Foyd, Kenneth Luxton And Irene Luxton were each
fined £100 for affray after they attacked a L.A.C.S. monitor who was
trying to film a kill.
When 40 police and RSPCA officers stormed the shed a Belvedere they
found 15 men and a 16 year old youth watching two birds fighting. Four
other birds lay dead on the ground. All the men tried to escape, but
were tracked down by police dogs and a police helicopter. The court
heard how Lee and Giles had organised the 'cockfighting convention'.
John Lee (48) of Jenningtree Way, Belvedere, Kent was jailed for 3
months and ordered to pay costs of £600. Lee was convicted of six
offences of cruelty, causing suffering to hens, procuring the birds to
fight and using his shed as a venue for cockfighting. Mark Giles (31)
of Marringdean Road, South Billingshurst, was sentenced to 1 month in
jail and ordered to pay costs of £600. Giles was convicted of
procuring cocks to fight and attending the fight. Both were sentenced
by Thames Magistrates Court on 15 March 1996. Belcher Anderson (22)
also of Jenningtree Way, Belvedere was found guilty of attending the
fight (£300 fine) and possession of fighting spurs (£100 fine) and
£200 costs. Joseph Anderson (16) of Birchwood Road, Swanley, Kent, was
also found guilty of attending and received a 2 year conditional
discharge and £30 costs. The following were all found guilty of
attending the fight: Geoffrey Jones (31) of Adversane Caravan Park,
Billingshurst; Raymond Clayden (32) of Avenue Road, Erith, Kent;
Belcher Barnard (42) of Chapman Road, Belvedere; Terrence Ball (35) of
Eynsford Road, Crocken Hill, Kent; William Field (48) of Half Moon
Lane, Tudeley, Kent; Seamen Anderson (46) of North Road, Belvedere;
John Clarke (35) of Dally Park, Lower Road, Hextable, Kent; John
Fuller (31) of Star Lane, St Mary Cray, Kent; William Anderson (44) of
North View, Birchwood Road, Swanley, Kent. Paul Hill (35) of Richmond
Road, Thurnscoe near Rotherham, South Yorkshire and Malcolm Cooper
(41) of Barnetby Road, Scunthorpe, Humberside, both pleaded guilty to
attending the fight in the first week of the trial. They were also
fined like the others. (All the above 11 received fines of £300 and
£200 costs). Mark Giles and John Lee appealed against their sentences
at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday 20 March 1996. Both appeals were
dismissed.
Jason Brown (19) of Lingmoor Way, Harraby, Carlisle and his uncle
Raymond Maxwell (32) of Pennine Way, Harraby, Carlisle were both given
2 year conditional discharges. They pleaded guilty to possessing a
shotgun without a licence at Carlisle Crown Court. On 16/2/96 the
court heard how the two had gone shooting rabbits. Later it was
discovered that they did not have a licence for the shotgun. Brown was
made to pay £100 costs and Maxwell who has 5 previous convictions for
offences involving guns was made to pay £150 costs.
Cockfighting reared its ugly head again, but this time in the North
East, William Ross (49) a butcher of Sharon Avenue, Kelloe, Durham
City, admitted causing cocks to fight in a wooden hut he owned on
allotments at Kelloe; using the premises for cockfighting and
possessing spurs and other equipment for cockfighting he was sentenced
to 4 months. Joseph Kelbie (34) formally of Cottingly Springs, Leeds,
now of Turney Lane, Newark, Nottinghamshire who was accompanied by an
eight year old boy to the fight was sentenced to 10 weeks and John
Hawthorn (42) of Calvert Terrace, Murton, County Durham was sentenced
to 8 weeks they both admitted assisting at a cockfight. The magistrate
also made an order banning Ross, Kelbie and Hawthorn from owning live
cockerels for the rest of their lives. Thomas Waugh (32) of Harlaw
Gardens, Catchgate, Annfield Plain was fined £200 with £150 costs:
John Bell (27) of Dilks Street, Bishop Auckland was fined £800 with
£750 costs and David Littley (34) of Litchfield Road, West Cornforth,
County Durham was fined £200 with £150 costs they all admitted being
present at a cockfight. A judge threw out appeals from three
convicted cockfighters against a life ban on owning birds. At Durham
Crown Court on 11/10/96 he refused the appeal of John Hawthorn (42) of
Calvert Terrace, Murton, County Durham, adding "The purpose of the
sentence is to discourage you from ever again participating in the
obscene and degrading pastime of watching animals inflict pain on each
other". Appeals from the other two men William Ross (49) a butcher of
Sharon Avenue, Kelloe, Durham City and Joseph Kelbie (34) formally of
Cottingly Springs, Leeds, now of Turney Lane, Newark, Nottinghamshire
were rejected formally by the judge.
Welshpool Magistrates heard how Stuart Ferguson (20) of Foden, near
Welshpool, Mid Wales used a badly injured wood pigeon as a decoy to
trap birds of prey. He denies five charges relating to the illegal use
of a trap for ensnaring birds of prey on 25/8/95 on the Leighton
Estate, near Welshpool. The estate is used for rearing pheasants for
shooting. He admits setting the trap, but claimed this was only to
catch crows or magpies. The case continues.
Steven Blackwell (22) of Briery Close, Windermere, Michael Hodgeson
(27) of Little Langdale, Ambleside, Mark Parker (26) of Chapel Stile,
Langdale and Kevin Wradhall (26) of Loughrigg, Ambleside were caught
poaching fish. Windermere magistrates heard how two of the men were
armed with rifles, often used by poachers to shoot fish, and they were
also shining bright lamps into the river. When the men were challenged
by the bailiffs they said they were after rabbits and foxes, one of
the men, Blackwell tried to run away but slipped and fell. All four
were fined £60 for possessing a light intending to use it to take or
kill fish, they were also ordered to pay £250 costs between them.
Falconer Paul Noble (33) of Sandy, Bedfordshire took eggs back to his
aviary after they were stolen from cliff-face nests in Majorca, either
by himself or an accomplice, Luton Crown Court was told on 4/4/97.
Eight birds were sold for a total of £4,000 to falconers who were told
that they had been bred in captivity. When police and the RSPB raided
Noble's house, they found another six young birds. Noble had claimed
he had acquired them from a dealer in France who bred them in
captivity. Police searching Noble's home found abseiling gear, airline
tickets and hotel receipts for a trip in 1995 to Majorca - one of the
few places in the world where the falcons breed. Shortly after Noble's
trip, he had placed an advert for Eleonora's falcons in a bird
magazine. Noble was found guilty of offering the birds for sale,
obtaining property by deception by claiming they were bred in
captivity and keeping restricted birds. He admitted two other charges
of selling a restricted species. He denied any illegal activity
involving the birds, saying that he believed the birds had been bred
in captivity and he had tried his best to import them legally. He was
jailed for eight months.
Falconer Gary Job (38) from Heol-y-Pistyll, Ffaldybrenin, South Wales
was convicted of keeping wild peregrines, and aiding and abetting
others. Following an appeal on BBC's Crimewatch about a raid on
peregrine nests in Cumbria a viewer identified him as the man captured
on film at the scene equipped with climbing gear to reach the birds,
worth £800 each. When Job was arrested at his home they seized two
rare peregrine falcons, blood samples were taken and DNA tests proved
they could not have been bred legally from birds in captivity, as he
claimed. On 30/4/97 Lampeter magistrates fined him £450 and ordered
him to pay costs of £700. At his appeal on 20/7/98 at Swansea Crown
Court the judge ordered Job to pay an extra £1,000 costs.
Graham Butterworth of The Gillots, Chadderton, Lancashire sold a
falcon illegally a court was told. The merlin was not registered with
the Department of Environment Oldham magistrates were told on 16/5/97.
However, Butterworth sold the bird with rings around its feet, which
indicated it was registered. DNA samples proved the bird had been bred
from two of Butterworth's other birds. The case was adjourned until
29/5/97.
A man who watched a cock-fight in a County Kildare field has been
ordered by a court to pay £300 in fines and costs. The conviction of
William Dunne of Riverstown, Killucan, County Westmeath at Athy
District Court on 24/3/98 followed the conviction of seven other men
on charges arising out of the cock-fight, which was watched by as many
as 100 people. Dunne pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty charges. He
admitted being present at the incident, but denied cruelty charges.
The Judge fined Dunne £200 and ordered him to pay £100 towards
veterinary expenses.
William Cahill of Shady Grove, Hilton admitted causing damage to a
badger sett was fined £1,700 and ordered to pay £75 costs by Derby
magistrates on 27/6/98. Cahill ordered a bulldozer on to his land,
next to Hilton Nature Reserve in Sutton Lane to clear away trees and
bushes. Cahills defence told the court that Cahill intended to sell
the land to the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and had only meant to
protect the badgers as the area was at the risk of flooding. Cahill
destroyed 60 metres of tunnels within the sett which could have housed
more than 15 badgers. He was charged under the Protection of Badgers
Act 1992. Cahill believed that the mud and heavy rain could damage the
badger and wanted to remove bushes from the area to remove that
possibility.
A hunt ball ended in a farmyard fight as two men fought in a row over
championship horsewoman Joan Isaac, Swansea Crown Court were told on
4/3/99. The two brawled furiously in the stableyard at the farm in
Bryncoch, Neath. Joan Isaac (52) and twice a winner at the Horse of
the Year show, had begun an affair with Anthony Edwards (37) a member
of the Banwen Miners' Hunt in the Neath Valley. Then she moved Edwards
on to her stud and equestrian centre at Grange Farm. Edwards and Isaac
were not invited to the hunt ball. And trouble flared when Isaacs
husband Wayne returned from the dance to find that Edwards had turned
off the electricity and padlocked the main gate. Both men pleaded
guilty to affray and each was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £275
costs when they appeared in court. Former professional huntsman
Edwards was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to a woman doctor
after admitting wounding her. Mrs Isaac's daughter Allison told a
national newspaper: "My mother's a trollop. I could never forgive her
for the hurt she has caused me, my brothers and my father. During 1996
Isaac announced she was having an affair with Edwards and he moved to
Grange Farm to live with her. At the time Isaac's husband and two
adult sons were also living there. The situation led to a number of
wrangles as to who should operate the farm. The court heard that on
the evening of the ball Isaac and his two sons Carl, aged 24, and
Paul, aged 22, attended a hunt ball at the Glyn Clydach Hotel. Edwards
and Mrs Isaac had not been invited. Trouble flared when Mr Isaac and a
number of other people in dinner jackets and ball gowns arrived back
at Grange Farm in the early hours of the next morning. There was a
violent confrontation between Isaac and Edwards and one of the guests.
Edwards used a devise made out of a pick-axe handle with a rope noose
threaded through it. When he swung it the woman doctor suffered a
heavy blow above her right eye and collapsed to the ground bleeding
profusely. Isaac and Edwards then continued fighting, despite attempts
by others to break-up the brawl. Mr Pulling said fighting was still
taking place by the time police arrived on the scene and officers had
to handcuff a number of people. As a result of this affair Edwards
lost his job with the Banwen Miners .
A fish farmer who illegally shot three cormorants and then stored
their bodies in a freezer was only discovered when a policeman working
with a television film crew called at his premises on a completely
different matter When they all called at Nigel Early's Bulldog Fish
Farm, at Snapper, near Barnstaple they asked Early's mother if it was
alright to examine the freezers at the farm. In one of them, along
with cuts of venison, were the corpses of three cormorants. When
interviewed by police about the matter, Early said he had shot the
birds because they had become entangled in nets over tanks of fish
from which they could not be released, so he felt that shooting them
was the most humane thing to do. On 28/4/99 Barnstaple magistrates
heard Early (40) plead guilty to three charges of intentionally
killing wild birds and one of possessing a shotgun capable of being
used to kill a wild bird. They fined Early £200, gave him a
conditional discharge for six months and ordered him to pay £100
costs. magistrates also ordered the forfeiture of the dead cormorants.
Back To The Top
John Walter Hemus (56) of Hoole Lane, Chester appeared before Chester
magistrates on 26/5/99 charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a
fox by not giving it food and water for up to two weeks. A man living
next to Hemus notified the RSPCA about the fox in the cage. When they
arrived at the house they found the fox in a 2m by 2m cage it was
emaciated, its fibs were showing and it had no body fat and its
muscles were wasted. The RSPCA also found dead and decomposed rabbits
and hares in a bin, the body of a Canadian goose in a bin bag and in
the hedge they found a dead rabbit and three dead mammals. The fox was
taken to a nearby animal hospital where happily it has since
recovered. The police searched Hemus's house and found weapons and
ammunition. In court Hemus said he liked shooting as a sport and was
regularly invited by farmers to shot vermin on their land. Magistrates
found him guilty and sentenced him to only 180 community service with
£250 costs. Hemus also admitted possessing a rifle, shotgun and
ammunition without a licence.
In America a judge found that Randall Keith Laskowsky (40) and Parrish
Franklin Cremeans (37) were both guilty of shooting and fatally
wounding a mountain lion in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The
trial boiled down to a credibility contest between the defendants and
a warden who was in the hunting party when the lion was gunned down.
The warden was working undercover and he testified that he saw
Laskowsky shoot the lion, which had been chased up a tree by the
hunters' dogs, in the head with a pump action rifle. After being hit,
the wounded cat came down and tried to run away, but the dogs chased
it up another tree and Cremeans shot it in the neck with a rifle. On
16/7/99 the judge sentenced them to 30 days in jail and fined each of
them the maximum $5,000 he also forbade all association with hunting
parties and any possession of firearms and archery equipment.
On 24/1/00 North Devon magistrates disqualified a Barnstaple man from
holding a fishing licence for four years after he pleaded guilty to
fixing a net across the River Taw. He was also ordered to pay £200 in
fines and £75 costs. Ronald Luxton of 23 Elmlea Avenue, Fremington has
a history of fishing convictions was spotted, with two other men, by a
late night anti poaching patrol.
An angler from Hull has been banned from fishing for a year by Goole
magistrates on 7/2/00. Eion Henderson (42) of Swinderby Garth, Hull,
was also fined £100 and ordered to pay £45 costs after being found
guilty of fishing failing to produce a valid licence.
An Isle of Wight pheasant breeder has been given a 12-month
conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £534 after pleading
guilty to permitting pheasant chicks to hatch in an unsuitable
environment. Stephen Donson (52) of Adgestone rears up to 1,500
pheasants a week for a commercial business. In the past he has
disposed of pheasant eggs in a dustbin and twice on the council
disposal tip. The case came to light when workers on an Isle of Wight
refuse tip heard cheeping noises from rubbish bags and decided to
investigate. Opening the bags they discovered hundreds of pheasant
eggs had been dumped, and some had already hatched. In February 2000
Island magistrates heard how plastic bags were found containing 1,085
complete eggs, 312 eggs with shells partially broken and embryos
visible, 33 dead hatched chicks and 29 live chicks which had either
hatched or were just hatching. The hatchlings were taken to an animal
centre but only three survived. They have been since been released,
joining other pheasants cared for by the RSPCA.
Javid Iqbal (45) of St Benedicts Road, Small Heath, Birmingham was
granted unconditional bail after appearing at Birmingham magistrates
charged with a series of offences related to cockfighting. Iqbal
pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was granted unconditional
bail to appear before the same court on 15/8/00. The charges relate to
a search of premises on St Benedicts Road, Small Heath, by RSPCA
officers when video and other items, allegedly related to
cockfighting, were seized.
The RSPCA have dropped its investigation into a firm which bulldozed a
badger sett, killing up to 20 animals. They launched a probe into
Newcastle-based company Blue Lark after contract workers employed by
the firm ran over a badger sett on the former Occidental refinery land
on Canvey. However, on 22/9/00 after a six month investigation
inspectors decided the contractors had not known there was a badger
sett on the land and scrapped their inquires.
Two Herefordshire men were jailed on 23/3/00 for poaching offences.
Glen William Johnson of 40 Winslow Road, Bromyard, Hereford and Peter
John Littlewood of 10 Coronation Avenue, Bromyard, Hereford were sent
to prison for nine and three months respectively by Worcester Crown
Court. In addition to the custodial sentences Littlewood's Bedford van
was forfeited, together with a quantity of nets, sacks and other items
seized. The court was told that they were both seen in possession of
what was believed to be salmon poaching equipment.
On 25/5/00 a quail-fighting organiser was successfully prosecuted by
the RSPCA after unwittingly showing undercover newspaper reporters how
he prepared birds to fight. Bradford magistrates court heard how
Mohammad Tajh Khan (44) of Archibald Street, Bradford would sharpen
the birds' beaks with a razor and pluck their feathers. Khan pleaded
guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering and one charge
under the Cockfighting Act 1952. He was banned for life from having
custody of birds, ordered to undertake 200 hours community service and
pay £500 court costs.
A farmer who shot a teenager hunting foxes on his land was told by a
judge on 8/6/00 that what he did was stupid but not against the law.
Brian Ward (48) was acquitted of unlawfully wounding Nicky Westerman
(18) of Barnsley, South Yorkshire after a court was told that he was
hit accidentally by a warning shot. Westerman was in a group of five
who were using a Land Rover to "lamp" foxes. Ward told Lincoln Crown
Court that when he saw the vehicle he decided that there was no point
in calling the police because of the remoteness of his farm at
Stewton, near Louth, Lincolnshire. Instead, he decided to frighten the
intruders off with a rifle that he used for pest control. He aimed
over the roof of the Land Rover. But the court was told that Ward did
not realise that Westerman was standing with his head and hands
sticking out of the sunroof.
Five men were fined by magistrates in Bridgwater on 2/8/00 after
failing to declare their elver catch returns to the Environment
Agency. The five fishermen were found guilty of failing to send a
catch return to the Environment Agency within the prescribed time.
Marty Edwards of Longstone Avenue, Bridgwater; Shaun Ingram of
Brooklands, Bridgwater; Mark Davis of Dukesmead, Bridgwater; Steven
Lovell of Fernleigh Avenue, Bridgwater were each fined £200 and
ordered to pay £55 costs. Paul D. Fisher of Halswell Close, Bridgwater
was fined £130 and ordered to pay £55 costs. The previous year they
all had received formal cautions from the Environment Agency for the
same offence.
On 2/8/00 three men who poached salmon and sea trout were each ordered
to complete 240 hours community service and pay £250 fines by Penrith
magistrates. Kenneth Atherton of Ullswater Road, Maryport, James
Cullen of Kirkby Street, Maryport, and David Jackson of Kennedy Road,
Workington all pleaded guilty to two charges relating to the use of an
illegal hook and taking of fish. Each man was also ordered to pay £250
towards costs.
On 3/8/00 three men were charged by police investigating an illegal
dog fighting ring in Notts. Ryan Nuttall (29) of Garden Terrace,
Newstead Village, is accused of providing a venue. He has also been
charged with causing dogs to fight and causing unnecessary suffering
to pit bull terriers. Andrew Taylor (29) of Carnarvon Grove,
Sutton-in-Ashfield, and Nigel Greensmith (32) of The Quadrangle,
Newstead Village, are both charged with attending a dog fight. All the
men are alleged to have attended a dog fight in Newstead. They are
expected to appear before Mansfield magistrates at a date to be set.
Three other men, Ken Langan from Brighton, Tony Mullen of Birmingham,
and Jeremy Brown of Chesterfield, face similar charges. RSPCA officers
seized 12 dogs, believed to be pit bulls.
On 12/8/00 a renowned Greek hunter who for decades had earned his fame
by expertly imitating wolf cries to lure other wolves for hunting was
shot dead by fellow hunters who mistook him for the real thing. Police
at Soufli, in Thrace, near the Greek-Turkish border, said that Abdi
Mehmetoglou (57) and two fellow hunters confessed to accidentally
killing the legendary wolf-crier during a hunting trip. The victim
Nicholas Kavalakis (79) made a living by tracking down wolves through
his realistic howls. Mehmetoglou confessed that the three hunters had
set out at dawn allowing the wolf-crier to stalk ahead. Not knowing
that he had crouched in dense bushes to make his calls, the three men
opened fire into the bushes. Police said all three men had been jailed
pending official charges of negligence leading to manslaughter and of
illegal hunting.
Paul Westwood (43) managing director of Oxfordshire-based Household
Pest Services, was found dead at the wheel of a company van in a
lay-by. He was killed by cymag, a cyanide gas used to kill rabbits,
which was found leaking from the back of the van (15/8/00).
RIO RANCHO, N.M. USA 19/9/00. Two men are facing animal cruelty
charges for allegedly dragging a pet rabbit to its death behind a
vehicle. Greg Dickerson (29) and Johnny Garcia (21) were arrested
after witnesses called the police to report an animal was being
dragged behind a vehicle in the parking lot in an Albuquerque suburb.
When police arrived Dickerson and Garcia allegedly drove off and tried
to hide in nearby hills. However, a police helicopter was called in to
help find the suspects. Dickerson and Garcia are both charged with
cruelty to animals, resisting and evading a police officer, and drug
possession. They face up to 18 months in jail for each crime.
Dickerson is free on $12,600 bond and Garcia is free on $11,000 bond.
Both are awaiting arraignments.
Fishing without a licence cost nine anglers a total of £685 at
Hereford magistrates 18/12/00. The men pleaded guilty and magistrates
ordered them to each pay £40 costs. Christopher Blunt of Cleeve
Orchard, Holmer, Hereford and Darren Davies-Jones of Dymond Close,
Hampton Park, Hereford were each fined £40 for illegally fishing at
Rotherwas Pool, Hereford. Blunt's rod and line were forfeited.
Christopher Graham Clarke and Kerry Clarke of Thelwell Cottage, Welsh
Newton, Monmouth. were each fined £50 and their rods and line were
forfeited. Keith William Guest of Walternash Road, Birchen Coppice,
Kidderminster, Worcester, was fined £60. Neil Gullis of Lowfield
Meadow, Kington, Hereford was fined £95. Kelvin John Hatcher of Elm
Cottage, Uphill, Weston-Super-Mare was fined £60 for fishing without a
licence. Paul Jones of Chartist Way, Blackwood was fined £100 for the
same offence. Jones' rod and line were also forfeited. Christopher
Richard Lewis of Beech Grove, Victoria Avenue, Ebbw Vale was fined £95
and had his rod and line forfeited after he admitted fishing without a
licence.
Two anglers were given conditional discharges for twelve months after
they admitted fishing without licences. They were each ordered to pay
£40 costs. Adrian Cox of Elm Grove, Clehonger, Hereford and Wayne
Simon Milner of Cherry Brook Close, Hope-under-Dinmore, Leominster.
Back To The Top
An angler caught fishing without a licence near Devizes failed to
respond to a summons and was fined £300 after local magistrates found
him guilty in his absence. Andrew Collins of Kings Lane, Harwell,
Oxfordshire was caught fishing without a licence and Devizes
magistrates meted out the hefty fine on 11/12/00 after they heard that
Collins failed to respond to a summons for the offence. He was also
ordered to pay £55 costs.
A group of four men found netting salmon beneath the Wye Bridge at
Monmouth were fined a total of £800 at Monmouth magistrates 19/12/00.
Clinton Stephen Edwards of Woodland View, Wyesham; Phillip John Oates
of Granville Street, Monmouth; Christian Bradbury of Wyesham Avenue,
Wyesham, and Luke John Short of Carbonne Close, Monmouth all pleaded
guilty to taking salmon using a fixed net. They also pleaded guilty to
placing and using a fixed engine, namely a net and to taking salmon
from water where there is a private right of fishery. Edwards was
fined £250, Oates and Short £200 each and Bradbury £150. In addition
to their fine, each man was also ordered to pay £100 costs.
On 19/2/01 South Lakeland magistrates fined Calvin O'Hara of Hartwood
Road, Southport a total of £220 with £75 costs after he illegally
introduced live fish to Windermere which could have harmed the lake's
resident fish population. O'Hara also pleaded guilty to fishing with
more rods than he was permitted to, and to taking undersized fish from
the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, which were later used as bait in South
Lakeland Magistrates' Court heard how Mr O'Hara introduced live fish
to Windermere without the prior consent. The fish could have been
carriers of disease and were also a potential threat to the ecological
balance of the Lake.
On 23/10/00 two men from Nottinghamshire were today fined for
attending an illegal dog tight following an undercover investigation
earlier this year. Andrew Taylor (29) of Caernarfon Grove,
Sutton-in-Ashfield was fined £300 and Nigel Greensmith (32) of The
Quadrangle, Newstead Village was fined £250 after they both admitted
attending the fight when they appeared before Mansfield magistrates.
Four other men were convicted at Nottingham magistrates on 29/1/01 of
staging and taking part in illegal dog fights. Kenneth Langan (32)
from Portslade in Sussex, Anthony Mullen (43) from Northfield,
Birmingham, Jeremy Brown (46) from Chesterfield in Derbyshire and Ryan
Nuttall (29) from Mansfield near Nottingham pleaded guilty to various
charges including causing dogs to fight, using premises for dog
fighting and causing dogs to suffer. On 26/2/01 at Mansfield
magistrates Langan, who admitted four charges of causing unnecessary
suffering and failing to provide veterinary care was jailed for four
months. Mullen, who admitted three charges including causing dogs to
fight, was given three months in jail. Brown, who pleaded guilty to
just one charge of providing premises to be used for dog-fighting, was
jailed for four months. Nuttall, who admitted nine similar offences
was also sentenced to four months in prison. Two other men were fined
last October at Mansfield magistrates for attending illegal dogfights
arranged by the group.
A workman has been jailed for three months after shooting a cat with
an air rifle. Shooting enthusiast Mark William Gray (25) from
Peverell, Plymouth took aim as the cat sat on the front step of his
home. At Plymouth magistrates on 7/3/01 Gray pleaded guilty to causing
criminal damage to a cat and also carrying a firearm in a public
place.
A Birmingham man who turned a house he owned into an illegal
cock-fighting den was jailed for three months on 5/4/01. Cockerels
involved in the fights suffered "appalling cruelty" and when the
premises in Small Heath was raided by RSPCA inspectors and police
officers they found a room used as a "cock pit" spattered waist high
in blood, Birmingham magistrates were told. A beak belonging to one of
the birds was discovered on the windowsill of the room and other
paraphernalia used in cock fighting was also recovered. Javid Iqbal
(46) of St Benedict's Road, Small Heath, Birmingham who admitted one
charge of allowing part of a premises to be used for cock fighting,
was also disqualified from keeping any animals for ten years. Eight
fighting cocks were found in pens in the garden belonging to the two
properties. A large amount of videos, some showing cock fighting, were
among the items seized.
A Bangor man was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £50 at
Caernarfon magistrates on 23/3/01 after pleading guilty to using a
gaff to take salmon and trout in the Afon Ogwen. The court was told
how David Malcolm Lloyd of Ffordd Tegau, Maesgeirchen, Bangor was seen
on the banks of the river wearing a face mask and snorkel, and was
seen to put his head in the river and try to strike a fish with a gaff
(which is a large barbed hook designed to impale fish in the body).
Lloyd was unsuccessful but as he walked away he was stopped by an
inspector, who seized the gaff, mask and snorkel and reported the
incident.
Three men who attended a cockfight in a warehouse on St George's Quay
have been conditionally discharged by magistrates on 13/3/02. Alan
Stewart (42) of Vale Road in Lancaster, David Brockhill (34) of Hale
Carr Lane in Morecambe and John Harrison (41) of Oxcliffe Road in
Morecambe all pleaded guilty to attending the event. Harrison also
pleaded guilty to taking part in bets at the fight, and was fined
£150. In addition to their conditional discharges, Brockhill and
Stewart were both ordered to pay £162 in prosecution costs. Harrison
was ordered to pay £195.80 in costs. Several dead cockerels, some with
their heads removed, were found at the scene by police. Other
cockerels were also found in boxes and cages, making noises that
sounded as though they were in distress. Numerous birds required
veterinary treatment to their feet and heads. Cockfighting
paraphernalia, such as spurs, binding tape and weighing scales, was
also found at the warehouse. Lists relating to betting were also
seized.
On 5/4/02 two men who watched and bet on an illegal cockfight at a
warehouse on St George's Quay in Lancaster were fined £200 each. Mark
Richard Hutchinson (45) Oxcliffe Road in Morecambe and Ivan Hall (41)
of Bowbridge Lane in Nottinghamshire appeared in court charged with
being at the cockfight and placing bets on the outcome. Both pleaded
guilty. The court were told that police raided R and W Howard's metal
merchants on the quay, they had been tipped off about the fight taking
place inside and when they arrived the doors were padlocked.
Hutchinson came out of the entrance a short time later and he was
arrested. Police officers then searched the warehouse and found a
number of men hiding, one of which was Hall. The following day police
and RSPCA officers searched the warehouse and discovered several dead
cockerels, spurs, binding tape, weighing scales and torn betting
slips. In interview Hutchinson denied watching the cockfight and said
he had only been in the warehouse for a matter of minutes before
police arrived. Hutchinson, told the court he had discussed the
cockfight in a pub the evening before the event. Hall said he had been
visiting relatives in the area and had decided to attend the fight
'out of curiosity'. Magistrates ordered both men to serve a 12 month
conditional discharge for being at the event and fined them £200 each
for betting. They were both ordered to pay £220 court costs. (more
convictions)
Henry Brockhill (29) of Hale Carr Lane, Morecambe, was found guilty of
attending a cockfight after a trial at Lancaster magistrates on
17/5/02 and was fined £150. Magistrates were told how officers found
two carrier bags stuffed with dead and bloodstained cocks, a cockpit
and bird cages. A video taken after the raid revealed paraphernalia
associated with fighting cocks such as spurs, a cockpit surrounded by
straw bales, a pair of scales, money and a betting board. Nine cocks
were found dead, five were injured and another one had to be put down.
Thirteen birds were recovered alive. Brockhill alleged he had only
gone because his friend, David Howard, had called, asking to be picked
up. He said he was not present when any fighting took place and only
entered the building to look for his friend. Brockhill said he had no
idea what was going on until he went upstairs and heard cocks crowing.
(more convictions)
David Reeves (38) of Pennance Lane, Lanner, Redruth, Cornwall, was
found guilty of causing, procuring or assisting animal fighting or
baiting on 23/5/02 at Truro magistrates. He was also convicted of two
offences of permitting unnecessary suffering to a dog, but a third
similar charge involving the animal was withdrawn. Reeves was also
found guilty of two charges of having dogs of the type bred for
fighting. During the case the court watched video footage of two dogs
engaged in a violent battle in the back yard of Reeves' home. The
footage was among videos and other material seized from Reeves' home
during a raid. One dog had suffered around 26 recent and healed
punctures and wounds to its head and face, and another 23 to other
parts of its body. Recent wounds were up to eight days old, others at
least three months old, and all were caused by another dog's teeth.
Another dog had five recent or healed wounds caused by fighting with
another dog. Reeves, who published a magazine called Super Canine, had
pictures on his walls of dogs fighting in pits, and copies of Game Dog
magazine, indicating an interest in fighting dogs. Also seized from
his home were three "break sticks", used to break a dog's jaws apart
after it had locked on to another animal or object, and an extract of
the rules for fighting pit dogs. Also in the house were photographs of
dogs with handwritten notes attached to them - one of an animals was
labelled "died in battle". Reeves will be sentenced next month in
June. On 14/6/02 he was jailed for three months and the judge ordered
that two books, The History of Fighting Dogs, by different authors,
should be destroyed.
Dogs suffered horrific injuries at the hands of three men who forced
them to fight each other for fun. Two maimed pit-bull type terriers
were found drenched in blood in a makeshift fighting pit at the home
of Andrew Crowe (36) of Brampton Road, Cambridge. On 1/7/02 he was
convicted of seven charges relating to dog fighting after the judge
rejected his "feeble" story that the bout was an accident. His cousin
Glenn Brown (27) of Stourbridge Grove, Cambridge and Mark Willis (32)
of Chesterton High Street, were also convicted of dog fighting charges
following the six-day trial. Crowe, who earlier admitted two counts of
possessing pit-bull type dogs, was found guilty of causing dogs to
fight, using his premises for dog fighting, two charges of causing
dogs unnecessary suffering and being present at a dog fight. Brown was
convicted of possessing a pit-bull type dog, two charges of causing
dogs unnecessary suffering and being present at a dog fight. He was
cleared of a single charge of assisting in a dog fight because the
judge ruled it was impossible to determine what his role had been.
Willis who admitted possessing a pit bull-type dog, was found guilty
of being present at a dog fight. Willis was fined £400 and ordered to
pay £5,000 towards the costs of the case, which totalled more than
£42,000. The underground dog-fighting den was uncovered when police
and RSPCA officers carried out a raid on Crowe's garage. They found
ropes suspended on springs used for strengthening the dogs' jaws, a
stopwatch, treadmill and "breaking sticks" used for prising the
animals apart. Crowe, who has been suspended from his job at Cottenham
Village College on full pay for more than a year, has a string of
previous convictions. Cambridge Magistrates' Court heard that he was
convicted of criminal damage, theft and handling stolen goods during
his late teens and early 20s. On 26/7/02 Andrew Crowe was sentenced to
six months in prison for his part in the vicious sport, he also
received six months for permitting suffering to pit bull-type terriers
and causing the animals to fight, with both sentences to run
concurrently. In addition he was fined £500 for each of the two pit
bull-type dogs he owned. He was also banned from keeping dogs for 30
years and ordered to pay £2,000 costs. Glenn Brown was sentenced to
the maximum 240 hours' community punishment order for causing
suffering to animals and a further 240 hours, to run concurrently, for
possessing a dog bred specifically for fighting. He was also fined
£500 for attending a dog fight, told to pay £5,000 costs and banned
from keeping dogs for 20 years. All the dogs were ordered to be
destroyed.
Back To The Top
A Burton man shot a swan eight times in the head because he was
"bored" and then boasted about it to a friend, Burton magistrates
heard on 13/8/02. Craig Windsor (19) of James Court, admitted killing
the eight-year-old male swan. The case was adjourned for reports until
6/9/02 when he will be sentenced. His unconditional bail was extended.
On 10/10/02 a hunter, who was shot and killed by another hunter was
wearing all black clothing and a black backpack and was mistaken for a
bear, investigators said. Clyde W. Shumway (58) died after being
struck by a single round fired from a rifle by James F. Glenn (49) of
Odell, Gresham, USA. Glenn, who was part of a hunting party, was set
up to hunt at the far end of a clear-cut, when Shumway entered at the
far corner. That's when Glenn fired once, striking Shumway in the
upper torso.
Dick Bainbridge (72) of Upper Hill Farm, Thornbury, Gloucestershire,
appeared at Yate magistrates in October and was ordered to pay £950
for torturing and killing a 2-year-old Doberman. The dog collapsed
from exhaustion, after being dragged on purpose by Bainbridge's quad
bike. He claimed the dog had been attacking his sheep. Bainbridge is a
successful trainer on the point to point circuit, and has trained most
of the horses ridden by jockey Alyson Dare.
A hunter has been badly injured after being shot by his own dog.
Michael Murray was lining up a photograph of the pheasants his party
has shot when his year-old English setter pup, jumped on a 12-bore
shotgun lying on the ground and it went off. Murray (42) from Brooklyn
Park, Minnesota, said" At first I didn't know what happened. I got
that blinding flash of pain and I sat down. Blood was pumping out of
my ankle. Murray had been hunting in South Dakota on the first day of
the pheasant season. When he was found, he was taken to a nearby
hospital where he had 15 stitches put in his ankle. He later admitted
he was slightly embraced by the incident.
A bookmaker was fined after he admitted yelling racist abuse at last
months Countryside Alliance march. Peter Smith (21) High Lane, Chelvey
Batch, near Backwell who works in his family's bookmaking business,
clashed with Mr Khan after he waved an anti-fox hunting banner at the
demonstration in central London. Smith was fined £500 and ordered to
pay £55 costs at Bow Street magistrates on 28/10/02. He was voicing
his support for the Countryside Alliance during the march at Whitehall
when he clashed with Mr Khan. Mr Khan was demonstrating against
hunting and was waving a banner when Smith went up to him and tapped
him on the head with a plastic hunting horn before hurling racist
abuse. Smith admitted a charge of using racial abuse.
After receiving the minimum sentence from a Taos magistrate on
14/11/02 for the 'unlawful killing of a bear,' Missouri hunter Steven
Mitchell was given the maximum sentence for "negligent use of a
firearm" by an Angel Fire judge. He is now facing a $500 fine plus $17
court costs, 90 days in jail, and 200 hours of community service.
Mitchell pleaded guilty to both charges after he shot and killed a
bear from a second-story window. Taos magistrate court handed down the
minimum sentence on the illegal kill charge: a $50 criminal
assessment, $51 court costs, and $500 civil restitution to the state
for the bear.
A deer hunter admitted on 21/11/02 to shooting a boy's dog while
bowhunting in Mansfield Township, USA. Dean M. Sica (36) formerly of
Hoffman Road, Mansfield Township, faces one year of probation and up
to 30 days in jail under the plea bargain struck in state Superior
Court. 'I went out deer hunting with a bow and arrow," Sica told the
court. He said he saw the dog and "knowing it might be somebody's
animal I shot the animal." Sica said he was sorry he did it. He agreed
to forfeit his bow-and-arrow and his hunting privileges. He must pay
unspecified restitution to the dog's owners and also faces fines and
court fees. Sica pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon for an
unlawful purpose and possession of a weapon by a person prohibited
from having one. In 1993, Sica was convicted of fourth-degree
aggravated assault in Union County and drew an 18-month prison term,
records show. The felony conviction resulted in the weapon
prohibition. He also pleaded guilty to two state Division of Fish and
Wildlife violations for negligent discharge of a weapon and causing
injury to a pet while hunting. Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for
28/2/03.
An 89-year-old deer hunter cannot use a gun for a year after
accidentally shooting a horse that was being ridden by a 12-year-old
girl in western Minnesota. Clinton Hurlbut of Browns Valley, pleaded
guilty on 21/11/02 to misdemeanour reckless use of a gun. He fired a
shotgun from his property on the opening day of deer-hunting season,
at what he said he thought was a deer. The pellets struck a horse that
the girl was riding about 200 yards away. Hurlbut also was fined $700,
ordered to pay restitution and placed on supervised probation for one
year. A 90-day jail sentence was stayed for one year. The good news is
that the horse is recovering, but it's unlikely that it can be ridden
again.
At Redhill magistrates on 5/12/02 four pro-hunt supporters each
admitted driving a vehicle without reasonable consideration for other
road users. The accused were Graeme Worsley of Effingham Lane,
Copthorne, Mark Bycroft (31) of London Road, Felbridge, Christopher
Whittaker of London Road, Felbridge, and Robert Mann (57) of Ashill,
Ilminster, Somerset. The convoy was seen driving at little more than
30mph at a busy time of the day. Whittaker, speaking in court, said
the protest had been organised by the Union of Countryside Sports
Workers . He read out a statement to the bench which said: "On behalf
of all four of us, we would like to say we are law-abiding and regret
taking this action which was designed not to harm anything or anybody.
"We kept to about 30mph and believed we were within the law. We feel
we are losing our liberty. In my case, if hunting is lost, I'd lose my
home and job. (GOOD) We apologise unreservedly but had to do something
to bring action to our cause." Each was fined £100 and ordered to pay
£35 costs. Each had three penalty points put on their licences.
In he USA one of four people arrested last month in connection with a
suspected dogfighting ring has pleaded guilty to misdemeanour animal
cruelty. Anthony Robinson (24) who had been charged with felony
dogfighting and failure to appear, entered the plea on 20/12/02 in New
Hanover County District Court. Charges are still pending against David
Ellerby (25) and Antonio Bradley (21). Both were charged with
misdemeanour animal cruelty and felony dogfighting and baiting. Cheryl
Lacourse (44) was charged with felony dogfighting and baiting. Those
cases have been continued to 23/1/03. Police seized 17 dogs from homes
on Princess Place Drive and North 30th Street. Some of the dogs had
wounds and scars consistent with fighting. Ellerby who owned seven of
the dogs seized admitted that his dogs did at times go up to two days
without food, but he has denied breeding or using the dogs for
fighting purposes.
Also in the USA - RALEIGH - A Wake County man faces sentencing on
felony charges related to running one of the biggest dogfighting
operations ever shut down. Samson G. Pruitt (29) pleaded guilty
20/12/02 to felony dog fighting and cruelty to animals in connection
with the 81 pit bulls removed from his house. Pruitt also pleaded
guilty to possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and
maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of selling a controlled
substance. Pruitt will be sentenced 27/1/03. When eviction papers were
served on Pruitt by the police they noticed about a dozen pit bull
terriers near the house and equipment used in breeding and fighting
dogs. They then returned with a search warrant and found about 60 dogs
chained to trees in woods behind the house, as well as many dogs in
metal cages or dog houses made out of blue plastic barrels. Inside the
house they found a baby Nile crocodile, three boa constrictors, six
pythons and two poisonous snakes (Western diamondback rattlesnake and
a Gaboon viper, which is considered one of the deadliest snakes in the
world). All but a few of the pit bull terriers were euthanized because
they suffered from a parasite that attacks an animal's intestinal
tract causing diarrhoea. The snakes and reptiles are being cared for
elsewhere. In 1997, Pruitt was arrested in what was then one of the
biggest dogfighting cases. Authorities seized 27 pit bulls from his
home, then west of Hillsborough. Pruitt and two others pleaded guilty
to misdemeanour charges of animal cruelty and were sentenced to
probation. Pruitt ended up serving active time for failing to report
to his probation officer.
Poetic justice 25/1/03 - A man who tried to beat his dog to death with
a shotgun has shot himself dead instead. Police say the Winchester,
Virginia, man called his wife at work and told her their dog had
bitten him and he intended to kill it. Investigators say the shotgun
must have gone off while the man was using it to beat the dog. The
stock of the weapon was broken and there appeared to be blood and dog
hair on it. The dog was taken for to a vets to be looked at, but it's
not known how badly injured it is.
A dog breeder will spend most of his weekends in jail as punishment
for felony charges related to a large dogfighting ring. Samson G.
Pruitt (30) was sentenced in Wake County Superior Court on 27/1/03 two
weekends in jail and three years' supervised probation. He pleaded
guilty to felony dogfighting and cruelty to animals after 81 pit bulls
were removed from his house. Pruitt's sentence also covered his guilty
pleas to charges of possession with intent to sell and deliver
marijuana and maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of selling a
controlled substance. Pruitt is not allowed to breed or board any dogs
except three older family pets. Pruitt, who lived in Knightdale in
Wake County at the time of his arrest, has moved to Durham County.
Animal officials confiscated 24 beagles and charged four area men with
cruel neglect after the dogs were found in squalid conditions last
week at a makeshift kennel in the Southbridge section of Wilmington,
authorities said. Around 100 hunting beagles were kept at the kennel.
Adrian Waters (38) of New Castle and Ronald Crump (48) of Newark, were
each cited on 4/3/03 with eight misdemeanor counts of cruelty to
animals. Preston Hudson (63) of Wilmington, received five
animal-cruelty summonses and James Watson (45) of New Castle was cited
with three counts of cruelty to animals. Animal-control officers had
been monitoring the site in the 900 block of S. Heald St., removed 24
of about 100 beagles.
Back To The Top
On 27/3/03 three members of a gun club admitted shooting dead nearly
20 goats were ordered to pay 6,000 euros. John Collins, Diarmid
O'Neill and Aidan Shannon with addressed in Drimoleague Co. Cork
pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damaged over the shooting of
18 goats. The men initially entered a not guilty plea at Skibbereen
District Court, claiming they had been asked to kill the goats by a
local farmer. They told the court Padraig Collins asked them to kill
the animals because they were causing damage to land and crops near
Drimoleague. Dunmanway District Court heard the defendants shot the
goats with a rifle in the forest. Ten days later a local man found a
wounded goat in the forest and contacted the gardai. Sadly, the goat
had to be put down. The judge described the defendants as "foolish".
The men's solicitor said his clients believed they were eliminating a
pest problem. They were ordered to pay a total of E6,000 to the ISPCA,
the Court Poor Box, the owners and the Garda Benevolent Fund.
Sentencing was adjourned until 24/3/04.
St. Lucie County, USA - At least two local men face felony criminal
charges for running a dog-fighting operation. In 2002 Fort Pierce
police arrested Jermaine Rouse (29) and Jermain Davis (20) on five
counts of cruelty to animals and three counts of fighting or baiting
animals. The two men had agreed to enter a plea agreement, but they
withdrew from the deal, according to court records. They are scheduled
to be in court again 24/7/03
Lawrenceburg, USA - Kentucky State Police officers broke up a
cockfighting operation inside an Anderson County barn and cited seven
men on misdemeanor charges. Five men were charged on 14/7/03 with
second-degree cruelty to animals for allegedly being in the ring
during the cockfights. Another man was charged with carrying a
concealed weapon, and the property owner, Clarence Smith (62) was
charged with promoting gambling and permitting gambling, Between 75 to
100 spectators, including some youngsters paid up to $10 for
admission, and a vendor was selling T-shirts and items used in the
cockfights, including head covers for the birds and razor-sharp spurs
attached to the birds' feet. Phillip Jones (37) of Versailles; Joseph
Burks (36) of Elizabethtown; Anthany Becknell (34) of Salvisa; Donald
French Jr. (30) of Harrodsburg; and Robert Walls (41) of
Elizabethtown. The concealed-weapon charge was filed against Jeffery
Downs (38) of Coxs Creek, police said. All seven people charged were
cited and released. They are scheduled to appear in Anderson County
District Court on 25/8/03.
Two Cleveland poachers resorted to "barbaric" means to illegally snare
spawning salmon. John Richard Spaven and Darren Smitheringale, both of
Thames Road, Skelton, near Saltburn, admitted using a spear to catch
fish after officers discovered the weapon in the boot of their car.
They pleaded guilty to three charges at Guisborough magistrates on
25/3/03. Both were fined £150 and each were ordered to pay £150 costs.
The court heard how Spaven admitted using the home-made spear, which
had been fashioned from a broom handle and three welded barbs, and
Smitheringale said he had used the lamp to help catch fish. The men
offered no defence in court.
Robert Powton (35) of Darlington Road, West Auckland and Daniel
Matthew Robinson (37) of Ashcroft Gardens, Bishop Auckland, were seen
carrying a lamp and a gaff, a large hook on the end of a pole.
Enviroment Agancy officers found a bag containing a net and two sea
trout, one of the trout was still entangled in the net, the other was
seen to have gaff marks in it’s side. The fish were examined and found
to have been spawning, or about to spawn. Fish eggs were also later
found in Powton’s car. Robinson and Powton were each sentenced to 130
hours community service and fined £100 with £100 costs by Bishop
Auckland magistrates on 25/6/03.
Two men from west Cumbria were fined £500 each after being caught
poaching salmon. John Anthony Taylor (43) of 20 Queens Crescent,
Frizington and Derek Andrew Bulman (22) of 15 Arlecdon Road,
Frizington, both pleaded guilty to two offences when they appeared at
Whitehaven magistrates on 25/7/03. As well as being fined, the men
were ordered to pay £125 costs each to the Environment Agency, which
brought the prosecution.
McClellanville USA- Charleston County Sheriff's deputies made four
arrests after breaking up a dog fighting match on 7/9/03. Vincent
Simmons (21) of McClellanville, Michael Leon Jones (21) of
McClellanville, Marcus Simmons (26) of McClellanville and Moultrie S.
Sanders (24) of Georgetown, were charged with felony dog fighting. On
a routine patrol South Santee Road the police noticed a crowd of about
20 to 25 people in the woods near Greater Mt. Zion Church. When they
went to investigate the crowd, they discovered a dog fight had just
taken place and another one was about to start. The crowd scattered
once the deputies arrived. Vincent Simmons began fighting hard with
one Deputy. He broke away and then broke into a nearby home, where
deputies found him hiding under a bed. He has been charged with first
degree burglary and assaulting an officer as well as dog fighting.
Deputies recovered a female pit bull with several wounds. The dog
belongs to Marcus Simmons, but is now in the care of the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Vincent Simmons was denied bail,
Marcus Simmons, Sanders and Jones each had bail set at $5,000.
On 10/10/03 six men appeared before a Cleveland court to face
dogfighting charges. Archie L. James (38) Eric Gross (46) James D.
Summers (41) John E. Thomas (38) Dan Murphy (43) and Robert E. Hunter
Sr. (39) are charged with one count each of cruelty to animals and
conspiracy to commit the crime. They are free on bail while awaiting a
trial date, which has not been set. Five more defendants are scheduled
to appear in court, including Joseph M. Baldini Jr. (31) who is
accused in a police affidavit of being "a major organizer'' of the
dogfight in a yard at 7655 Millfair Road. Seized in the raid were 12
pit bulls, one of which had to be euthanized because of its injuries;
a beagle; one Samoyed mix and her litter of seven puppies, one of
which didn't survive; one cat; and 10 birds, including roosters,
chickens and geese.
On 14/10/03 seven people, one a 15-year-old boy, were arrested during
a dogfighting raid near Fulshear in Fort Bend County, USA. A sheriff's
department spokeswoman said 13 pit bulldogs, some with wounds, were
found at the location Sunday and placed with the county's animal
control office. Deputies had been tipped off about dogfighting at a
residence at the end of Reynolds Road. Quinn Solomon (18) and Alex
Solomon (43) of Thompsons; Calebe White (29) and Lawrence Perkins (25)
of Houston; and Norris Johnson (23) and Roland Johnson (17) of
Simonton were charged with dogfighting, a Class C misdemeanour. The
15-year-old boy was released to family members.
On 1/11/03 seven dogs were found and a sum of cash was seized when
gardaí and animal cruelty inspectors raided an illegal dog fight in Co
Kildare. A number of men were found at the premises in Robertstown
near Newbridge where the fight was disturbed just before midday.
Gardaí along with members of the Irish Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) carried out the raid after a tip-off about
the event. A man in his thirties was arrested and later released
without charge after being questioned.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Two men were convicted on 14/11/03 of animal
cruelty charges stemming from a raid on a building where pit bulls
were being trained to fight. Dean Clymer (36) and Jaron Bratton (19)
both of Yonkers, were convicted in Westchester County Court on two
counts each of animal fighting, a felony, plus other counts of
injuring animals and failing to feed them. They face up to four years
in prison when they are sentenced on 5/3/04. Seventeen pit bulls were
found in a feces-strewn bunker equipped with a treadmill and other
devices to strengthen the dogs for fighting. Officials said several
had been injured, apparently in fights, and three had to be put to
death. Several were also reported malnourished. The raid came after
the Yonkers Animal Shelter reported the theft of seven pit bull
puppies within five days. A third defendant, Kyle Ellison (20) also of
Yonkers, pleaded guilty to animal fighting before going to trial. He
had claimed he was simply hired to clean the dogs' cages for $20 a
day.
Eight people were arrested on 16/11/03 when officers from the Hall
County Sheriff's Office raided a cockfighting ring in Gainesville. Of
those taken into custody, three are facing felony charges of keeping a
gambling place. A spokesperson with the Sheriff's Office, said they
confiscated more than $4,500 in cash and seized 35 chickens from 3395
South Meadow Court. Two other animals were dead and three were
seriously injured, The three facing charges of gambling, cruelty to
animals and keeping a gambling place are: Dustin Dzung Nguyen (30)
3395 S. Meadow Court, Gainesville. Sinh Van Huynh (62) 720 Golden
Roadway, Norcross. Ba Van Nguyen (47) 3395 S. Meadow Court,
Gainesville. The five facing gambling and cruelty to animals charges
are: Minos Anthony Delcambre (40) 1133 Highway 11, Bethlehem. Nghia
Luong (32) 1135 Evergreen Way, Dacula. Minh Duong (42) 897 Monroe
Highway, Bethlehem. Willie Clark Bradley III (59) 1581 Highway 138
N.W., Monroe. Hoang V. Tran (47) 2808 Barrett Road, Gainesville. All
defendants except Delcambre were released from the Hall County
Detention Center on bond. Delcambre also was being held on a warrant
for his arrest in another county.
REDWOOD CITY - The suspected kingpin of an illegal cockfighting
operation was arrested on 16/11/03 just two days after deputies raided
his hidden coop out on the Coast, authorities said. Mario Zuaso Moreno
(52) faces charges including 20 counts of animal cruelty, 40 counts of
owning fighting fowl and 120 counts of failing to provide care and
shelter for animals. San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies arrested
Moreno on Sunday morning, before serving a search warrant on his
Redwood City home. The search turned up cockfighting paraphernalia as
well as seven roosters shoved into two burlap feed bags, one of them
dead. On 14/11/03 deputies discovered more that 100 roosters and hens
being kept in filthy conditions inside a shack on a piece of Coastside
property Moreno had been renting. The Sheriff's Office seized all 112
chickens, some of which had their combs and wattles removed, or had
suffered apparent fight injuries. The Peninsula Humane Society has
since euthanized them. This is not Moreno's first arrest for suspected
cockfighting, according to court records. In 1994, he pleaded no
contest to one count of owning fighting cocks, a misdemeanor, in
exchange for prosecutors dismissing 19 other counts against him. He
was sentenced to 48 hours in County Jail and three years' probation.
In November, Rowan County sheriff's deputies charged Roderick Hawkins
(18) of 928 Third St., Spencer, and Michael Lee Walker (32) of 1162
Rachel Lane, Salisbury, with felony dog fighting.
Michael William Smith, a self-employed pest control contractor based
in Essex, pleaded guilty to failing to take all reasonable precautions
to protect humans, creatures and the environment, contrary to the
Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 at Colchester magistrates on
30/1/03. He said that he had been called in to deal with rabbits and
was using phosphine gas at an old badger sett. Smith was fined £250
plus £118 costs.
Back To The Top
A hunting trip to Ireland has proved an expensive outing for two
shooting enthusiasts after they were caught killing protected species.
Not only were they arrested and fined a total of 1,600 euros (£1,113)
for shooting wild Red deer, a protected species, but their two hunting
rifles, worth £2,500 each, were also confiscated by order of the
court. On 9/1/04 the District Court in Killarney, County Kerry, was
told that Simon Everett (43) of Hilldene, Westhill, Uttoxeter, and
Nicholas Pancisi (44) of Stubbs Farm, Stubbs Lane, Stanton, near
Ashbourne, had been arrested in the area in possession of the
butchered carcasses of a hind and her young calf. Both had been shot
separately and gutted. The two admitted a charge of hunting a
protected species, but their defence solicitor, Padraig O'Connell,
claimed they had acted out of ignorance of the law. They were also
fined each man 800 euros.
Goshen, N.Y. - The publisher of a dogfighting magazine was convicted
of animal cruelty and dogfighting felonies on 1/3/04, almost a year
after 18 pit bulls were taken from his property. James Fricchione (34)
from Westtown was found guilty by a judge of one dogfighting and four
cruelty counts, as well as five misdemeanors. He publishes the
bimonthly Sporting Dog Journal, with about 6,000 subscribers
nationwide, from his home in Westtown, about 55 miles northwest of New
York City. Most of the 18 pit bulls had injuries like those inflicted
in dog fights. Police also seized equipment used to train fighting
dogs. Fricchione, who remains free on $10,000 bail, declined to
comment. He faces sentencing 14/4/04 before a Orange County Judge. The
sad news is that the dogs have been getting better care in shelters,
but they will have to be destroyed.
Damien Penrose (18) of Torrington Court, Park North, appeared at
Swindon magistrates on 7/1/04 after he and a 15-year old accomplice
shot a male mute swan dead with an air rifle, and hid it in a hedge.
They also shot and injured the swan's mate, leaving it to look after
the pair's four cygnets with blood pouring from its head. The female
bird later died. He pleaded guilty to killing a wild bird, injuring a
wild bird, having a loaded weapon in a public place and criminal
damage. Penrose was jailed for eight weeks. Half of the sentence is to
be served in the young offenders' wing of Reading prison and the rest
on licence in the community. Penrose's accomplice was sentenced in
November 2003 to four months' detention and training, half of which
will be served in secure accommodation and half in the community.
Ringgold, Ga. - Three Catoosa County men have pleaded guilty and were
sentenced on charges relating to a dog fighting ring. Two of the men
were charged with multiple counts of cruelty to animals. Another was
jailed on a parole violation after appearing in court. Sentenced on
14/4/04 were Buford Lamar Green (25) Ronald Lamar Kilgore, Jr. (21)
and Donald Lamar Kilgore (22). Green pleaded guilty to 10 counts of
cruelty to animals and one count of interfering with an officer. The
magistrate sentenced him to 30 days in jail and he will not be allowed
to have any animals for 30 years. Donald Kilgore pleaded guilty to 10
counts of cruelty to animals and one count of failure to restrain an
animal. He got 180 days in jail, 60 months of probation without
animals and was fined $3,030. He also will have to pay the county
$542.92 for a veterinarian bill. Ronald Kilgore pleaded guilty to one
charge of obstruction and received a 36-month suspended sentence. But
he was taken to jail on a parole violation and was told he would not
be able to own animals for 36 months.
Pittsburgh (AP) - On 24/4/04 five men pleaded guilty to charges of
being involved in a dogfighting ring in Pennsylvania. The five men,
including a pet store owner, were arrested for arranging fights
between pit bulls in basements and warehouses over at least a
five-year period. The fights had purses of up to $50,000. According to
arrest warrants, members of the ring also trained dogs to fight and
had organised and promoted fights in western and central Pennsylvania.
Police seized 21 pit bulls, guns, steroids, training equipment,
underground dog fighting magazines and a photo album full of fighting
dogs. Brothers Harry Ackerman Jr., (32) and Thomas Ackerman (28),
Richard Henderson (50) Robert Cooper (48) and Christopher Bryce (28)
pleaded guilty to charges ranging from animal cruelty to attempting to
buy illegal drugs.
Nine men were arrested when police and RSPCA inspectors raided a barn
and discovered an illegal cockfighting ring on 28/4/04. They found a
gang of men betting on the illegal sport in which specially bred
cockerels, normally armed with razor-sharp spurs attached to their
legs, fight to the death. The police said: 'The RSPCA obtained
intelligence that this was taking place at a location in Mundham. 'We
caught the men in the act when we burst in and they tried to scarper.
But our officers were quicker and we managed to catch them all.' The
nine men were all charged under the Animal Cruelty Act. They have all
been bailed pending further police inquiries. A total of 15 birds were
seized at the address and are being cared for at local RSPCA care
centres.
A Curry County jury on 29/4/04 found Fernando Garcia (20) innocent of
second-degree murder but was convicted of dogfighting, a felony
carrying a maximum penalty of 18 months in state prison. The incident
which left Moises Ortiz dead by gunshot occurred during a dogfight at
Ortiz’s home in south Clovis. Fernando Garcia’s father Richard still
faces charges of dogfighting and assault with intent to commit a
violent felony in connection with the same incident.
A hunter who blew a hole in a family home while hunting rabbits with a
shotgun in a town centre at 3am when intoxicated has been fined €500.
On 9/9/04 Timothy Coakley from Inchigeelagh, Co.Cork pleaded guilty to
the charge of reckless endangerment with a firearm when he appeared
before Cork Circuit Criminal Court. He admitted that he had been
trying to shoot rabbits along the main street of Dunmanway when he
accidentally blasted the family
home. No one was injured although the family was shocked at the near
miss.
A Whitehill man is due before magistrates on 21/7/04 after RSPCA
officers smashed a cockfighting ring. James Stephen Keet (28) of
Firgrove, Bordon, was one of nine men charged after animal welfare
officers raided a barn near Chichester in April 2004
A hunter who shot a leading wildlife expert after mistaking his
night-vision binoculars for a fox's eyes was cleared of assault on
27/8/04. Anthony Burns (52) from Prestwood, Buckinghamshire, was out
"lamping" for foxes late one night last year when he shot and
seriously injured journalist Trevor Lawson. Aylesbury crown court
heard Lawson had been looking for barn owls along a footpath through
farmland when he was shot in the chest with a hunting bullet designed
to disintegrate inside the body of an animal to kill it more
effectively. The court heard Mr Lawson spent two days in intensive
care, lost a lung and still has part of the bullet under his skin.
Burns had two decades of shooting experience, including "lamping" –a
form of night hunting using a red filtered light which is difficult
for the fox to see - without incident. Under an arrangement with the
farmer on whose land the accident happened, Burns and a group of
friends rear pheasants in pens and organise small-scale shoots. With
the farmer's permission, he and his two fellow lampers would go on
periodic expeditions to shoot foxes.
On 25/9/04 an 18-year-old man from Castleford was arrested in
connection with an incident and in which a schoolboy was shot in the
head in an area popular with lampers. On 27/9/04 three more men, 60,
44 and 25, were arrested on suspicion of attempting to pervert the
course of justice. The youngster was walking close to a golf course
near Castleford with his father when he was shot.
The case against 12 men charged with running an illegal dog fight was
adjourned at Nass District Court on 7/10/04. The case was adjourned
until 17/11/04. The alleged offences are said to have occurred at
Broclagh, Roberstown, Co.Kildare. The men have all been charged under
the Cruelty to Animals Act 1911. They are: Anthony Burke, Corstown,
Oldcastle Co.Meath, Richard Bernard, Dark Road, Castletown Carlow,
Troy Jordan, River Road, Allenwood Co.Kildare, James Ferris, Allenwood
South, Co.Kildare; Richard Somerville, Dunard Drive, Navan Road
Carlow; Paul Malone, Dunmore Lawn, Tallaght, Co.Dublin; Karl Bree,
Nangor Crescent, Clondalkin, Co.Dublin; John Moody, Coolamber
Crescent, Templogue, Co.Dublin; Thomas Codd, Cloonmore Crescent,
Tallaght, Co.Dublin; David Deegan, Maplewood Park, Springfield,
Tallaght, Co.Dublin; Michael Quinn, Slieve Bloom Road, Drimagh,
Co.Dublin and Joseph Blake, Loreto Avenue, Rathfarnham,Co.Dublin
VANCOUVER - On 7/11/04 a trial date of 25/3/05 was set for Eduardo J.
Ribaya, a Vancouver man linked with dogfighting. Ribaya (52) is
charged with five misdemeanors stemming from a raid at his home. The
charges include possessing animal-fighting equipment and keeping an
unlicensed kennell, and three counts of keeping unlicensed animals.
Ribaya was convicted of 1995 dogfighting charges in California. Acting
on a tip, Vancouver police raided Ribaya's rental farm house on Port
of Vancouver property looking for signs of animal fighting. Seized
items included a stick thought to be used to pry open a dog's mouth in
a fight, veterinary medicines for wound treatment, a suturing kit and
photos of dogfighting. Officers also found 21 pit bulls, including
five puppies.
On 25/11/04 four police officers were injured and three bloodpsorts
supporters were arrested during a protest outside an hotel where a
Labour Party dinner was being held. Eggs were thrown during the
confrontation at the Holland House Hotel and a Welsh MP claimed he
received homophobic insults. "At one stage, missiles were thrown and
previously unseen levels of aggression were shown to police officers.
The Rhondda MP said he received homophobic insults. "When I was trying
to come in there were a large number of people shouting very
unpleasant homophobic stuff at me". "One of the police officers was
from an Asian family and she had all sorts of racist taunts. "The
irony was that people were carrying banners that said, 'Fight
prejudice'.
A hunter was jailed on 3/12/04 for having an illegal shotgun to shoot
foxes. Darren Burton (35) of Fairwater, Cardiff had the shotgun pistol
and ammunition hidden in his car. The court heard police searched the
vehicle after he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. Burton
had gone to Fairwater Police Station in Cardiff to give cigarettes to
a relative in the cells. Police smelled alcohol on his breath and
arrested him but he told them he wanted to move his car somewhere
safer because there was a gun in boot. The court heard how Burton was
"keen on outdoor pursuits" and used an air rifle to hunt rabbits on a
farm near his home. A situation arose that when Burton was shooting
rabbits he saw an owl being taken by a fox. "He decided to kill the
foxes in the area and was given this weapon by a man he knew." Burton
admitted possessing a prohibited firearm and ammunition. The judge
jailed Burton for two years.
On 12/4/05 at Haywards Heath magistrates Joseph Keet (54) from North
Mundham, Chichester, West Sussex, was jailed for 90 days for
organising a cockfight in which one bird was killed and several others
injured. Keet (see pic left) was found guilty of four charges relating
to the illegal cockfight. The RSPCA and Sussex Police raided the
cockfight after being tipped off. They went to Keet's Southgate Duck
Nursery, in North Mundham, and discovered cockerels already fighting
in a pit made out of hay bales. Fifteen birds were taken to vets for
treatment. The court heard how one was already dead while a number of
others had bleeding wounds and swollen eyelids caused by recent
fighting. They had been used in a "naked heel" event, meaning the
cockerels were not made to fight with artificial spurs attached to
their legs. A video tape containing footage of two cockfighting bouts
was later recovered. When the authorities arrived a number of men
tried to flee the scene but were arrested. Keet, described in court as
the "main player", had denied charges of causing unnecessary suffering
to animals, aiding and abetting, being present at a cockfight and
using his premises for a cockfight. He was given a 90-day prison
sentence, fined a total of £5,000, and banned from owning a cockerel
for life. Nine other men were each fined a total of £400 for their
involvement. William Green (28) from Cowplain, Hampshire; Stephen
James Harrington (29) from Horndean, Hampshire; James Stephen Keet
(29) from Whitehill, West Sussex; Frank Smith (37), from Tangmere,
West Sussex; and George Sean Stonestreet (19) and James Christopher
Bird (21) both from Hailsham, East Sussex, had previously pleaded
guilty to attending a cockfight. Bill Smith (44) from Burgess Hill,
West Sussex, pleaded guilty to attending a cockfight but was found not
guilty of aiding and abetting and of causing unnecessary suffering.
Ashley O'Brien (35) from Fareham, Hampshire and George Ripley (24)
from Westham, East Sussex, both pleaded not guilty to causing
unnecessary suffering, aiding and abetting and of being present at a
cockfight. They were found not guilty of the first two charges but
guilty of being at the cockfight.
On 15/4/05 a man was arrested on suspicion of being involved in
cockfighting, following a joint operation between police and the RSPCA
earlier this week. Officers from the RSPCA's special operations unit,
along with uniformed inspectors and Humberside Police, raided two
premises in the Scunthorpe area. An RSPCA spokeswoman said a
21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of cockfighting and was
later interviewed at the police station. Two cockerels were seized,
and they are currently being cared for by the charity. It is believed
two other people were involved in the incident and investigations are
proceeding into their whereabouts.
Back To The Top
A grouse shooting company was fined £7,500 and ordered to pay £6,787
costs after pleading guilty to damaging important heather moorland in
the North York Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Faccombe Estates Limited runs grouse shoots on Westerdale Moor in the
North York Moors National Park and elsewhere in the north of England.
At Northallerton magistrates on 25/4/05 they admitted constructing 620
metres of three metre-wide stone track across the moorland without
English Nature’s (EN’s) consent. The track smothered over 1,800 square
metres of healthy heather moorland. A restoration order has now been
imposed, which means that Faccombe Estates Limited will have to pay to
restore the damage to the satisfaction of EN.
Two men have been warned they face jail after guns and a dead young
deer were found in a pick-up truck in the New Forest. The pair were
arrested after being stopped by a police anti-poaching patrol on a
country lane. Police found two loaded rifles in the rear of the
vehicle and the 12-month-old fallow prickett underneath. A search of
the home of David Cailes (33) from Dugdell Close, Ferndown revealed a
sawn-off shotgun as well as ammunition. Cailes and Robinson appeared
before Southampton Crown Court on 6/5/05 where they admitted firearms
offences. Cailes (a vermin controller) admitted unlawfully killing the
deer, and possessing a shortened .22 calibre Martini rifle and ten
cartridges and a .243 Steyr Mannlicher rifle with ammunition. Ian
Robinson (43) of Dudsbury Road, West Parley, pleaded guilty to
possessing a .22 calibre Marlin Golden 39-A Mountie lever action rifle
and ammunition. Cailes and Robinson were bailed for sentence
on13/6/05.
A man who held organised dog fights in an outhouse behind his father's
pub has been sent to prison. Ian Draper (41) of Walker's Close,
Asthall, was arrested during a nationwide swoop on people involved in
what the RSPCA described as the "Premiership" of dog fights. Appearing
at Banbury magistrates on 16/5/05 Draper admitted six charges,
including causing unnecessary suffering to dogs, keeping a place for
dog fighting and owning an illegal breed of dog. Investigators
conducting a search of a the New Inn in Minster Lovell, owned by
Draper's father at the time, found a blood-stained room in an
outbuilding where the fighting took place. The former greyhound
breeder and one-time boxer was sentenced to three months in prison,
which could be cut in half for good behaviour, and was banned from
owning dogs for 10 years. A charge against Draper's father, Martin
Draper (67) of Wenrisc Drive, Minster Lovell, was withdrawn.
USA - On 24/5/05 three people were arrested and charged with organised
dog fighting and cruelty to animals. Hampton police went to the home
near the corner of Walnut Street and Shawen Drive, and saw at least
two dogs fighting and another dog standing to the side. Four people
were encouraging the dogs, police said. Cynthia Kay Curry (44),
Lushawn Beneie Carolina (18) and Kelvino Breon Hunter (18) were
charged with organised dog fighting and cruelty to animals. Tracy
Arleaene Curry (39) was charged with disturbing the peace. Animal
control picked up the three dogs and treated them for their injuries
Armed police were called in and the force helicopter scrambled to
track down Peter David Jones. He was arrested in the car park of
Tesco's supermarket in Mold by officers who seized his air rifle. On
16/6/05 Jones (25) of Bromfield Park, Mold, was fined £100 and ordered
to pay £55 court costs after he admitted possessing a loaded weapon in
public. Flintshire magistrates at Mold also ordered the BSA Hornet .77
calibre air rifle should be destroyed. Jones admitted owning the air
rifle. He was arrested and told police he had been out shooting
rabbits. Jones said he was bored and started shooting near the law
courts at rabbits.
USA - On 19/6/05 Suffolk police interrupted a cock fight and arrested
a Brentwood man on charges of running an operation in his backyard.
Miguel Perez (56) of 9 MacArthur Avenue in Brentwood, had a large pen
for fighting in his backyard and 18 cocks housed separately to limit
their socialisation skills. When officers arrived, they found women,
children and 15 men in the backyard. The fighting male roosters were
found shaved with spurs on their legs. Although some of the men ran,
police arrested Nelson Marmol (52), of Freeport; Jose L. Torres (51),
of Bay Shore; Narciso Rodriguez (39) of Baldwin and Nelson Peralta
(29) of Brentwood. The men were charged with animal cruelty, a
misdemeanor, and given field appearance tickets. Perez was charged
with prohibition of animal fighting, a felony, and is being held at
the Third Precinct. He is scheduled to be arraigned Sunday in First
District Court in Central Islip, Groneman said. The 18 male roosters,
including the rooster that died Saturday afternoon, were seized by the
Islip Town Animal Shelter.
A man found asleep in his car whilst two and a half times the drink
drive limit has been banned from the road for 2 years. Christopher
Harrison (55), attended a hunt meet in Cradley, Worcestershire and
then drank whisky with friends, Worcester magistrates heard on
19/6/05. Police later found his car protruding into a main road.
Hardman was asleep at the wheel with the keys in his lap. Hardman of
Pump House, Acton Green, Acton Beachamp who pleaded guilty to driving
with excess alcohol and leaving his car in a dangerous position was
banned from driving for two years. He was fined £550 with £43 costs
and given three penalty points.
Randolph Clayton (27) of the 21000 block of San Filippo Road,
Bridgeville, Delaware was sentenced on 16/7/05 to three years in
prison after being involved in a dogfighting incident while he was on
probation. The incident sadly resulted in the death of a pit bull.
Clayton appeared in Sussex County Superior Court to face two counts
each of animal cruelty and dogfighting and he was sentenced to three
years in jail for violating his probation. As part of a plea
agreement, he was convicted of one count of possessing a dog for
dogfighting purposes, and given 18 months probation following his
three-year jail sentence. The other three charges were dropped. The
court suspended a $5,000 fine but Clayton was ordered to pay SPCA
officials $543 in restitution. He was also banned from keeping a dog
for 15 years.
William Smith (39) of Ribblers Lane, Kirkby was convicted of allowing
illegal dog-fighting bouts at his secluded home, despite claiming to
be a dog lover. Huyton magsitrates heard on 26/7/05 that searches of
the property revealed blood-spattered sticks used to prise animals
apart, fitness schedules, a treadmill and weighing scales and boards
used to construct fighting pits. Smith also had three heavily-scarred
illegal pit bull terriers at the property, which were taken away and
put down. The court also heard that boards used to construct a pit for
fighting had blood on them that was linked through DNA tests to an
Oxfordshire dog whose owner Ian Draper had been convicted for dog
fighting. Smith denied allowing illegal dog-fighting and denied that
his home was known in fighting circles as "Lion Heart Kennels". Smith
was sentenced to four months.
A Devon man has admitted the manslaughter of his 13-year-old stepson
while he was out lamping. Byron Evans (13) was shot while out lamping
with his stepfather Philip Rowe (50) of Stafford Lane, Colyford. Rowe
pleaded guilty at Exeter Crown Court on 26/7/05 to manslaughter by
gross negligence. Rowe's sentencing was adjourned until 2/9/05.
Troy Jordan (35) of Blackthorn Cottage, River Road Allenwood was
jailed for 18 months at Naas Circuit Court on 4/8/05 on Cruelty to
Animal charges for attending a dog fight. The court heard that Jordan
had previously been found guilty at Naas District Court of animal
cruelty to six pitbull terriers in 2000 where he was fined €6,475 and
banned from owning a dog for three years. Four other defendants
received suspended sentences on condition they sign a bond to be of
good behaviour. Thomas Codd (39) 18 Cloonmore Crescent, Tallaght, who
has been on disability benefit for 16 years, was given a nine-month
suspended sentence on condition he pay €500 to the ISPCA. Karl Breen
(25) 5 Nangor Crescent, Clondalkin, was given a nine-month suspended
sentence and ordered to pay €5,000 to the ISPCA., Richard Somerville
(34) 26 Dunard Drive, Navan Rodd, Cabra, was handed an 18 month
suspended sentence on condition he pay €3,000 to the animal rescue
charity. David Deegan (22) from Co. Offaly was also ordered to hand
over €3,000 to the ISPCA and received an 18 month suspended sentence.
There were originally 11 co-defendants in the case but six were
acquitted.
On 18/8/05 six dogs were seized and a man arrested and bailed
following the undercover operation at a disused industrial premises in
the Preston. The man, in his 20s, was questioned after a joint
operation with RSPCA inspectors. Three homes were also searched as
well as the industrial site, believed to have been used as a base by
the dogfighting club. Items associated with dog fighting were seized
as part of the series of raids, including what is believed to be a pit
in which dogs fight. The arrested man was released on police bail
until 18/10/05.
Alan
Badgers
On 5/1/07 a Joint police and RSPCA swoop has captured five people on
suspicion of digging a badger sett near Stroud. Gloucestershire
Constabulary said a 19-year-old, an 18-year-old, two 16-year-olds and
a 15-year-old were all from Mountain Ash in South Wales. Police acted
after a call from a concerned member of the public. They were detained
on suspicion of digging into a badger sett. Officers also seized an
air rifle at the scene.
Six alleged members of a badger-baiting ring appeared on 14/2/07 at
Bedlington magistrates charged with conspiracy to hunt wild mammals
with dogs. lan Walton (51) of Avebury Place; Brian James Cole (30)
from Avebury Place; Sean Dilger (26) from Alderley Way; and Lee Lawton
(37) from Avebury Place, all of Cramlington, are charged with
conspiracy to hunt wild mammals with dogs. Similarly charged are Wayne
Lannen (23) from Coniston Road, Wallsend, and a 17-year-old boy from
the Cramlington area who cannot be named for legal reasons. All six
were sent to be dealt with at Newcastle Crown Court in March 2007.
Their unconditional bail was renewed. During the long-running
operation, three raids were made on houses in Cramlington last year
and two men were arrested. On one of those raids police also recovered
items thought to have been stolen from churches in Tynedale, including
a 6ft eagle-shaped lectern snatched from Holy Trinity Church, Matfen.
A Gang of four teenagers, the youngest aged 15, appeared before
Gloucester magistrates accused of badger-baiting on 26/2/07. The four
defendants, all from Mountain Ash, Glamorgan, South Wales, were
charged with interfering with badger setts. Christian O'Reilly (19) of
Craig Street, was also charged with possessing an offensive weapon,
possessing a firearm without a certificate and with hunting a wild
animal with dogs. Scott Palmer (18) of Pentwyn Avenue, was also
charged with hunting a wild animal with dogs. One 15-year-old, was
also charged with hunting a wild animal with dogs and the fourth
defendant, also aged 15, faced the one charge of interfering with
badger setts. The case was adjourned until 26/3/07 and all four
defendants were granted unconditional bail.
On 11/3/07 three men were charged in connection with a badger-baiting
ring in the Borders. The move follows dawn raids on three houses in
Hawick, Roxburghshirel. Police said three men aged 24, 18 and 16 would
appear at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on 22/3/07.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bloodsports
On 10/2/07 eight people were arrested on suspicion of poaching after a
police raid near Dumbleton. Officers swooped after reports of a group
of men coursing. Eight men were arrested and taken to Cheltenham
Police Station. They included a 29-year-old from Charlton, near
Pershore, and a 15-year-old, 18-year-old and 32-year-old from Rowley
Regis in the West Midlands. A 21-year-old from Wednesbury, a
33-year-old and 19-year-old from Tipton and a 43-year-old from
Brierley Hill, all in the West Midlands, were also arrested. The
15-year-old was issued with a final warning. The others have been
charged with poaching and will appear at Cheltenham magistrates on
9/2/07.
Colm Davis of Courtclough Upper, Blackwater who shot a pheasant in his
front garden, was fined €130 for killing a protected wild bird out of
season by the judge at Wexford District Court on 18/1/07. Davis
admitted the offence. The garda told the court that the defendant had
two firearms licences and both of them were revoked following the
incident.
On 19/1/07 two hare coursers were handed ASBOs to stop them practicing
the illegal sport on farmland in Cambridgeshire. George Lee (24) and
John Bruce (39) both of Belvedere, Kent, were caught hare coursing.
The pair were spotted by a member of the public, and were arrested
with help from the force's helicopter. They were fined £650 and
ordered to pay £60 costs when they appeared at Cambridge magistrates
and have now been given post-conviction ASBOs which ban them from
entering Cambridgeshire, Suffolk or Norfolk.
Bloodsports supporter Otis Ferry has avoided a driving ban despite
drinking at least seven shots of vodka during a night out. Ferry (24)
of Keeper's Cottage, Eaton Mascott, Shrewsbury who is the master of
the South Shropshire Hunt, was found to have 55mg of alcohol in 100ml
of breath. The legal limit is 35mg per 100ml of breath. But during a
special reasons hearing, Gloucester magistrates on 20/1/07the court
was told that Ferry's friends had bought him treble vodka Red Bull
drinks, but he believed he was drinking single shots. Ferry escaped a
driving ban, but was fined £500 and ordered to pay £364 costs.
On 30/1/07 a hunt steward was fined £80 for using threatening
behaviour towards two hunt monitors on Boxing Day. Mervyn Dowell, a
steward for Cotley Harriers, harassed and threatened League Against
Cruel Sports monitor Graham Forsythe and Helen Weeks from Protect Our
Wild Animals, as they attempted to video the Harriers near Yeovil.When
the monitors tried to retreat to the safety of their car, they found
it completely blocked in by hunt supporters. Dowell, of Burridge Farm,
Chardstock, Axminster, who was given an £80 fixed penalty fine.
On 8/2/07 a hunt supporter was cautioned after trying to puncture a
tyre with a nail hidden in a Mars bar. The attack on a hunt monitor's
car came as the Heythrop Hunt. Two women monitors from the Protect Our
Wild Animals group were filming the hunt, when one of them noticed a
woman acting suspiciously near their vehicle. "A closer inspection
revealed that the woman had placed a two-inch nail, embedded in a Mars
bar, in front of one of the tyres," said Powa spokeswoman Penny
Little. "Swift action on the part of the monitor who owned the car
ensured that the evidence was seized, despite attempts by the hunt
follower to take it back, and the entire episode was captured on
film." The film was given to police and the woman was arrested and
cautioned.
A Dulverton Farmers huntsman was found guilty of assault after he rode
his horse at hunt monitors. Anthony Allibone (49) of The Kennels, East
Anstey, near Tiverton, Mid Devon, had pleaded not guilty to assault on
the pensioner who was monitoring the hunt. But on 9/2/07 after a
seven-hour trial at West Somerset magistrates sitting at Minehead
ordered him to pay £100 compensation and a fine of £100.
Seven men were fined after being caught poaching in the Cotswolds.
They all admitted coursing - hunting for rabbits or hares with dogs
when they appeared before Cheltenham magistrates on 12/2/07. They
seven were Dean Dallow (21) of Wednesbury, Lee Garrington (29) of
Pershore and Craig and Scott Richards (32) and (19) both of Rowley
Regis, were fined £400 for their part, because of a previous
conviction for the same offence. Malcolm Fletcher (33) and Richard
Smallman (20) both of Tipton, and David Quinn (43) of Brierley Hill,
were given £300 fines.
Otis Ferry (again) who is the master of the South Shropshire Hunt, was
thrown in a police cell after a raucous night at a BAFTAs after-show
party on 11/2/07. Ferry was cautioned by police after throwing a
photographer's keys into the gutter outside London club.
A Northern Ireland Gaelic footballer is to appear before a court next
month accused of keeping an illegal pit bull terrier for dog fighting.
Tyrone player Gerald Cavlan (30) from Willow Gardens is charged with
two counts of keeping a dangerous dog and four of keeping dogs without
a licence. Cavlan was not in Dungannon magistrates on 12/2/07 for the
hearing. The USPCA said at the time that a vet examined the male dog
and found injuries consistent with wounds inflicted during dog
fighting.
A hunt supporter subjected a grandmother to a torrent of verbal abuse
and caused several hundred pounds worth of damage to her car in a bid
to stop her monitoring the Vale of the White Horse Hunt. The monitor
found her vehicle blocked onto a grass verge by hunt supporters who
then shouted a volley of abusive and lurid language at her. Video
footage handed to Thames Valley police shows a 68-year-old man,
understood to come from the Cirencester area, forcibly pulling her car
door open while swearing at her. Later on the same man reversed his
own vehicle towards her forcing her to leap out of the way. On 22/2/07
the man was handed two adult cautions after admitting criminal damage
to the sum of £540 and a public order offence.
Two men were fined for endangering migrating fish species by using
illegal nets on the Welsh coast. Anthony Julian Jones, from Cardiff,
and Kevin James Webber, from Tonypandy, were prosecuted after being
caught using the fixed nets near Pendine, Carmarthenshire. Each man
was ordered to pay a £175 fine with £75 costs by magistrates in
Ammanford on 7/207.
David Smith (57) from Northdene Terrace, Seaham who is a builders'
merchant pleaded guilty to burying dead greyhounds at his home without
a licence. It is claimed that Smith shot about 10,000 dogs with a bolt
gun. On 16/3/07 he was fined at Durham Crown Court following a private
prosecution by the Environment Agency, after police said he had
committed no offence. Smith was fined £2,000 and also ordered to pay
£2,000 costs. He admitted a single charge under the Pollution
Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations that he
disposed of waste - the bodies of deceased dogs - on land without a
permit.
On 28/2/07 the master of the Banwen Miners Hunt was found guilty of
punching his horse in the head in a temper tantrum after losing a
race. Lodewijk De Smet of Waun Hir Farm, Betws Ammanford,
Camarthenshire yanked hard on the reins and galloped towards horrified
spectators and children after hitting the animal. The Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons said De Smet - who is also a vet - was guilty of
using unjustifiable force against his horse. The Austrian vet had been
competing in a relay race with his wife for the Banwen Miners Hunt. On
6/3/07 De Smet was cleared of a charge of professional misconduct by a
disciplinary committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
On 1/3/07 two Nelson men become the first in the county to be
prosecuted under the Hunting Act 2005. They were arrested after being
found near a badger sett with three dogs, one of which had a
blood-stained muzzle. But Blackburn magistrates heard that the men had
been hunting rabbits, a fact accepted by the prosecution after items
of clothing and equipment had been sent for forensics examination.
John Ryan Greenwood (29) of Hammond Street, and Daniel Frank Anness
Graves (21) of Waidshouse Road, pleaded guilty to hunting rabbits with
dogs. Graves was fined £50 and Greenwood £100 and both were ordered to
pay £95 costs.
Ian Graves (45) of Waidshouse Road, Nelson allegedly stole back his
pet dog from an RSPCA compound after it was seized by police. Graves
had his dog impounded after it was taken as part of an investigation
into badger baiting involving his son. On 17/3/07 he was taken to
court over the theft, but denied the charge and had the case against
him dropped after the baiting allegations were not proceeded with. The
lurcher dog was taken after Graves's son Daniel was arrested in
connection with the badger baiting investigation. Daniel Graves and
John Greenwood, of Hammond Street, became the first people in
Lancashire to be prosecuted under the 2005 Hunting Act and pleaded
guilty to hunting rabbits, but were cleared of badger baiting.
At Aberdeen Sheriff Court on 23/3/07 Alexander Cowe (34) of Rosario,
Lumsden, Huntly was accused of killing a protected bird - a peregrine
falcon - on an estate in Aberdeenshire. Cowe is said to have poisoned
the bird at Clova Estate (grouse shooting estate), at Lumsden, near
Huntly . Cowe is also accused of having a bottle of poison at his home
address and at Tomatin Estate. Cowe is further accused of having a
pesticide in his possession at his home address and elsewhere. This
pesticide contained carbofuran, which can be used to poison birds of
prey, it is alleged. The case was continued without plea until
12/4/07.
On 26/3/07 Paul McMullen (36) of Musker Drive, Bootle, Merseyside was
convicted of using his dogs to kill a fox. McMullen was arrested after
a woman reported a group of men with dogs digging into a badger set in
Cheshire. He had denied hunting a wild mammal with a dog but was found
guilty by magistrates in Chester. McMullen was fined £750 and ordered
to pay £5,000 in costs. Two other men and a youth were sentenced for
last year. Paul Kelly (21) of Outer Forum, Norris Green, Liverpool,
pleaded guilty on 6/11/06 to hunting a wild animal with a dog and was
ordered to pay £500 in fines and £2,896.09 costs. Mark Kenneth Walsh
(18) of St Augustine's, Netherton, Liverpool, admitted a charge of
hunting a wild animal with a dog on 16/10/06. He was fined £500,
ordered to pay costs of £2,896.07 and forfeit a number of spades and
locator collars, and his dog, a tan and white terrier, was
confiscated. The youth pleaded guilty at Sefton Juvenile Court on
16/10/06 to the same charge and was sentenced on 3/11/06 to an
18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £500.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eggs/Birds
‘To much dismay, a lenient sentence has been passed on a man Mark
James (47) of Eifl Road, Trefor, on the Lleyn Peninsula, North Wales,
was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £56 costs after
he was caught trapping garden birds to feed to his snake. James
claimed that steel rat traps scattered around the garden were in place
to deal with a serious rat problem, but admitted that he had
accidentally caught a bird. During an interview, James admitted
catching and freezing tits and feeding them to his snake, but
maintained that they were ‘bycatch’ in his bid to rid the area of rats
because, he claimed, the local authority had failed to do so. At
Caernarfon magistrates on 10/1/06 James pleaded guilty to charges of
killing and possessing wild birds.
The owner of a bird shop in Enfield was fined £2,500 and ordered to
pay £6,000 costs after admitting illegally possessing nine goldfinches
and having illegal wild bird traps set up in his garden. The RSPCA
visited the Crews Hill Bird Centre, Theobalds Park Road, Crews Hill,
Enfield, and found five goldfinches. The home of the owner, Kamran
Motahammadani, at Plough Hill, Cuffley, Potters Bar, was then searched
and four more caged goldfinches were found, plus two traps set to
catch wild birds in his garden. Motahammadani claimed the birds had
been given to him and said the traps were being used to catch an
escaped canary, but he was convicted at Enfield magistrates on
10/1/06. The goldfinches were released back into the wild.
The proprietor of an auction house has been fined £6,000 after
offering protected wild birds’ eggs for sale. Colin Peeke-Vout, who
runs Willingham Auctions, Willingham, Cambridgeshire, was handed the
fine by Cambridge Magistrates on 13/4/06 after pleading guilty to
three charges of possession of, advertising and offering for sale 69
eggs.
A Burnley taxidermy dealer was fined £2,000 for buying and offering
for sale a variety of stuffed birds and other animals. Alec Cunningham
of Plumbe Street, Burnley pleaded guilty to five charges at Burnley
magistrates on 26/4/06. Cunningham also pleaded guilty to possession
of birds eggs and was fined a further £200. All the seized items were
forfeited.
A falconer was fined £500 and ordered to pay £500 costs after the RSPB
filmed him disturbing nesting peregrines in Nottinghamshire. On 7/7/06
at Mansfield magistrates Martin Groves of Leas Road, Mansfield
Woodhouse, was found guilty on two charges of disturbance and one of
being equipped to commit a disturbance offence. The Home Office
recalled Groves to prison as he was out on licence for another matter.
Three other men were cleared of all charges. They were Stephen Lewis
of Salmon Lane, Annersley Woodhouse, Lee Butler of Hazel Crescent,
Shirebrook and John Cooper of Langham Place, Mansfield.
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Equine
Trainer Richard Guest of Brancepeth Manor Farm in County Durham was
fined £2,750 by racing regulators following a criminal conviction of
causing unnecessary suffering to a horse. Guest (41) and stable
employees Richard Dalton and Louise Tidman, appeared at Durham
magistrates on 15/2/07 follwoing the death of a horse. The trio were
each given two-year conditional discharges. The horse was put down
after developing a severe infection in her near-hind leg. Guest's fine
took into account four different factors, including the guilty plea to
the criminal offence, the court costs of £14,731, the unusual nature
of the injury to the mare and the favourable results of an inspection
at Guest's yard. Dalton and Tidman were both fined £250, a figure
which reflects their personal circumstances. Guest pleaded guilty to
failing to exercise reasonable care and supervision.
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Assorted
On 21/12/06 a circus boss and his employee were given suspended
sentences and a fine of €25,000 for causing a collision in which a
mother and daughter were killed in Galway. Stephen Courtney (35) from
Earl Street, Longford town, and Francisco Daria (24), a Venezuelan
national with addresses in Cherry Wood Park, Dublin, pleaded guilty at
Galway Circuit Criminal Court to several charges relating to the
collision. The mother and daughter were killed when a runaway circus
trailer collided with their car. The judge sentenced Courtney to two
years in prison and fined him €25,000 for intentionally or recklessly
engaging in conduct that allowed a trailer to be attached to a lorry
unit and another trailer in a defective manner. The sentence was
suspended for two years. Daria - who had driven the circus lorry that
pulled the trailer - was found guilty on two counts of dangerous
driving and was sentenced to three years in prison on both charges, to
run concurrently. The judge suspended both sentences for two years and
disqualified the accused from driving for seven years.
A building firm was fined £7,000 after admitting destroying the
breeding site of a protected species. Gerald Patrick McHugh of King
Street, Seagrave, company secretary of McHugh Construction, pleaded
guilty on behalf of the firm to destroying a structure or place used
by great crested newts and a charge of damaging or destroying a
breeding site of the same creatures. At Melton magistrates on 24/1/07
they fined the firm £3,500 for each charge, plus £70 costs. McHugh was
also charged with the same offences, which he admitted. He was fined
£700 for each. It is an offence to kill, capture or disturb newts, or
to damage the places they use for breeding or resting.
A vet working at Alder Veterinary Hospital, Liverpool who became so
addicted to the drugs he was using on animals was struck off on 2/2/07
after a misconduct hearing was told that he tried to staple a
greyhound's leg rather than its tail. Michael Mario McCarthy (31)
escaped with a police caution and he was struck off the Register of
Veterinary Surgeons for 10 months after admitting disgraceful
misconduct. He also admitted three charges of stealing controlled
drugs when he worked at the hospital and during other periods of
employment.
On 5/2/07 a leading greyhound trainer has pleaded guilty to seven
charges of possessing unauthorised animal "remedies", some of which
could be used to enhance the performance of dogs. Paul Hennessy from
Rathvawn, Garryduff, Gowran, Co Kilkenny was fined €4,200 and ordered
to pay €800 in expenses at Kilkenny District Court today for the
possession of illegal substances. The prosecution was brought by the
Special Investigations Unit of the Department of Agriculture and Food
following a visit by veterinary inspectors to Hennessy's premises.
A three-year ban on operating a pet shop has been imposed on a Barry
woman by Vale of Glamorgan magistrates on 14/2/07. Margaret Pring of
Charter Avenue, Barry who admitted two offences of failing to provide
suitable accommodation for pets at her shop, 'Kate's Pets', at Main
Street, Cadoxton, was conditionally discharged for a year. Pring was
also ordered to pay a contribution to Vale Council costs of £300.
A Norfolk meat company was fined £7,500 on 21/2/07 at King's Lynn
magistrates and ordered to pay £5,888 in total costs after admitting
causing river pollution. It is the 10th time that Bowes of Brandon
Road, Watton, Norfolk has been convicted of environmental offences,
all of them breaching the same section of the water.
Three men have been fined thousands of pounds after a court heard how
they sold poultry unfit for human consumption from a filthy farm.
Owner Brian Clay (72) his brother Frank (66) and Vali Moosa Yusuf (30)
of Oldham, admitted breaching regulations over the animals' welfare,
slaughter and transportation at Halifax magistrates on 3/3/07. The
court heard how the chickens had their throats slit with a knife
without being stunned and bags of blood and feathers were left lying
around Sunnybank Farm, Royd Lane, Ripponden. Brian Clay was ordered to
pay £4,800 in fines and costs. Frank Clay faces £2,100 in fines and
costs and Yusuf £2,500. At Halifax magistrates on 11/9/00 Yusuf
pleaded guilty to offences under the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or
Killing) Regulations 1995 and the Specified Risk Material Regulations
1997. Yusuf was fined a total of £250 and ordered to pay £100 costs.
On 15/3/07 two shopworkers were arrested as police seized 16 stuffed
animals under new powers aimed at protecting endangered wild species.
Kevin Cosgrove (67) the former owner of the Sellitall antiques shop in
Blackburn Road, Accrington, and manager Paul Barrett, were later
released on bail as part of the investigation. But Cosgrove said the
raid, a week after his shop was criticised by war veterans for selling
a Hitler Youth uniform, was the final straw and it would now close.
Officers recovered a range of birds and animals, including three tawny
owls, a European eagle owl, a sparrowhawk, two buzzards, two peregrine
falcon, a Eurasian owl, a red squirrel, a Scottish wildcat, a mounted
otter's head and a mounted badger's head.
On 23/3/07 Marlon Brown (23) was found guilty of stealing a rare
squirrel monkey from his cage at Chessington World of Adventures.
Brown was among a group who stole the endangered Bolivian monkey from
the theme park in south-west London in July 2006. He denied the theft
but traces of his blood were found in SpongeBob the monkey's
enclosure, a court heard. On 29/3/07 at Kingston Crown Court he was
jailed for 12 months.
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Farm Animals (Guardians Of The Land - My Arse!!!)
Farmer Angus Campbell may face a ban on keeping livestock after
admitting causing unnecessary suffering to animals when he appeared at
Chippenham magistrates on 25/1/07. Campbell (49) of Home Farm, Spye
Park, near Calne also pleaded guilty to failing to dispose of dead
livestock. On 21/2/07 Campbell was banned from sheep farming for ten
years. In addition, the farmer also faced charges after breaching a
two-year suspended sentence imposed on him in 2003 for similar
offences. He will also have to complete 60 hours' of community service
and pay £2,000 towards the £6,000 court costs. The court granted the
farmer three months to sell off the flock when he pointed out that the
ban comes in the middle of lambing season.
A Kent farmer was banned from keeping animals for five years for
causing unnecessary suffering to cattle and poultry at his farm in
Halstead. Craig Sargent (46) of Clarks Lane, Halstead was also fined
£12,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs. RSPCA inspectors found a
bull at Oaks Farm with hoofs so overgrown they were like Turkish
slippers. Other cows were living in up to 3ft (1m) of slurry. At
Sevenoaks magistrates on 31/1/07 they banned him from keeping sheep,
cattle, birds and pigs. The court also heard Sargent also had a
chicken shed containing birds so badly feather-pecked their backs were
bleeding. Sargent was found guilty of three counts of causing
unnecessary suffering to the bull, cattle and poultry. He was also
found guilty of failing to ensure cattle had dry bedding and failing
to provide fresh drinking water to cattle, pigs and sheep.
Farmer Michael Salvidge (51) of Poplar Farm, Easton escaped a
custodial sentence after admitting causing animals to suffer. Salvidge
admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a cow and pig, as well as
failing to comply with animal by-product regulations.At Wells
magistrates on 16/2/07 Salvidge was given a two-month prison sentence,
suspended for a year, with a residency requirement at Poplar Farm, and
was ordered to pay £200 towards prosecution costs.
Hampshire farmer John Kilford (62) of Oak Tree Farm, Cadnam was given
28 days to find new homes for his cattle after he admitted seven
offences of causing unnecessary suffering to animals. At New Forest
magistrates on 28/2/07 they banned him from keeping cattle for life
and told him he was told to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and pay
£1,544 costs.
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Domestic
Colette Alcock (35) of Alisa Avenue, Marto, Blackpool kept more than
60 animals at her home has admitted shocking cruelty to a pet rabbit.
Alcock was found with a rabbit whose teeth were so long they had grown
into its cheeks, causing an abcess and the most severe eye infection a
vet had ever seen. Alcock – who had 40 rabbits, five dogs, three cats,
several kittens, two parrots, fish, two budgies, a hamster and three
ferrets in her home and rear garden – was banned from keeping rabbits
for 10 years. On 5/1/07 at Blackpool magistrates Alcock was also given
a two year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £350 costs. She
pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
On 5/1/07 Shenol Hussein (20) of Cotton Hill, Bromley, was sentenced
at Greenwich magistrates after being found guilty of two counts of
animal cruelty. The court heard Hussein was seen attacking his
father's pit bull terrier Bailey as he walked along the road. Several
witnesses saw Hussein kick the dog repeatedly and drag it along the
pavement by its lead. Hussein was arrested and was later sentenced to
one month in prison, suspended for six months, and was ordered to
carry out 36 hours of community service and pay £500 costs.
A 15-year-old has been banned from owning animals for five years after
being sentenced for animal cruelty and burglary. Along with accomplice
Daniel Davenport (21) of Nashe House, Nashe Way, Fareham they stole
two guinea pigs and a rabbit after breaking into a shed. The pair
admitted they had been drinking when they broke into the back garden.
At Fareham Youth Court on 10/1/07 the youth was given a 24-hour
attendance centre order and his mother, who accompanied the boy at his
sentencing, was ordered to pay £90 compensation. Davenport of Nashe
House, Nashe Way, Fareham, is to be sentenced on the same offences
soon. Both had pleaded guilty to the charges at the first opportunity.
Two brothers who allowed their dog's weight to rise by almost four
stone in two years have been convicted of causing unnecessary
suffering. Derek Benton (62), and his brother David (53) both from
Fordham, Cambs were found guilty on 12/1/07 of providing their pet
Labrador with an inappropriate diet. They were given a three-year
conditional discharge by magistrates in Ely.
Jordan Johnstone (22) of Gloucester Avenue, Accrington let his dog
starve until it was less than half its normal weight has been banned
from keeping animals for five years. Johnstone pleaded guilty to
animal cruelty and was fined £100 with £700 costs at Hyndburn
magistrates on 16/1/07.
A couple were banned from keeping animals for life for causing
unnecessary suffering to 36 animals at their three-bedroom council
house. Glyndwr and Margaret Jones, from Gorseinon, Swansea were given
56-day suspended jail sentences and fined £2,000 each by a district
judge on 16/1/07. Their son Michael (19) was banned from keeping
animals for two years and ordered to do 150 hours community work. The
RSPCA prosecution said 100 animals were found in "appalling
conditions". The Joneses were found guilty of three charges of causing
unncessary suffering to 14 dogs and 22 cats. The parents had also been
found guilty of breaching an order preventing them owning more than
five pets each. Glyndwr and Margaret Jones both have a previous
conviction from November 2003 for the exact same thing.
A woman has been accused of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal
and helping someone pretend to be a vet. Lucie Gravell (27) of
Gillfoot Road, Egremont, was due to appear before Whitehaven
magistrates on 18/1/07. Gravell is accused of causing unnecessary
suffering to an animal at her home by unreasonably failing to provide
veterinary care for infected tail stumps. She is also accused of
aiding and abetting persons unknown to say ‘that he did practice
veterinary surgery whilst unregistered in that he did dock tails of
certain animals, namely four rottweiler-type pups’.
Gregor Phillip Marnoch (32), of Parkview, Station Road, Birnam will go
on trial at Perth Sheriff Court on 27/3/07 charged with biting a
German Shepherd dog and causing the animal unnecessary suffering.
Marnoch is alleged to have seized hold of the dog at a house at
Broompark Crescent, Murthly and then bitten it, contrary to the 2006
Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act. A second charge alleges at
the same address, on the same day, he committed a breach of the peace
by shouting and swearing, and refusing to leave when requested by the
occupier and the police, to the fear, alarm and annoyance of the
public. He was freed on bail following a court appearance on 26/1/07.
Tania Barlow (28) of Foster Park, Stourbridge abandoned three pets,
two dogs and a cat, in squalour without food and water for nearly a
month until RSPCA inspectors broke in, a court heard. A Labrador dog
was found dead from starvation and two other animals, a short-haired
kitten and a Jack Russell-type dog, were both found to be suffering
from severe dehydration and malnutrition. At Dudley magistrates on
26/1/07 Barlow was sentenced to three months in jail, suspended for 18
months. She was banned from keeping animals for life. Barlow pleaded
guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals at an
earlier hearing. She was also given 200 hours community service and
told to pay £750 costs.
On 1/2/07 Tracy Green (30) from Salford was banned from owning an
animal for 20 years after she left the family dog to die crippled and
lying in its own filth. Green was charged with two counts of neglect
towards her German Shepherd after the nine-year-old animal was found
dead in a pool of its own urine and faeces. The dog was crippled in
agony, unable to move from the kitchen of Green’s Flagship Avenue home
for a week or more. Green was found guilty of failing to take the dog
to a vet or provide an adequate diet. She was also handed down two
12-month community orders to run concurrently and ordered to pay £200
costs deducted from her state benefits.
A dog was left starving in the yard of a house for up to two weeks, a
court was told. David William Marsh (34) of Mere Avenue, Leigh, was
charged with causing unnecessary suffering to the dog. He failed to
attend Wigan magistrates on 2/2/07 to answer the charges and the case
was proved in his absence. After hearing the evidence the magistrates
found the case proved and issued a warrant for the arrest of Marsh.
Diane Hannon (42) from Old Colwyn, Conwy killed her boyfriend's cat by
putting it in a washing machine received a four-month suspended jail
sentence. Hannon admitted causing unnecessary suffering and cruelly
ill-treating six-year-old Paws, who was deaf. Paws suffered a heart
attack, severe burns and loss of fur. Llandudno magistrates on 5/2/07
they also gave Hannon a lifetime ban from keeping any pet and ordered
her to pay £300 costs.
Joanne McHugh (31) of Sidney Street, Boldon Colliery was given a
suspended sentence for animal cruelty on 7/2/07 by magistrates.
However, she was banned for life from owning another animal. The court
heard McHugh left nine cats locked up without food or water for up to
four months after she left her flat to move to the next street. The
cats had to drink water from a filthy toilet bowl, and desperately
scratched at walls to escape. Five starved to death. McHugh was given
a six-month sentence suspended for two years. She was also banned from
owning animals for life and ordered to pay £1,000 to the RSPCA.
Mason Fleming (18) of Moray Drive, Slough appeared at Bracknell
magistrates on 15/2/07 charged with animal cruelty after a dog was
thrown 130ft to its death from a block of flats. He was released on
bail and is due to return to Bracknell magistrates 18/4/07.
On 16/2/07 at Birmingham magistrates Wasim Iqbal from Birmingham was
been found guilty of abandoning six fledgling pigeons in a box by the
side of a road. Iqbal was sentenced to a three-year ban on keeping
pigeons, fined £100 and ordered to pay full RSPCA costs of £741.
A pet shop owner who stored dead puppies and kittens in a freezer has
failed in her attempts to get out of paying £200,000 in fines and
court costs. Doreen Pemberton (69) who ran The Family Pet Shop, in
North Street, Romford, appealed to Snaresbrook Crown Court on 16/2/07
claiming she could not pay a £40,000 fine and £159,000 in costs.
Pemberton from Hackney, was convicted on eight counts of causing
unnecessary suffering to animals and 23 counts of unnecessarily
exposing a dog to risk of illness or infection at Havering magistrates
in December 2005. She was also given a four-month suspended prison
sentence.
A sanctuary boss could be banned from keeping animals after admitting
cruelty at the haven he has run for more than 20 years. Clifford
Spedding (46) pleaded guilty to nine charges of animal cruelty against
a variety of animals found at the Hope Animal Sanctuary, in Loftus,
near Saltburn, east Cleveland. The charges relate to 93 offences of
cruelty and two of keeping wild birds. Of the 93 offences, Spedding
failed to provide veterinary treatment for 41 animals, while 52
animals suffered because of the conditions in which they were kept.
The court was told he kept sick animals - that could not be re-homed -
in terrible conditions and did nothing to alleviate their suffering.
At Teesside magistrates on 22/2/07 he pleaded guilty to four of the
offences, he denied 13 of the charges and the case went to trial. But
Spedding then pleaded guilty to a further five charges. The other
eight charges against him were dismissed. On 16/3/07 Spedding was
given a four-month suspended prison sentence after admitting cruelty.
He was also banned from keeping animals and birds for 15 years and
given a 12-month supervision order and ordered to pay £200 costs.
On 28/2/07 Blackburn magistrates heard that John Robert Muir Layland
(71) of Settle Road, Newsholmewas banned from looking after animals
for life after a high profile RSPCA prosecution in 1997. He was jailed
for neglect of thoroughbred horses which became known as the Gisburn
16. And when a police officer saw him walking four dogs along the lane
leading to Gisburne Park Hospital, Layland had put himself at risk of
going to prison for breaching the lifetime ban. Layland pleaded guilty
to breach of the disqualification order. He was made subject to a
three-month curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and ordered to pay £60 costs.
A Cornish property developer was been sent to prison for 13 weeks and
also indefinitely disqualified from owning any animal after kicking
his pet Persian cat to death and dumping her body in a river. Truro
magistrates heard on 28/2/07 how Andrei Cox (34) from Trispen, Truro,
became increasingly violent towards his cat as she was often muddy and
soiled his new carpets. He admitted causing her unnecessary suffering
at an earlier hearing. Cox eventually kicked her so hard that
paralysis spread through her body, restricting her breathing and she
died. He then dumped the body into a river where a member of the
public found it and reported the death to the RSPCA. It is understood
that Cox will appeal against his sentence.
A woman who kept 95 rabbits living in their own filth in her garage
was condemned by the RSPCA after receiving a lifetime ban from keeping
animals. Karen Brook (49) of Leyton Drive, Idle, Bradford, was given
the ban at Bradford magistrates on 2/3/07 after the rabbits were found
suffering from illness and injury, sadly all of them had to be put
down. Brook, who pleaded guilty to five charges of causing unnecessary
suffering, said she bought two rabbits four years previously but they
multiplied and inter-bred.
David William Marsh (34) from Mere Road, Leigh was found guilty in his
absence of causing unnecessary suffering to his border collie after he
left it starving in the yard of a house for up to two weeks. Marsh
appeared at Wigan magistrates on 2/3/07 after being arrested on
warrant. Magistrates imposed a 12-month conditional discharge and
banned Marsh from keeping any animals for 10 years. He was also
ordered to pay £900 costs.
Kevin Gallagher (43) of Charlotte Place, Avenham has been banned from
keeping dogs after his "nearly emaciated" pet was found by the RSPCA.
Gallagher admitted causing unnecessary suffering to his German
shepherd by not providing it with a nutritional diet and failing to
take it to the vets. At Preston magistrates on 13/3/07 Gallagher's
co-defendant Lucien Shillingford also admitted the same two offences
but didn't attend court. Both were fined £150 for each offence and
Gallagher was banned from keeping dogs for six months. The defendant
was allowed to keep his cat Marmalade and his fish.
On 15/3/07 a Scottish Kennel Club judge lost her breeder's licence
after she kept dogs on her puppy farm in appalling conditions. Dianne
Heathcote kept fox terriers in cramped travel cages - allegedly for up
to 14 hours a day with no light. Up to a third of them had matted fur
and some had sores on their backs, necks and legs, according to
Advocates for Animals Scotland. One dog was found dumped in a cage in
a bin shed. Heathcote is vice-president of the Fox Terrier Club and
judged the National Terrier Club Champion Show in April, 2005.
Heathcote is also listed as a Scottish Kennel Club judge and has won
numerous trophies and rosettes for her dogs. The horrific conditions
at Corrie Kennels in Lockerbie were exposed by an undercover
investigator from Advocates for Animals. Dumfries and Galloway Council
refused to renew Heathcote's breeder's licence. The SSPCA were so
shocked they obtained a legal order giving Heathcote two weeks to
improve conditions at Corrie. The investigation did not involve the
Corrie boarding kennels and cattery and Heathcote continues to be
licensed to board animals there.
Rosalind Gregson (57) from Lindeth Road, Silverdale who is banned from
keeping animals for life pleaded not guilty to breaching the
prohibition when she appeared in court on 15/3/07. Gregson was also
jointly charged with her husband, Alan (62) of 14 counts of causing
unnecessary suffering to a number of dogs including shi tzus,
Staffordshire bull terriers and Lhasa Apsos. Alan Gregson is also
charged with aiding, abetting or counselling his wife to commit an
offence. Both defendants entered not guilty pleas to all the
allegations. The case was adjourned until 10/5/07 to set a trial date.
More than 30 animals were removed from the property.
The animal torturer behind one of the worst puppy farms ever
discovered in Northern Ireland, Graham Beck (22) from Katesbridge, Co
Down. pleaded guilty to a series of animal cruelty charges on 15/3/07.
Beck also admitted to having an unlicensed breeding operation, causing
unnecessary suffering and receiving stolen property. His younger
brother, Clarke Beck and father, Robert, were also convicted of
similar offences at Armagh Magistrates Court. The trio, who are
well-known to the USPCA, were responsible for feeding calves and lambs
to starving Boxers, Rottweilers and Westies, allowing various dog
breeds to live in concrete pits and sub-zero conditions and leaving
lamb and calf carcasses to rot. The defendants also failed to provide
bedding for the dogs and permitted six Westie pups to live in tiny
make-shift dens, made from wooden doors. USPCA officials also
discovered a treadmill used for training and strengthening fighting
dogs. Other dead animals were also found on rubbish-tips, which had
been set on fire.
A member of the Lurcher Search Organisation, which rescues lost dogs,
pleaded guilty at Banbury magistrates on 19/3/07 to causing
unnecessary suffering to an animal. Richard Penrice (52) of Deacon
Way, Banbury, admitted the charge at an earlier hearing, when a charge
of cruelty to the dog was dropped. Penrice was ordered to pay £1,500
costs and was given a conditional discharge, but through his solicitor
he successfully argued that he should not be banned from keeping
animals.
John Brennan (19) of Beattie Street, South Shields, was warned he
faces jail after being convicted of animal cruelty at an earlier
hearing. Brennan was back before South Tyneside magistrates on 22/3/07
to stand trial for breaching a community order imposed in January last
year. But as the trial was due to begin he pleaded guilty, and
admitted a further charge for turning up late at court. Brennan had
been given a 15-month community order and a supervision order, and was
ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work. The case was adjourned for
three weeks, when Brennan will be sentenced for both the animal
cruelty offence and breaching his order. He was released on
conditional bail. The court had heard how Brennan put a ferret in an
eight-week-old guinea pig's cage and laughed as the tiny animal was
ripped to pieces. Its injuries were so severe that its skull was
missing, its right leg was ripped off, back and ribs broken and it had
several puncture wounds.
Alan
THE Countryside Alliance marches through London in defence of "liberty
and livelihood" but some supporters have already taken more than a few
liberties.
http://nwhsa.redblackandgreen.net/takingaliberty!!!.html
Among those marching the streets are farmers, hunters and other rural
workers convicted of animal cruelty, breach of health and safety
rules, pollution and fraud.
PETER KANABUS, West Grinstead, West Sussex
HE SAYS: "Life for farmers is much worse, there is all the red tape
and low prices and a belief that the government just don't care. The
countryside is going to become a much less nice place to be in. We
suffer more than people in urban areas because we live here."
WE SAY: Kanabus, 52, admitted 43 charges of cruelty to cattle in 1998.
His wife, Annabel, 54 - sister of supermarket tycoon and science
minister Lord Sainsbury - admitted 22 charges. Their son Jason, 26,
admitted 43 charges. In a raid on their farm, RSPCA inspectors found
starving cows crammed in a shed which was a foot deep in manure and
littered with carcasses. Horsham magistrates ordered the family to pay
fines, costs and compensation totalling £44,000. An RSPCA inspector
said: "Clearly the Kanabus family had failed to feed their cattle.
They had the financial resources to do so but simply didn't."
FRED HARBER, Smallfield, Surrey
HE SAYS: "The government isn't doing enough," said Fred's wife
Barbara. "They should give more grants but don't. Poor farmers work
all hours God sends and don't get appreciated, just slapped in the
face. I can't go on the march but Fred will if he can."
WE SAY: Fred Harber was jailed for eight months in January this year
for cruelty to four horses. Harber, 56, denied the offences at Reigate
magistrates but admitted the condition of the animals was
"disgusting". He was banned from keeping horses for 10 years. An RSCPA
inspector said: "I was appalled that animals could have been kept in
such dreadful conditions."
RICHARD PORTER, South Warnborough, Hook, Hants
HE SAYS: "Life has got worse under this government. I'm going on the
march. I don't hunt but I allow people to hunt on my land. I think
people should be allowed to do what they want as long as it's not
cruel. I don't interfere with what people do in the towns, so why
should they interfere with what I do?"
WE SAY: Porter, 60, was fined £15,000 at Winchester Crown Court in
November 2000 for fiddling milk production records amounting to
£700,000.
PETER RAYMOND JONES, Brixworth, Northants
HE SAYS: "Like everyone round here I'll be going. I don't think the
government wants agriculture, it just wants a theme park."
WE SAY: Jones, huntsman in charge of the hounds for the Pytchley Hunt,
is cited in the BSE report of November 2000 because he broke laws
designed to stop the spread of disease. He was prosecuted at Daventry
magistrates for failing to safely store "risk material" and for
failing to quickly dispose of dead sheep. He was fined £2,000.
BERNARD FOX, Akeley, Bucks
HE SAYS: "The government isn't doing enough, I'd like to see it making
up the subsidies due to us. Our European brethren get the benefit but
we don't. Many small farms have gone and we will lose more. Some would
argue it's overdue and that other industries do not get the same
support but it will change the face of the country. I'll be on the
march."
WE SAY: In June this year Fox was fined £4,000 for polluting a
tributary of the River Ouse at Akeley with farm effluent. Fish along a
two-mile stretch of water were killed.
Sir HENRY AUBREY-FLETCHER, Vice Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire
HE SAYS: "Many sons of farmers have decided they do not want to come
into an industry to work for considerably less than the minimum wage.
I don't hunt but that doesn't mean I'm against it, I believe in
freedom of the individual. Country ways are not fully understood by
urban people. I shall be there on Sunday."
WE SAY: Landowner Sir Henry, 56, caused fury with proposals to build
2,000 homes on green fields by the West Sussex village of Southwater.
One resident expressed amazement that a countryside supporter could be
behind the plans, saying: "His position appears ambiguous, some may
even suggest hypocritical."
BEN PAYNE, Fakenham, Norfolk
HE SAYS: "Life for rural communities has got worse. The government
does not support British farmers. That will do away with people like
us in the agricultural feed industry. I expect to be on the march."
WE SAY: A worker at Payne Bros (East Anglia) Ltd had an arm severed
above the elbow in May 1999 while cleaning a conveyor belt. The firm
had no written safety procedure, there was no guard over the trough
and the employee had to stand on a girder just three inches wide. The
family firm admitted the offences and was fined £13,000 by King's Lynn
magistrates.
OWEN G OWEN, St Asaph, Anglesey
HE SAYS: "We have the world's dearest petrol, sheep medications that
cost four times what they cost in Australia, labour laws that are
prohibitive, yet we are expected to produce food at world market
prices. The government has a hidden agenda to put all British farmers
out of business. I'll be there on Sunday."
WE SAY: Last month abattoir operator Owen. 51, was fined £2,000 for
pollution. Environment Agency officers found a stream near the
abattoir was reddish brown and stank of slurry.
DIANE COLE, Orsett, Essex
SHE SAYS: "Rural life is getting worse. There's increasing crime,
increased rubbish dumping, encroachment by gypsies. The Government
isn't doing enough. Twelve of us from the farm are going on the
march."
WE SAY: Cole was fined £5,000 by the Health and Safety Executive for
keeping an illegal pesticide.
MARK GREEN, St Owen's Cross, Hereford
HE SAYS: "The government doesn't want to know country people," said Mr
Green's wife, Joan. "Country life is getting harder. It's a
combination of red tape, imports, strength of the pound. I wouldn't
support a ban on hunting. The hunts only seem to catch foxes that need
culling, the old ones. We're going on the march."
WE SAY: Mark Green was fined £1,600 by the Health and Safety Executive
after an employee was trapped in a potato harvester. The worker
injured an arm, a leg and his genitals in the accident in 1999.
VERA READMAN, Whitby, North Yorks
SHE SAYS: "It doesn't seem as though the government wants farmers. A
lot of it could be to do with the EU and the rulings we seem to have
to stick by and other countries don't. My son will be on the march."
WE SAY: Mrs Readman admitted five offences of failing to dispose
correctly of sheep carcasses at Whitby magistrates in October 2000.
She was fined £500.
FINALLY, three farmers who support the Countryside Alliance but will
not be able to make it...
BOBBY WAUGH, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland
HE SAYS: "Town people are trying to tell country people what to do.
None of them have a clue about farming. People just want cheap meat
and produce, they aren't bothered where it comes from. I can't go on
the march because I've got angina but I sympathise with it."
WE SAY: The other reason that the farmer accused of starting last
year's foot-and-mouth outbreak will not be marching is that he was
electronically tagged in June for three months. He was also banned
from keeping animals for 15 years, convicted of failing to alert
officials to the disease, causing unnecessary suffering and feeding
unprocessed waste to his pigs.
JOSEPH BOWDEN, Totnes, Devon
HE SAYS: "He supports the Countryside Alliance but won't be able to go
because he's working," says a friend.
WE SAY: Bowden claimed £156,000 in subsidies for fields that didn't
exist. Some map references he gave was for "land" in the Atlantic
between Greenland and Iceland. Bowden, 48, was jailed for 30 months at
Exeter Crown Court in 2000 for deception and false accounting.
DAVID HOLMES, Silsden, West Yorks
HE SAYS: "I worked under a Labour government in the 70s, Conservatives
in the 80s and 90s but this fella Blair thinks he's president. I wish
I could go but it's too far away."
WE SAY: Holmes was convicted in 1996 and 1998 of causing suffering to
sheep and fined. In 1999 he was jailed for six months and given a life
ban on keeping animals after being found guilty of cruelty to cattle.
In 2000 he got another life ban after being found guilty of causing
suffering to a dog and last October was jailed for five months after
breaking the ban.
Alan
http://tinyurl.com/2qtbwo
A grandmother was verbally abused and forced to jump clear of the
wheels of a 4x4 vehicle driven by a man following an Oxfordshire hunt.
Judy Gilbert, 60, a member of the League Against Cruel Sports, was
monitoring the activities of the Vale of White Horse Hunt, at Filkins,
in west Oxfordshire, in December, when a man following the hunt
reversed his four-wheel drive vehicle towards her and shouted abuse.
Mrs Gilbert said she escaped serious injury only by leaping on to a
roadside verge. She was on the phone to the police at the time,
reporting the same driver for damaging her car just an hour earlier.
About £500 worth of damage was caused to Mrs Gilbert's car after the
man allegedly opened her door and slammed it into his own vehicle. It
is also claimed he subjected Mrs Gilbert to a torrent of verbal abuse.
Last week, the man - who has not been named - was arrested and
cautioned by police after admitting causing criminal damage.
Video footage given to police shows a man reaching through his car
window and opening Mrs Gilbert's car door, while yelling a string of
expletives.
Mrs Gilbert, who lives near Stokenchurch, monitors hunts to collect
evidence of illegal hunting. She said the day's events had left her
shocked.
'My friend thought I was going to be killed'
She said: "I was very shaken and my car sustained hundreds of
pounds-worth of damage. It's outrageous. I saw him out of the corner
of my eye and leaped out of the way on to a grass verge. If I hadn't
spotted him I could have been killed, or injured at the very least."
Thames Valley Police spokesman Victoria Bartlett confirmed that a 68
year-man had been cautioned for criminal damage in connection with the
incident.
She said: "He admitted the offence, apologised for his actions, and
was issued with an adult caution which will stay on his record for
five years."
Mark Hill, a retired master of the hunt, said he had not been aware of
the incident but said: "We would absolutely not at all condone this
kind of behaviour."
He added: "We have only had monitors out once this season and we
thought they were very aggressive.
"If somebody backfired on them I would not condone it, and it
certainly wasn't one of our members, but they probably had it coming
to them."
Alan
By Jenni Silver
http://tinyurl.com/39a56r
A HUNT supporter subjected a grandmother to a torrent of verbal abuse
and caused several hundred pounds worth of damage to her car in a bid
to stop her monitoring the Vale of the White Horse Hunt.
Judy Gilbert, 60, was left shaken by the ordeal as she watched the VWH
at Filkins Farm near Lechlade but determined to carry on doing her
job.
The incident happened on December 2 last year but came to light this
week when her attacker was cautioned by Thames Valley Police.
advertisement
Mrs Gilbert found her vehicle blocked onto a grass verge by hunt
supporters who then shouted a volley of abusive and lurid language at
her.
Video footage handed to Thames Valley police shows a 68-year-old man,
understood to come from the Cirencester area, forcibly pulling Mrs
Gilbert's car door open while swearing at her.
Later on Mrs Gilbert says the same man reversed his own vehicle
towards her forcing her to leap out of the way.
The man was this week handed two adult cautions after admitting
criminal damage to the sum of £540 and a public order offence.
He also apologised for his actions.
Mrs Gilbert, who monitors hunts for the League Against Cruel Sports,
said intimidation tactics used were not unusual but the League had
rarely monitored the VWH and said its members had not been breaking
the hunting law.
But she said she was disappointed the case had been dealt with so
leniently.
"It was very alarming and I think it's appalling that he tried to run
me over," she said.
"I understand the police decided to caution him because he had not
been in trouble with them before."
She added: "Some of these people seem to believe they are above the
law. It can be very intimidating to monitor hunts and their behaviour
does beg the question what have they got to hide?
"This is what the intimidation and harrassment is all about - stopping
us getting any evidence of whether they are breaking the law of not.
"We will not give up monitoring them until we are satisfied they are
genuinely hunting within the law and are no longer persecuting our
wildlife."
Major Simon Oliver, joint master of the VWH, said the hunt was not
aware of the incident, which did not involve any official members of
the hunt, and was firmly against violence and intimidation.
He said: "Emotions are still running high about hunting. We do not
condone violence towards hunt monitors and actively discourage our
members from having any contact with them.
"If people want to monitor us we do not have a problem with it, we
are, of course carrying out a perfectly legal activity."
The investigation was carried out by Thames Valley Police but officers
refused to reveal the identity of the man who carried out the
offences.
A spokesman said: "If she wants to make a complaint (about the
caution) we would urge her to come forward to us."
Click on the links below to view the video.
WARNING the video contains extremely offensive language.
12:09pm Thursday 22nd February 2007
Related Links
Click here to see hunting video
http://tinyurl.com/2uftmq
and
buddenbrooks
Only one, and you have to go back 11 years? don't have to go far back to
find hunt sabateurs commiting criminal violence
Alan
Jonathan Broise has a well-documented history of violence against
anti-hunt campaigners. The huntsman was also convicted for
head-butting a disabled magistrate during a fracas at a point to point
meeting in Sussex and has an official police caution after admitting
assaulting a hunt saboteur during a cub hunt. In 1994, he was caught
on camera by a Channel 4 News crew fighting with hunt saboteurs and
subsequently threatening the camera operator with war.
http://www.realca.co.uk/
The bully boys carry on......
"Law Abiding" Hunt Supporters Diary of Violence
From September 2004 until October 2005 we monitored press reports for
pro-hunt violence, here are just the ones that we spotted; there will
be more we missed and even more that never made it to the press:
18/10/05 Hunt master beat three protesters
Simon Upton, joint master of the Essex Hunt, who was filmed beating
hunt saboteurs around the head with his whip was ordered to pay £1,555
in fines and compensation after admitting three counts of assault.
26/05/05 House of Commons Invaders found Guilty
Eight bloodsports supporters were convicted of violating the Public
Order Act Section 5 after invading the House of Commons during a
debate on the Hunting Bill last year.
19/04/05 Hunt protester gets death threats
AN anti-hunt campaigner is living in fear after receiving death
threats. Mum-of-two Elaine Milbourn, was warned in one of seven
letters sent to her home: "Your death will come very soon." A dead fox
has been dumped in her garden, and abusive and threatening phone calls
received because of her views on fox-hunting.
14/04/05 Dead fox stunts 'rise' after ban
More dead foxes are being strung up in public since the hunting ban
came into force, according to anti-blood sports campaigners.
13/04/05 Police detained veterinary student Harriet Sluman
Miss Sluman, a student at the Bristol School of Veterinary Science,
and a junt supporter, was fined £80 after throwing a missile at a
Labour Party campaign bus. Another hunt supporter was also arrested.
2/04/05 Fox strung up 'in protest at hunting ban'
A FOX was found "crucified" beside a popular country walk. It was left
at a spot which is popular with ramblers, families and children to
make the point that foxes should be killed despite the ban.
28/03/05 Pal of Princes Cautioned
A FRIEND of William and Harry has been fined for hurling tomatoes at
Tony Blair in a pro-hunting stunt. Harry Meade, a member of the
Beaufort Hunt, spent six hours in police cells after Tuesday's attack
at a church - which only became public yesterday.
23/03/05 MP Pelted By Pro-Hunt Protesters
Wansdyke MP Dan Norris was pelted with eggs by 25 pro-hunt protesters.
17/03/05 'Hunt' assault suspects caught on camera
Video stills have been released of five men police want to question
over the incident at a East Kent Hunt meeting. An anti-hunt supporter,
also known as a hunt monitor, was taken to the William Harvey Hospital
with a broken rib and bruising following the incident.
14/03/05 Hunt is reported for 'intimidation'
FOX-hunters surrounded a van to intimidate a man who followed them to
see if they were breaking the law, it has been claimed.
12/03/05 Essex Hunt Master arrested
A Master of the Essex Farmers and Union fox hunt was arrested this
afternoon on suspicion of causing Actual Bodily Harm and Criminal
Damage, following a series of threats and attacks on hunt saboteurs
and their vehicles.
8/03/05 Dead animals left on fence
In a similar incident to one reported in the Gazette last week, two
dead foxes and a rabbit were found hanging from a gate near
Burlescombe. On the gate was a pro-hunting car sticker reading: "Say
No to Unjust Law."
7/03/05 Pro-hunting extremists issue death threat to MP
DEATH threat by hunt extremists to Ben Bradshaw, the Animal Welfare
Minister
7/03/05 Hunters Who Targeted MP's Train Condemned
Followers of four Yorkshire hunts tried to hijack the North Yorkshire
Moors Railway train on which local Labour MP Lawrie Quinn was
travelling. Supporters of the Derwent, Middleton, Sinnington,
Glaisdale and Saltersgate Hunts were armed with eggs and banners.
Horses were ridden onto the track, and one supporter lay down on the
lines.
2/03/05 Hunt Supporter Banned From Going Near MP
Paul Rees, 38, was sentenced to 220 hours’ community punishment after
admitting he had harassed Mr Bryant and called him “a poof, pervert
and child abuser”. What also emerged in court however and has not been
reported until now is that Rees is also a keen hunt supporter.
2/03/05 Sick Fox Stunt Condemned
A sick stunt in which four dead foxes were strung up by the neck from
a tree looks to have seriously backfired on hunt supporters. The
gruesome spectacle - accompanied by a sign reading 'Tally Ho Mr Blair'
- has incensed local residents.
1/03/05 Pro-hunters throw eggs at Deputy Prime Minister
Eggs were thrown at Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott while he was
in Derby yesterday by protesters angry at the ban on fox-hunting.
1/03/05 Hunt supporter cautioned
A Hunt supporter has been verbally cautioned by police for throwing an
egg at Chancellor Gordon Brown's car.
25/02/05 Protesters throw brick through MP's window
Pro-hunters hit out at the Blyth Valley MP's backing of the hunting
ban by smashing his constituency office window.
24/02/05 Hunt breakaway group'reckless and dangerous'
POLICE have launched an appeal to hunt down 14 mounted supporters who
broke away from the Percy Hunt's procession on Saturday and wreaked
havoc through Alnwick town centre.
24/02/05 Bad Blood
PRO-HUNT supporters left the mutilated corpse of a fox on the doorstep
of West Lancashire MP Colin Pickthall. Mr Pickthall was confronted
with the grim discovery at his home on Sunday morning. A note was tied
around the neck of the dead fox warning: "Not over till the last horn
blows".
23/02/05 MPs' 'pro-hunt nuisance calls'
Police are investigating threats made to two north Wales MPs over
their stance against hunting with hounds
19/02/05 More Violence at East Kent Hunt
Hunt saboteurs attacked by hunt supporters captured on film by the
BBC.
18/02/05 MP hit with eggs in hunt debate
A Labour MP has been pelted with eggs and claims a member of his staff
was punched during a debate on hunting. The attack on Wansdyke MP Dan
Norris happened just before he did a TV interview at Badminton,
Gloucs, near the home of the Beaufort Hunt.
18/02/05 ITN Cameraman has to run for his life
An ITN cameraman had to run for his life to escape with footage of an
appalling attack on 8 hunt saboteurs in West Sussex.
14/02/05 Waterloo Cup Supporters Resort to Violence
ANGRY field-sports enthusiasts hurled insults, mud, bottles and even
pieces of dismembered hare at animal rights protesters yesterday at
the 158th and last Waterloo Cup. Four hunt supporters were arrested.
14/02/05 Countryside Alliance Regional Director Clare Rowson
Leading by example at the Waterloo Cup. Tally ho!
12/02/05 Hunt protester arrested as eggs thrown at minister
HOME secretary Charles Clarke was confronted by an angry band of
pro-hunt supporters in North Yorkshire. Mr Clarke was jeered as he
entered the building and, as he left to visit the police station, an
egg was thrown and several demonstrators jostled with the police. The
egg missed and hit a security guard. One elderly man was arrested.
12/02/05 Injuries and arrests as saboteurs stop last legal hunts
Sabs come under attack at the final weekend of legal hunting.
12/02/05 Hunt supporters try to storm PM's helicopter
BNP attend Countryside Alliance rally
4/02/05 Pro-Hunt demonstrators pelt Hoon with eggs
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has been pelted with eggs by
demonstrators during a visit to East Yorkshire.
17/01/05 Exeter hunt supporters attack minister
Government minister Ben Bradshaw has been hit in the face by animal
innards at a protest against the hunting ban.
6/01/05 Hunt ban protesters corner Lord Whitty
Police had to intervene as demonstrators brandishing Countryside
Alliance placards surrounded Lord Whittly outside the Examination
Schools in Oxford.
1/01/05 Pregnant Hunt Saboteur Injured
A pregnant hunt saboteur was today taken to hospital with head
injuries after being knocked over by a huntsman.
31/12/04 Dead fox dumped in protester's car
A DISEMBOWELLED fox was dumped on the front seat of a hunt protester's
car off Stane Street in Pulborough on Christmas Eve.
26/11/05 Police condemn pro-hunt protest
A senior South Wales Police officer has condemned tactics used by
pro-hunt demonstrators after clashes in Cardiff. Three police officers
were injured and three people were arrested during a protest outside
an hotel where a Labour Party dinner was being held. Eggs were thrown
during the confrontation at the Holland House Hotel and a Welsh MP
claimed he received homophobic insults.
25/11/04 Blair effigy hung
Mindless pro-hunters hung an effigy of Tony Blair from an historic
scaffold. The effigy, accompanied by the Countryside Alliance slogan
'Fight prejudice, fight the ban', was placed there just days after MPs
forced through a ban on hunting with hounds using the Parliament Act
8/11/04 Hunt protesters to target Poppy Day
Hunt campaigners sparked fury last night by preparing to hijack
Armistice Day for their latest demonstration.
8/11/04 Exeter hunt thugs pelt minister's car
Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael's car was pelted with eggs as he
left a meeting and barriers were pushed over.
28/10/04 Commons chief egged by pro-hunt protestors
PRO-HUNT demonstrators pelted MP Peter Hain with eggs after he started
a speech: "I hear there’s a new sport - hunting cabinet ministers".
5/10/04 DEATH THREAT Twisted ultimatum gives MP Foster just three
weeks to live
THIS was the chilling phone message an anonymous male caller left for
Worcester MP Michael Foster on the day he joined fellow MPs to vote to
pass the Hunting Bill.
29/09/04 Pro-hunt activists arrested over rotting carcass protest
PRO-HUNTING activists registered their protest in one of the most
pungent ways imaginable yesterday when they dumped the rotting bodies
of four animals close to the Labour Party conference. Eggs were hurled
at the conference centre and a number of thunder-crackers were
released into the crowd. Some in the crowd attempted to agitate the
police and were clearly trying to trigger scenes similar to the the
riotous behaviour that was seen in Parliament Square this month.
25/09/04 Campaign of intimidation continues
More than 150 people blocked the lane leading to Mr Hain's house near
Neath, in south Wales for several hours. They initially said they
wanted to stop him travelling to the Labour conference in Brighton
21/09/04 Dead foxes dumped at RSPCA shelter
Four dead foxes were dumped outside an RSPCA hospital - alongside a
copy of a hunting magazine. The incident happened after the vote on
hunting. The charity - which supports a hunting ban - blamed
disgruntled hunt supporters for leaving the young animals at
Manchester hospital.
20/09/04 MP slams pro-hunt 'cowards'
PRO-HUNT campaigners have been branded sick cowards after dead foxes
were left outside the office of an MP who voted to ban the sport.
The corpses were left in the doorway of Wellingborough Labour MP Paul
Stinchcombe's offices in Oxford Street in the town while the building
was open to the public.
18/09/04 Pro-hunt protesters ruin school opening
THERE were chaotic scenes as an anti-hunt MP's visit to a primary
school was hijacked by pro-hunt campaigners.
16/09/04 Pro-hunt slogan damages hillside
Pro-fox hunting protesters who burnt a slogan into a hillside ahead of
a vote in the Commons have been described as irresponsible by
conservationists.
17/09/04 Violent pro-hunting protesters paint attack
MP for Peterborough Helen Clarke has called for violent pro-hunting
protesters to be "locked up" after her guests at Westminster were
covered in paint.
15/09/04 Pro-hunt group wreck plyon
PRO-HUNTING campaigners have sawn through the leg of an electricity
pylon just outside Carlisle.
Hunt Violence
As MPs were about to vote on the future of hunting, Welsh Liberal
Democrat leader Lembit Öpik, co-chairman of the so-called "Middle Way
Group", warned that young men would resort to violence if "the only
way of life they know" was criminalised. Luckily Mr Öpik's crude
attempt at blackmail failed, however even he acknowledges the violent
nature of many hunt supporters.
"From now on we're going to start hunting the saboteurs" Nick Herbert,
British Field Sports Society political officer
Whenever hunting has been challenged they have always resorted to
violence. In 1843 when farmers, opposed the damage caused by the hunt
crossing their land, Masters of Foxhounds "dealt with the uppishness
of lower orders on the spot with their fists". Rev J. Stratton, a
pioneering member of the Humanitarian League, who followed hunts on
foot to record their 'cruelty' "received abusive letters and once his
house was fired at". The first organised attack on members of the HSA
occurred when a carload of saboteurs were surrounded and one
saboteurs' jaw broken on 2 May 1964. In an often quoted phrase some
hunters do continue to feel that "Horsewhipping a hunt saboteur is
rather like beating a wife. They are both private matters". In 1978-9
violence on the property and persons of hunt sabs reached such a pitch
that the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) asked the British Field
Sports Society (Countryside Alliance) for a meeting to discuss ways to
diffuse the issue.
The HSA reported that "in the first three months of 1993 alone some 75
saboteurs were victims of violent attacks by hunts, 13 of them
requiring hospital attention as a result. 5 incidents of hunters using
vehicles as weapons, 10 of damage to sabs vehicles and at least 2
others of damage to saboteurs' property".
In 1997 the League Against Cruel Sports revealed that fox-hunters had
threatened to burn down forests, blockade streets and even turn to
terrorism if their so-called 'sport' was abolished.
An editorial in the January 1997 edition of the terrier and lurcher
fanzine Earth Dog, Running Dog threatened a Labour minister, 'Do you
want to turn Britain's forests into charred waste land? ... Don't
force the most law abiding citizens to become terrorists or you, and
your party will live to regret it.'
Similar threats to 'burn down the forests' have been made by hunt
supporting farmers in Wales.
On Boxing Day 1996, the Daily Express reported that the BFSS's Chief
Press officer threatening: 'If any bill goes further than Parliament
we could cause chaos on the motorways. Imagine what 5,000 horse boxes
could do on the M25, M5 and M6.'
Otis Ferry has openly spoken of a Government minister being killed by
the hunting fraternity which simply highlights how much they have lost
all sense of perspective.
The scenes of mob violence witnessed at two pro-hunt rallies in recent
years are not unique, violence is ingrained into every aspect of
hunting and those in the hunting fraternity who do not support
violence have done nothing to stop it either. Sadly the vast majoirty
of incidents of hunt violence are never reported.
Recorded violence by hunt supporters in just a three month period:
17.02.05: Police are investigating claims of an attack on an elderly
man, a mother of three and a 27-year-old protester during an incident
said to involve supporters of the Chiddingfold Leconfield and Cowdray
Hunt. Detectives were analysing video footage taken by an ITN
cameraman.
Arson Attack on Anti-Hunt Campaigner's Van
Simon Wright from West Sussex was awoken at 4am on 3rd January 2005 by
an explosion at the garage of his 17th century house. He raced down to
find his almost new Citroen diesel van engulfed in flames.
Mr Wright actively campaigns against fox hunting and regularly
monitors hunts in West Sussex. In 1998 his vehicle was damaged while
he monitored the Crawley and Horsham Hunt. Two hunt masters were
subsequently convicted, but later acquitted on appeal, for damaging
his car. Mr Wright has had a catalogue of incidents while monitoring
the Crawley and Horsham Hunt, including vandalism of his vehicle. He
has recently made statements to police in connection with threatening
behaviour from hunt followers. He was assaulted in 2001 at the Royal
Oak Public House in Wineham by a hunt supporter, and recieved
substantial damages from the assailant for criminal damages and
assault. Hunt Master of the Crawley and Horsham Hunt, Kim Richardson,
was recently videoed telling anti hunt protesters: "You are all fair
game now, I've told everybody".
Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray Hunt's CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
Windows of hunt sabs cars smashed and recently killed fox dumped in
window at Pulborough, W. Sussex 24 Dec 04 . Hunt met at Combelands, a
gallops and stables owned by race course trainer and garage owner Guy
Harwood.
The hunt terrier-man (Philip Overton) is alleged to have spoken to a
hunt sab during Christmas Eve and reportedly said: "You'll be seing a
fox later!"
Recent wave of violence against anti-hunt protestors since the Hunting
Act was passed on 18th November 2004:
20 November 2004
3 saboteurs injured. one has to undergo emergency surgery to save his
finger. South Devon Hunt, Devon
27 November 2004
Saboteur receives 5 stitches to head wound after attack. High Peak
Harriers, Derbyshire
27 November 2004
17 year old saboteur receives broken nose after repeatedly headbutted.
Crawley and Horsham Hunt, West Sussex
4 December 2004
Saboteurs threatened by terrierman wearing balaclava. Numerous
assaults on saboteurs including a broken nose. Essex Farmers and
Union/East Essex Hunt, Essex
11 December 2004
Saboteur's wrist broken in 2 places by terrierman. Essex Hunt, Essex
Saboteur threatened by hunt supporter in front of police. High Peak
Harriers, Derbyshire
18 December 2004
Saboteur ridden over by hunt rider twice. Essex Farmers and Union
Hunt, Essex.
Saboteurs punched and equipment stolen. Attempts made to smash
saboteur's van window with log. Van whipped, kicked and thumped.
Attempts made to drag saboteurs from van. Blackmore and Sparkford Vale
Hunt, Dorset.
24 December 2004
2 cars smashed up and dead fox left on passenger seat of car.
Chiddingfold Leconfield and Cowdray Hunt, West Sussex
27 December 2004
Saboteurs threatened with knife. one ridden down. Hunt supporters
then armed themselves with iron bars and sticks. Weston and Banwell
Harriers, Somerset.
2 saboteurs rugby tackled to ground. Puckeridge Hunt, Suffolk.
31 December 2004
12 hunt saboteurs injured by mob of 30 thugs. East Essex Hunt, Essex.
1 January 2005
Pregnant woman taken to hospital with head injuries after being
whipped and ridden over twice by hunt staff. Essex Hunt, Essex.
3 January 2005
Hunt monitor's car destroyed in arson attack. West Sussex
4 January 2005
2 saboteurs receive facial injuries and equipment is stolen. Surrey
Union Hunt, Surrey.
Alan
http://www.realca.co.uk/countryside_alliance.htm
In September 2004 the Independent reported that the increasingly
militant action against MPs and ministers were being orchestrated from
the very top of the Countryside Alliance (formerly the British Field
Sports Society). One minister said that the "bullying and
intimidation" was the "ugly side of fox hunting". The alliance's
refusal to condemn the protests meant direct attacks on MPs' homes and
Labour Party offices would escalate. A memo from Stephen Lambert,
chairman of the Council for Hunting Associations - a body linked to
the Countryside Alliance - boasted that they 'got away with it' after
the violent demonstrations in Parliament Square led to several arrests
and sixty police officers being injured.
"Every time I see the Countryside Alliance's contorted faces, I
redouble my determination to abolish foxhunting." Deputy Prime
Minister, John Prescott (Labour Party conference, September 25, 2000)
Having fought a truly appalling campaign it is no wonder that the
Countryside Alliance board and Simon Hart are trying to look for
scape-goats. However it is only a matter of time before Countryside
Alliance members start questioning the tactics employed by their
leaders that has ultimately led to the total ban on hunting. Soon the
board of the Countryside Alliance might find themselves the hunted
rather than the hunters.
The current Board of Directors of the Countryside Alliance [as of
29/03/02] consists of:
John Jackson: This ridiculously busy man cannot possibly have enough
brain-space left to think coherently about the countryside: He is
Non-Solicitor Chairman of law firm Mishcon de Reya, Chairman of
Ladbroke Group, and Celltech plc.; A Director of Billiton plc,
Wyndeham Press Group plc., WPP Group plc., Xenova Group plc., Brown
and Jackson plc., and Oxford Technology Venture Capital Trust; Special
Advisor to the Korda Seed Capital Fund and Cambridge Animation Systems
Ltd.; and one of the four owners of History Today. His original
involvement with the Countryside Alliance was through the Countryside
Business Group.
Bill Andrewes: Definitely a hunting enthusiast, Bill Andrewes was with
the BFSS, before becoming Chairman of the Campaign for Hunting. Having
been elected Vice-Chair of the CA Board, he relinquished his other
position.
Richard Burge: A zoologist and former Director General of the
Zoological society of London, colonel's son Richard Burge is also a
Member of the Labour Party. He is a trustee for the Television Trust
For The Environment and of the Charles Darwin Centre. He also sits on
the council of the Shropshire and West Midlands Agricultural Society.
His appointment as Chief Executive is said to have caused
consternation in some quarters, particularly after an interview in the
Spectator, in which he said that he would take a job from anybody, had
never hunted, and that the Countryside Alliance would survive without
hunting.
Lord Mancroft: Tory peer Lord Mancroft was Deputy Chairman of the
BFSS, and is chairman of Inter Lotto UK Ltd.
Maurice Askew: Has been associated with the Union of Country Sports
Workers and is or has been Master of the Barlow Hunt in Derbyshire. He
is quoted as threatening that "We are fighting for liberty and
freedom. My warning for Mr Blair is that if he does not listen to us
there will be a civil war in this country, the like we have never seen
since the days of Cromwell and Fairfax."
Prof. Caroline Tisdall: Formerly a Guardian journalist, Caroline
Tisdall is now Professor of the Department of Rural Future at Oxford
Brookes University. She shoots, angles, stalks, hawks and "would die
in a ditch to defend hunting".
Robert Waley-Cohen: Owner of a healthcare company, Robert Waley-Cohen
has been a steward for The Jockey Club, (also associated with the
Jockey Club are fellow CA board member Charles Wilson, Christopher
Sporborg, a Countryside Alliance director, and the Duke of Roxburghe
and Lord Vestey, donors to the CA) is a racehorse owner and is
organiser of Upton House Horse Trials. He was an executive of
Christies Auctioneers (UK and US) from 1969-1981, and in 1983 founded
Alliance Imaging Inc., the largest out-sourced radiology department in
the US, followed by Alliance Medical Ltd., the largest out-sourced
radiology department in Europe. He is also a trustee of the
Countryside Foundation for Education, a member of the National Trust,
and the Country Landowners Association (due to being a partner in a
farm on land surrounding Upton House in Warwickshire)
Charles Wilson: Charles Wilson is a former Managing Editor of Mirror
Group Plc; former Editor of The Times a Trustee World Wide Fund for
Nature UK and a member of the Jockey Club.
David Reynolds: Master of the Woodland Pytchley Hunt, David Reynolds
is so keen to defend hunting that according to the East Northants.
Anti-Bloodsports, he has tried to ride over saboteurs on a number of
occasions.
Bob James: A well-known angler, Bob James is Chairman of the
Countryside Alliance’s Gone Fishing Campaign.
Mark Firth: Chair of Foresight, the Countryside Alliance’s Campaign
for Shooting, Mark Firth is Joint Managing Director of Roxton Bailey
Robinson sporting agents. He participates in shooting, fishing,
stalking and other country sports in the UK and worldwide.
Sam Butler: Chairman of the Countryside Alliance’s Campaign for
Hunting, Master of Warwickshire Hunt and partner in estate agent
Butler-Sherborn, Sam Butler is a particularly badly-placed person to
be a leading light on an organisation which claims to care about rural
communities. His estate agents sell extremely pricey homes to rich
folk, with not a hope of the locals being able to afford them. Nick
Cohen of the Observer phoned Butler-Sherborne posing as a cash buyer
for a remarkably over-priced Cotswold pad. On expressing concern that
he could face hostility for being a townie, the saleswoman replied 'Oh
no, Everyone round here's a commuter.'
Butler made rather a fool of himself by bellowing without a blush to a
demonstration outside the Labour Party Conference: 'Our forefathers
didn't fight Hitler to have this lot take away our liberties.' One of
Butler's forefathers was 'Rab' Butler, who certainly didn’t fight
Hitler. He appeased him throughout the Thirties and then aided Lord
Halifax's manoeuvres to force Churchill to bring about a negotiated
surrender in 1940.
President - Baroness Anne Mallalieu QC: A Labour peer and great fan of
hunting: "Hunting is our music. It is our poetry. It is our art. It is
our pleasure. It is where many of our best friendships are made. It is
our community. It is our whole way of life."
Deputy President - Lord Marcus Kimball: Educated at Eton and
Cambridge, Lord Kimball has been Director of the Royal Trust Bank,
External Member of the Council of Lloyds, and Tory MP for Gainsborough
in Lincolnshire. He has been Huntmaster of the Fitzwilliam Hounds and
Cottesmore Hounds, and frequents Whites and Pratt’s gentlemen’s clubs.
Commercial Directors
Christopher Sporborg: A banker who lives on a farm in Hertfordshire.
One wonders what happened to the farmer…
Michael Hoare: A banker from London. A real yokel then…
Nick Bannister: A stockbroker from London. Hmm.
Secretary - Roger Loodmer: An angler from London.
Also of interest is that out of the Countryside Alliance’s token five
pounds’ worth of shares, one is held by Andrew Salvesen, who was a
Non-executive Director of Christian Salvesen plc. between 1989 and the
demerger in September 1997, when he was appointed to the Board of
Aggreko plc. He had more than 20 years' with Christian Salvesen,
including being Managing Director of Christian Salvesen's former
Oilfield Technology operations. He is a Non-executive Director of
Smedvig ASA and Stirling Shipping Ltd as well as being Chairman of
Robertson Research Holdings Limited, Canvas Holidays Limited and Roxar
ASA. [39] Quite what expertise about the countryside this has given
him is unclear.
Who Else?
Who funds the Countryside Alliance?
A document leaked to The Observer revealed a number of donors to the
Alliance. They include:
Prince Charles: Who lent his house for a cocktail party and has failed
to condemn the violent actions of hunt supporters.
Sir Hardy Amies: The Queen's dressmaker
Lord Vestey: The meat tycoon and polo playing chum of Charles who is
page of honour to the Queen.
Marquess of Hartington: Chairman of the British Horseracing Board and
the Queen's representative of Ascot.
Sir Christopher Bland: Chair of the BBC - no surprise!
Duke of Northumberland: One of Britain’s richest men with 132,300
acres who caused controversy by riding roughshod over local opinion by
planning to build executive homes in Chatton on his estate.
The Duke Of Westminster: Britain’s richest man, with an estimated
fortune of £4 Billion, gets £3, 000 000 in farm subsidies per year for
his farm near Chester, is a member of the Country Land and Business
Association (CLA, formerly the Country Landowners’ Association), was
one of the original board members of the Countryside Movement and has
been the President of the Game Conservancy Trust and the British
Association for Shooting and Conservation. He is reported to have
helped out the Countryside Movement with a £1 million-pound ‘loan’. He
was also on the Countryside Alliance’s board until a 1998 re-shuffle
in order to make themselves look less like the voice of the landed
gentry, and is one of the Countryside Alliance’s main funders, though
rumours that he is the ‘anonymous benefactor’ who provided its offices
were denied by the Alliance.
Sir Robert McAlpine: construction company
Sunley Holdings: construction company
Persimmon Homes home-building company. In a stunning piece of
hypocrisy, the Countryside Alliance on one hand expresses concern
about the destruction of greenfield land and recognises that "the
problems caused by this type of development extend far beyond the
obvious destruction of attractive countryside and wildlife habitat,"
yet on the other hand are funded by those who are responsible for this
destruction.
Who Does The Countryside Alliance Support?
Shares: Yet more double standards are apparent in the CA’s
investments. It has more than £40 000 worth of shares in Barclays
bank, which caused a storm last year by closing 171 rural branches. On
one hand the Alliance is campaigning against these moves, whilst on
the other, financially supporting them. Likewise, it holds £30 000
worth of investments in Shell, whilst backing the oil protests in 2000
and simultaneously claiming to care about the environment, and also
holds large investments in super-polluter ICI and ethically-challenged
mining company Rio Tinto, not to mention arms and tobacco companies.
PR and lobbying company PPS Group Ltd
The Countryside Alliance’s choice of PR and lobbying company is
particularly noteworthy. Political Planning Services Ltd. may not be
big, but it carries disproportionate weight, consisting of individuals
who have worked closely with politicians in the past. Again, a great
conflict of interest is present in the Countryside Alliance’s support
for this company, since it specialises in trying to get through
controversial planning applications. On its web page, it even boasted
about helping US pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer to get planning
permission for a new UK headquarters on greenbelt land!
Past clients include McDonalds, Morrisons, Orange, Tesco and
Sainsbury’s, not noted for their ecological thinking, nor for their
equitable treatment of farmers, nor for their contribution to healthy
local economies. Through its support of PPS, the Countryside Alliance
supports abuse of the planning system, whereby those who have money
pay for lobbyists to get them round the planning laws, and cover the
countryside with community-killing sprawl, whilst those who do not
have difficulty getting permission to build themselves a single home
and also bear the brunt of increased traffic, community decay and
increasingly mind-numbing jobs. Likewise, being a specialist in
controversial planning applications, PPS has over 20 home-building,
construction and quarrying companies on its client list, and the
Countryside Alliance supports this whilst at the same time expressing
concern about the destruction of the countryside.
Lastly, concerning PPS, it is worth noting that Mark Pendlington,
former managing director at PPS Group, is now Chief Executive of the
Country Land and Business Association (CLA), bringing out yet more
cosy links between landowners, big business and manipulation of
government.
This and other information is available in:
The history of foxhunting and land ownership in Britain, including the
politics and people behind the Countryside Alliance. Read online or
Buy
anon
<snip>
http://www.freewebs.com/lasalocid
The so called action levels have been raised at least twice in an
effort to make the problem appear to go away. In fact it just means that
the problem due to antibiotics residue in food becomes more difficult
to pin down as effects of these residues occur at the microgram level.
They don't care that many thousands are made seriously ill and many
thousands of the vulnerable die from the effects of these residues.
anon
They don't give a toss. If it were china they'd be in the business of
adulteration too.
Jim Webster
"buddenbrooks" <budden...@aol.de> wrote in message
news:f1nk95$qk8$1$8300...@news.demon.co.uk...
> > Cheshire was found guilty on 19/6/96
>
> Only one, and you have to go back 11 years? don't have to go far back to
> find hunt sabateurs commiting criminal violence
I see that the chap who organised the violence and digging up the families
grandmother was sent down for about six years as well
Jim Webster
JF
<bhf...@ljhdfcjhbsd.com> writes
>Gamekeeper Antonio Cussato (35) of Herbert Avenue, Ellesmere Port,
>Cheshire was found guilty on 19/6/96 by Wrexham magistrates of four
>charges of setting traps and two charges of possessing them and was
>fined £400 and £100 costs.
Shocking. Quite shocking. I've also heard of motorists being convicted
of speeding! What is the world coming to. lawksamussy!
--
James Follett. "It is better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent
moral busybodies, The robber baron's cruelty sometimes sleeps, his cupidity
sometimes satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us
without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
Pete ‹(•¿•)›
wrote:
>In message <8siu331de3i38c7q5...@4ax.com>, Alan
><bhf...@ljhdfcjhbsd.com> writes
>
>>Gamekeeper Antonio Cussato (35) of Herbert Avenue, Ellesmere Port,
>>Cheshire was found guilty on 19/6/96 by Wrexham magistrates of four
>>charges of setting traps and two charges of possessing them and was
>>fined £400 and £100 costs.
>
>Shocking. Quite shocking. I've also heard of motorists being convicted
>of speeding! What is the world coming to. lawksamussy!
Speedings worse, it kills people!
--
Avoid the rush at the last judgement. Be converted now instead!
PRAYER FOR A NATION
When Pastor Joe Wright, of Central Christian Church, was asked
to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting
the usual politically correct generalities.
But what they heard instead was this:
Heavenly Father, we come before You today to ask Your forgiveness
and seek your direction and guidance.
We know Your Word says,
‘Woe on those who call evil good,’ but that’s exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that:
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism;
We have, worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism;
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle;
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery;
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation;
We have killed our unborn and called it choice;
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem;
We have abused power and called it political savvy;
We have coveted our neighbour’s possessions and called it ambition;
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression;
We have ridiculed the time-honoured values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, 0 God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us;
cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have
been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state.
Grant them Your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the centre of Your will. I ask it in the name of Your Son, the Living Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
****************
Disclaimer
Pete has taken all reasonable care to ensure that pages published by him
were accurate on the date of publication or last modification.
Other pages which may be linked or which Pete may have published are in
a personal capacity. Pete takes no responsibility for the consequences
of error or for any loss or damage suffered by users of any of the information
published on any of these pages, and such information does not form any
basis of a contract with readers or users of it.
It is in the nature of Usenet & Web sites, that much of the information is
experimental or constantly changing, that information published may
be for test purposes only, may be out of date, or may be the personal
opinion of the author.
Readers should verify information gained from the Web/Usenet with the appropriate
authorities before relying on it.
Should you no longer wish to read this material or content, please use your
newsreaders kill filter by adding Mal...@indaal.demon.co.uk to your kill file..
David
http://www.buav.org/news/2007/2007_04_12_illegal_drugs.html
UK Universities spend £10m testing illegal drugs on animals
BUAV report reveals taxpayers' fund cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis
tests on animals
Millions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been used to fund animal
testing of banned substances at UK universities in the last ten years,
a new report from leading campaigning group the BUAV reveals.
The report - Creatures of Habit, by BUAV scientist Dr Katy Taylor -
shows UK universities have repeatedly won licenses from the Home
Office to spend public money giving often lethal doses of crystal
meth, cocaine, cannabis, speed and ecstasy to animals to test effects
already well documented in human studies.
The BUAV's research uncovered that at least £1.6m of taxpayers' money
has been spent by scientists conducting illegal drug studies such as
addicting rats to cocaine at Cambridge University.
In another study at Cambridge, paid for by taxpayers' via the
Government funded Medical Research Council, rats were driven mad
through enforced isolation so scientists could then test the effects
of speed (amphetamine) on their ability to carry out simple tasks.
A separate set of studies at Cambridge saw researchers conducting
frivolous tests including giving a combined lethal dose of crystal
meth (full name methamphetamine) and loud music from the composer Bach
and the pop group The Prodigy to see if it would induce death.
Meanwhile, the report reveals that Birmingham University gave rats
cannabis to see if it increased their hunger - an outcome already
well-documented in human evidence and commonly known among students as
'the munchies'.Our estimates show this experiment could have cost the
university up to £100,000 to carry out based on average costs of such
studies.
The report also reveals that similarly unnecessary and expensive tests
have been funded and licenced at Liverpool, Nottingham, Aberdeen and
Leicester's De Montfort universities, in which animals have been
subjected to a range of bizarre activities such as burying marbles and
swimming in vats of milk under the influence of mind-bending drugs.
Very few of the UK studies detailed in the report have ever been
'cited' by other researchers - meaning most were a complete waste of
time from a scientific point of view, in addition to a waste of
taxpayers' money and a cause of pain and death to animals.
The testing of legal 'recreational' drug products alcohol and tobacco
are banned in the UK alongside other products deemed 'non-essential'
such as cosmetics.
BUAV chief executive Michelle Thew said:
"I think people will be appalled that public money is being used to
fund such
unnecessary and cruel animal tests. Surely public funds would be
better spent on relevant, ethical human volunteer research, improving
drug rehabilitation centres and supporting families dealing with drug
abuse?
"The BUAV is calling on the Government to put an end to this entirely
unnecessary animal suffering and divert funding where it is sorely
needed."
NOTES TO EDITOR
The report is based on a full review of papers on animal research into
banned substances published in scientific journals since 1997.
Full copies of the report and images are available on request from the
BUAV press office - details below.
The BUAV obtained information on public funding of illegal drug
experiments at Cambridge University (£1.6m) under the Freedom of
Information Act from the Medical Research Council (MRC). The total
£10m figure is based on the average cost of such experiments based on
information from the MRC and the total number of relevant UK published
research papers since 1997.
Testing of illegal drugs on animals has occurred at the following
universities over the last ten years according to journal papers
(those in bold feature in the BUAV's report):
Cambridge, De Montfort University, Liverpool, Nottingham, Aberdeen,
Birmingham, Cardiff, Kings College London, Leicester, Bradford, St
Andrews, Imperial College London, York, Sheffield, Reading, Dundee,
Sussex, Glasgow, Paisley, Strathclyde, Oxford, Swansea, Durham,
Hertfordshire.
The BUAV has been campaigning for over 100 years to achieve a world
where nobody wants or believes we need to experiment on animals. We
are committed to achieving our aims through reliable and reasoned
evidence-based debate. We are proudly non-violent and respect the
quality of life for all - animals and people.
For more information contact:
Media Manager Mary-Louise Harding on 020 7619 6978
Out of hours mobile: 07850 510 955
mary-loui...@buav.org
BUAV Today
The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) is one of
the world's leading anti-vivisection campaigning organisations. The
BUAV's vision is to create a world in which no one wants or believes
we need to experiment on animals. To achieve this we are dedicated to
using all peaceful means possible to raise awareness, expose the
reality of animal experimentation and create meaningful changes in
policy while defending the rights of animals and the wellbeing of
people. Through public campaigning, hard-hitting undercover
investigations, media activities, political lobbying, promotion of
cruelty-free products, legal and scientific expertise and quality
educational and information materials, the BUAV aims to spread its
campaign message to as wide and diverse an audience as possible.
David
http://tinyurl.com/2l89m4
Researchers at Washington State University in the USA describe a
series of observations of laboratory rats and mice and report that
they emit ultrasonic vocalisations, sounds that include laughter,
singing and screaming, which are above our hearing range (above
20kHz).
They found that rats emit high frequency calls (22 kHz) in unpleasant
situations such as when they were being subjected to an electric
shocks, being startled or being bullied by other rats. It could be
assumed that this might represent a shout or a scream.
However, they emit even higher frequency ‘chirps’ (50kHz) when being
tickled and when playing, suggesting that these calls are associated
with feeling good. Some people have suggested that this might even
represent laughter. When rats are being tickled by familiar handlers
they emit these laughter calls, however, when they are handled by
strange people they emit the lower – scream like calls, demonstrating
just how sensitive these animals are.
The researchers also listened to mice in a range of situations, and
found evidence of ‘singing’. When male mice encounter female mice they
'sing' complex vocalisations between 30-110kHz – far above our hearing
range. Female mice produce similar high frequency calls when they are
searching for their pups or when in groups. The researchers found that
mice in impoverished 'standard cages' do not show these complex
vocalisations.
Perhaps because we cannot hear when these animals are feeling happy or
being hurt that it makes it easier to use them in painful experiments.
If the researchers could hear them screaming (and laughing) perhaps
they would be less enthusiastic about keeping them in small cages and
causing them harm.
Reference: Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal
Science 2007; 46; 28-34.
David
http://www.buav.org/medicalresearch/sciencenews/Alternatives.html
In two pieces of news this week, the UK has shown that it can lead the
way in medical research that does not involve animals and may even
replace them.
Researchers in the Cancer Genome Project, some of whom are based in
Cambridge, UK, have this week published evidence of over 100 cancer
causing genes1. They did this by extracting the DNA from human tumours
donated from human cancer patients and analysing their genes, not
through harmful animal tests. Their findings will help us to
understand what causes cancer and which drugs might help treat it. The
Cancer Genome Project has identified 350 cancer causing genes so far
in a large collaborative project across the word. This particular
study looked at over 200 different human cancers including breast,
lung, colorectal, ovarian and leukaemia and gave the researchers some
surprising results2.
Swedish stem cell company Cellartis has struck a deal with Scotland’s
ITI Life Sciences and the University of Glasgow to develop an
automated process for the production of human stem cells for
pharmaceutical research3. The collaboration will involve the use of
ethically sourced human embryonic stem cells (hES), which means that
they come from an already existing batch of cells in a laboratory.
Stem cells have the potential to develop into every cell type in the
body and the project will develop ways of encouraging these cells to
do this on a large scale. Currently human cell lines are limited in
number so this project has the potential to help solve this crisis.
Large quantities of these cells can then be used to help researchers
test drugs for safety and efficacy and in so doing, reduce the number
of animals and their tissues used in medical research. Unfortunately
progress in stem cell research also leads to temptations for animal
researchers to use more animals, for example by testing novel stem
cell therapies in animals. Although heavily hyped, this form of
therapy is still highly experimental and dangerous. Recently
Parkinsonian-type rats were injected with human stem cells: it didn’t
cure them and in fact many developed aggressive cancer4. The same
effects may, of course, very well not be seen in humans. So the area
of stem cell research has the potential to both decrease and increase
animal research – for the sake of human and animal lives, we hope it
is the former.
The BUAV welcomes this progress and urges UK research groups and
funding bodies to lead the way with more ‘humane’ collaborations.
References
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2028984,00.html
2. Nature (2007) 446; 153-8
3.
http://www.itilifesciences.com/defaultpage131cd0.aspx?pageID=734&rlID=545
4. Stem Cells. 2006 Jun;24(6):1433-40
David
http://www.buav.org/medicalresearch/sciencenews/Chimpstudy.html
A new paper examining the outcome of research using chimpanzees has
revealed that many studies are simply never reported or referred to
again - and of those which appear to have some link with the
development of human treatments, the role of the chimp studies is
marginal at best and often completely irrelevant.
The authors studied nearly 100 randomly-selected papers on harmful
chimpanzee research published between 1995 and 2004 and then analysed
how often and in what context they were referred to in other research.
They found that in nearly 50% of cases, no subsequent references to
the research was made, effectively meaning that there was no outcome
of any kind arising from the work. Just 15% of the chimp papers were
cited in later papers describing effective medical interventions in
humans but even in these cases, the chimp research was found to be not
significant and in some cases even inconsistent with other primate or
human research. The authors concluded that there was an "absence of
any chimpanzee study demonstrating an essential contribution, or, in
most cases, even a significant contribution of any kind, towards the
development of the described human treatment." If research conducted
on our closest relatives is not considered useful to other researchers
then what does this say about research on other, less relevant
animals?
Great Apes such as chimpanzees are not used in the European Union and
the UK Government has stated they will not approve any applications to
experiment upon them. However, these exceptionally intelligent,
sociable and complex animals are still used extensively in the US and
some other countries despite the enormous impact on their welfare.
Worryingly, their use is not yet legally prohibited in the European
Union and some scientists in the UK have expressed the view that they
would not rule out undertaking research on them in the future.
David
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/boycotts/boycotts_list.htm
This is a list of current boycotts, focusing on those affecting
consumers in the UK. Ethical Consumer would like to stress that
inclusion in this list does not constitute an endorsement of a
particular boycott. The boycotts are called by the campaign groups
listed as contacts and reported by Ethical Consumer. Where possible
this site contains direct links to the companies in question to make
registering your disapproval even easier. We aim to keep this page as
up-to-date as possible, but if you see any out-of-date boycott
information please email us. Although this list is updated regularly,
for the most up-to-date information on the status of any of these
boycotts please get in touch with the listed contact.
Alternatives to boycotted companies are provided in Ethical Consumer
magazine
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/magazine/subscription.htm
or on the new Ethiscore website.
http://www.ethiscore.org/
Take a look at our Boycott Bush site for the main corporate donors to
the Republican party.
3 Mobile
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies with investments in
Burma. Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710
Aeroplanes
Aviation is the fastest-growing source of climate change causing
greenhouse gas emissions.
Contact Flight Pledge Union or send an email
Adidas
for using kangaroo skin to make some types of football boots.
Contact Viva tel 0117 944 1000
Asda and Wal-Mart
for being on Ethical Consumer's list of top donors to the Republican
Party. See BoycottBush for more information.
Bacardi
for continuing to use its Cuban origins in its marketing despite being
active in anti-Cuba lobby groups in the US.
Contact: Rock around the Blockade on 020 7837 1688
Body Shop
Since L'Oreal (26% owned by Nestlé) bought out the Body Shop earlier
in the year, campaigns have brought together concerns about animal
testing, relations with the Majority World, human rights,
discrimination in the UK and the environment.
Contact: Boycott Body Shop or 01452 539 916
Naturewatch (01242 252 871) have a long-standing boycott of L'Oreal
due to animal testing, and have extended this to cover the Body Shop.
Botswana
for forcing the Gana and Bwi Bushmen out of their land in the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve
Contact: Survival International on 020 7687 8700
British Heart Foundation
for conducting animal testing in order to find out about a human
condition. The boycott is called by PETA whose British Heartless
Foundation website contains a list of health charities which do not
test on animals.
Contact: PETA on 020 7357 9229
Burma
is ruled by one of the world's most brutal regimes and has used forced
labour to prepare the country for tourism. Burma Campaign UK has a
list of companies operating in Burma.
Contact: Burma Campaign UK, 28 Charles Square, London N1 6HT,
Tel: 020 7324 4710 or email
Canada
for the government-subsidised slaughter of nearly one million seals
over the last three years. Campaigners are also calling for a boycott
of Canadian fish and seafood, as exports to the UK earn five times
more for Canada than the landed seal hunt in Newfoundland.
Contact: Respect for Animals www.boycott-canada.com 0115 952 5440
Humane Society of the USA www.hsus.org/ace/19076
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) www.ifaw.org 020 7587
6700
Caterpillar
for selling bulldozers to Israel in full knowledge that they will be
armoured and used to destroy Palestinian homes, infrastructure and
agriculture in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. These abuses are
detailed in War on Want's alternative company report on Caterpillar.
Contact: War on Want, Fenner Brockway House, 37-39 Great Guildford
Street London SE1 OES
Tel: 0845 193 1952
ChevronTexaco
For dumping billions of gallons of toxic waste in the Ecuadorian
Amazon and failing to clean it up.
Contact: www.chevrontoxico.com
China
for its continued human rights abuses and for its occupation of Tibet
Contact: Boycottmadeinchina, email u...@boycottmadeinchina.org
Coca-Cola
for its repression of trade union activity in Colombia and its
depletion of groundwater resources in India.
Contact: Colombia Solidarity Campaign, UK arm of campaign on 07743
743041 or email.
Websites: Colombia's Food and Drink Workers' Union SinalTrainal, who
called the boycott on 22nd July 2003, Killer Coke, and Coke Watch
In India, Coca Cola has caused severe water shortages, polluted
groundwater and soil around its bottling plant, distributed its toxic
waste as "fertiliser" to local farmers and sold drinks with extremely
high levels of pesticides.
Website: India Resource Centre
Colgate-Palmolive
as part of a boycott of the products of companies which still test on
animals. The focus of the boycott is the testing of household goods
and their ingredients.
Website: BUAV on 0207 700 4888
Daewoo International Corporation
for involvement in the development of gas projects off the coast of
Arakan State in Western Burma. Contact SCHWE Gas Movement
DHL
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies with investments in
Burma. Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710
De Beers
for supporting the Botswanan government’s efforts to forcibly remove
Bushmen from their ancestral lands to resettlement camps.
Contact Survival International on 020 7687 8700
Dolce & Gabbana
for using a chimpanzee in an advert.
Contact: Animal Defenders International on 020 8846 9777.
Donna Karan
to hold the clothing company accountable for sweatshop conditions in
its suppliers' factories. The Ain't I A Woman campaign is sponsored by
National Mobilisation Against Sweatshops and the Chinese Staff and
Workers Association.
Esso
for doing more than any other company to sabotage international action
on climate change, and for being a top donor to George W. Bush. Find
out why you should Boycott Bush or contact Greenpeace at 020 7865
8100.
Website: www.stopesso.com
Gecko's Adventures
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies offering tours to
Burma. Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710
Iams (owned by Procter & Gamble)
for unnecessary animal testing. It is estimated Procter & Gambles is
responsible for the deaths of 50,000 animals each year.
Contact: Uncaged Campaigns, 9 Bailey Lane, Sheffield S1 4EG tel: 0114
272 2220, in...@uncaged.co.uk
See also Procter & Gamble.
Israel
following 'decades of refusal to abide by UN resolutions,
International Humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.'
Click here to find out more about the boycott of Israeli products.
Film-makers, musicians, performers and academics have also added their
voices, and are calling on their colleagues not to visit, exhibit or
perform in Israel.
Websites: Boycott Israeli Goods or Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Box
BM PSA, London WC1N 3XX tel: 020 7700 6192. See the Palestinian
Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel and the
British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) for
information on cultural boycotts. BRICUP can be contacted on 0207 712
1709 and in...@bricup.org.uk
Japan
due to whale hunting for "scientific" reasons in a protected whale
sactuary around Antartica. This year, Japan may also start hunting
endangered humpback whales. See Boycott Japan for more information.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) on 020 7587 6708 is
also campaigning for the conservation and protection of whales and
co-ordinates letter writing campaigns to the Icelandic, Norwegion and
Japanese governments.
Joseph Ltd
for selling coats and other products made from animal fur.for selling
boots made from rabbit fur. Contact the Campaign Against the Fur Trade
Tel: 0845 330 7955
Junckers
due to selling Indonesian merbau flooring despite confirming that it
is of unknown source. Without guarantees of the wood?s origin, it?s
likely that merbau wood flooring could have come from Indonesia?s last
remaining rainforests.
Contact Environmental Investigation Agency for more information or
ring 020 7324 4710.
Kahrs
due to selling Indonesian merbau flooring despite confirming that it
is of unknown source. Without guarantees of the wood?s origin, it?s
likely that merbau wood flooring could have come from Indonesia?s last
remaining rainforests.
Contact Environmental Investigation Agency for more information or
ring 020 7324 4710.
Kurt Geiger
for selling boots made from rabbit fur. Contact the Campaign Against
the Fur Trade Tel: 0845 330 7955
Let's Go
for being on the Free Burma UK's list of companies publishing travel
guide books with information on travel in Burma. Strong evidence
exists that tourist facilities, roads and other constructino
programmes in Burma have used forced labour and involved severe human
rights abuses.
Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710.
Liberty Apparel
to hold the clothing company accountable for sweatshop conditions in
its suppliers' factories. The Ain't I A Woman campaign is sponsored by
National Mobilisation Against Sweatshops and the Chinese Staff and
Workers Association.
Lonely Planet Guides
for being on the Free Burma UK's list of companies publishing travel
guide books with information on travel in Burma. Strong evidence
exists that tourist facilities, roads and other constructino
programmes in Burma have used forced labour and involved severe human
rights abuses.
Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list (tel: 020 7324 4710)
or Tourism Concern on 020 7753 3330 or email
in...@tourismconcern.org.uk
L'Oreal
Naturewatch has a long-standing boycott of L'Oreal due to its
continued use of animal testing for cosmetics. The French
multinational uses ingredients that have been tested on animals,
despite public statements to the contrary. It has also been criticised
for lobbying against an EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics.
Contact: Naturewatch on 01242 252 871
Lucozade (owned by GlaxoSmithKline)
for being on Ethical Consumer's list of top donors to the Republican
Party. See BoycottBush for more information.
Maxwell House (owned by Altria)
for being on Ethical Consumer's list of top donors to the Republican
Party. See BoycottBush for more information.
MBNA
for being on Ethical Consumer's list of top donors to the Republican
Party. See BoycottBush for more information.
Microsoft
for being on Ethical Consumer's list of top donors to the Republican
Party. See BoycottBush for more information.
Nestlé
for its irresponsible marketing of baby milk formula which infringes
the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.
Contact: Baby Milk Action, 23 St Andrews St, Cambridge CB2 3AX, 01223
464420
Pakistan International Airlines
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) have launched a
consumer boycott of PIA, acting on behalf of eight trade unions to
pressurise the Pakistani government to stop the victimisation of
aviation workers. For more information contact ITF +44(0)20 7940 9260.
Peugeot
for moving production from the UK to France and low-wage Slovakia.
Contact Amicus and T&G unions for more information or ring 020 7611
2500
Procter and Gamble
for its continued use of animal testing for cosmetics, household
products and pet food. Brands made by P&G include Always, Ariel, Bold,
Camay, Clearasil, Crest, Daz, Dreft, Fairy, Flash, Head and Shoulders,
Insignia, Milton, Napisan, Oil of Ulay, Old Spice, Pampers, Sinex,
Tide, Viakal, Vidal Sassoon, Vortex and Zest.
Contact: BUAV, 16a Crane Grove, London N7 8LB (0207 700 4888)
and: Uncaged Campaigns, 9 Bailey Lane, Sheffield S1 4EG
tel: 0114 272 2220, in...@uncaged.co.uk
Reckitt Benckiser
as part of a boycott of products of companies which still test
household goods and their ingredients on animals.
Contact: BUAV on 0207 700 4888
Rolls-Royce
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies with investments in
Burma. Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710
SC Johnson
as part of a boycott of products of companies which still test
household goods and their ingredients on animals.
Contact: BUAV on 0207 700 4888
Shell
until the peoples of the Ogoni region in Nigeria receive a fair share
of profits from oil extraction, and are able to live in better
environmental conditions.
Contact: MOSOP-UK (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People),
Suite 3-4, Albion Place, Galena Rd, Hammersmith, London W6 0LT, 020
8563 8614
Starbucks
because for every cup of coffee that it sells, farmers in
coffee-growing countries such as Ethiopia earn about 2p. It has also
been accused by the Industrial Workers of the World union of
'retaliatory firing' of four union organisers in the US
Contact US Organic Consumer's Association for information on the
campaign for fairer terms for Ethiopian coffee farmers. More
information on how to support the union can be found on by visiting
the National Lawyers Guild website or telephoning (001) 212 679 5100.
Singapore Airlines
in protest against threats of government repression during the World
Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meeting. The
Singapore Government had issued a warning that it was prepared to cane
or imprison protestors who committed "violent crimes" during the
meeting meetings, but Friends of the Earth International argued that
it was very difficult to identify violent offenders in crowds.
Superdrug
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies with investments in
Burma. The connection is via Superdrug's parent company Cheung Kong
Holdings.
Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710
Suzuki
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies with investments in
Burma.
Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710
Tarkett
due to refusing to provide evidence to prove the legal source of their
merbau flooring. Without guarantees of the wood?s origin, it?s likely
that merbau wood flooring could have come from Indonesia?s last
remaining rainforests.
Contact Environmental Investigation Agency for more information or
ring 020 7324 4710.
Tesco
due to its escalating use of Radio Frequency identification. The tiy
computer chips embedded in products or packaging allow monitoring of
items which consumers normally consider private, like clothing,
wallets and backpacks. Contact CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket
Privacy Invasion and Numbering)
also due to the sale of live turtles, tortoises and frogs in their
Chinese stores. China currently has no animal welfare laws. Contact
Care for the Wild International Tel. 01306 627900
Unilever
as part of a boycott of the products of companies which still test on
animals. The focus of the boycott is on the testing of household
products and their ingredients.
Contact: BUAV on 0207 700 4888
David
by Sally Williams, Western Mail
MARS yesterday abandoned its plan to use animal products in chocolate,
apologising to vegetarians who organised a campaign against the
change.
The confectionery giant announced last week it was changing the whey
used in some chocolate and ice cream from a vegetarian source to one
with traces of rennet, an animal enzyme.
The Vegetarian Society protested on behalf of three million
vegetarians in the UK and asked people to “express their concern” to
Masterfoods, which produces the Mars, Snickers, Maltesers and Galaxy
brands affected by the change.
Within a week of the decision being announced, more than 6,000 people
had called and emailed the company, which usually receives 500
comments per week.
Forty MPs also signed a petition “to voice their disquiet”, said Mars
UK.
Story continues
ADVERTISEMENT
Fiona Dawson, managing director of the Mars snack business in the UK,
said yesterday, “The consumer is our boss and we had lots of feedback
from consumers who were unhappy about the change.
“It became very clear, very quickly that we had made a mistake, for
which I am sorry.
“There are three million vegetarians in the UK and not only did we
disappoint them but we upset a lot of the consumers.
“We have listened to their views and have decided to reverse our
decision.”
The company, which had said admitting that it could not guarantee all
products as suitable for vegetarians was a “principled decision”, said
it will begin changing its recipe back immediately for the
best-selling four brands and, at a later date, for Minstrels.
Ms Dawson added, “We made the original decision in order to broaden
our supply base to ensure the availability of our supply, but we
underestimated the impact this would have.
“I personally commit to make sure that the products we changed will be
suitable for vegetarians again in the near future.”
Dr Annette Pinner, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society,
confirmed that a Masterfoods representative had contacted contact her
and the society was pleased that the company recognises the importance
of integrity to all their customers, especially vegetarians.
She said, “We cannot endorse any planned actions by the company until
we receive detailed assurances about the ingredients and processes
involved in production.
“But we are delighted that Mars UK has been honest enough to mark the
beginning of National Vegetarian Week by admitting that it made a
mistake.”
The society also invited the company to seek vegetarian approval
through its accreditation scheme.
Alison Pringle, 35, a mother of four from Guilsfield, Powys, who has
been a vegetarian for 20 years, welcomed the U-turn.
She said, “The kids who are also vegetarian were a bit baffled that
the company would want to put an animal product in chocolate.
“They were perplexed to think they would suddenly have to stop eating
Mars bars, even though they eat no more of them than any other
chocolate bars.
“I wonder if it was some kind of publicity stunt by Mars to raise the
profile of the product ... a bit like when Heinz were going to stop
making salad cream and sales went up.”
Mrs Pringle said although she tries not to make a fuss about what her
children eat, she keeps an eye on what the food she buys contains.
She said, “It can be a minefield. For example, if you look as some
types of cheese and onion crisps that you would think would be
vegetarian they often contain rennet.
“Whereas smokey bacon crisps are usually vegetarian – despite their
name.
“Some wines contain finings derived from fish, and gelatin can be
included in a lot of things.
“But animal products in cheese is less of a problem than it used to be
years ago.
“I am not hugely strict but my mother became a vegetarian from a very
young age and I talked to her about it and came around to thinking
that it is a kinder, more sustainable way of living.”
Animal additives
Common animal products for vegetarians to look out for:
Rennin (rennet) is a coagulating enzyme obtained from a young animal’s
stomach, usually a calf’s stomach, that is used to curdle milk in
foods such as cheese.
Carmine (carmine, cochineal, or carminic acid) is a red colouring made
from a ground-up insect, used in bottled juices, coloured pasta, some
sweets, frozen pops, and “natural” cosmetics.
Casein (caseinate) is a milk protein that coagulates with the addition
of rennin and is the foundation of cheese. It is also used in
adhesives, paints, and plastics.
Gelatin protein from bones, cartilage, tendons, and skin of animals,
can be found in marshmallows, yoghurt, frosted cereals and desserts.
David
21 May 2007 | Source: just-food.com
Mars UK has reversed its decision to use animal extract in the
production of a range of confectionery products after a flood of
complaints from campaigners.
The company, formerly known as Masterfoods, performed the U-turn amid
anger from vegetarians that rennet, an animal enzyme, was to be used
in products including Mars, Snickers and Maltesers.
Mars UK said last week it would change the source of whey used in its
chocolate products in the UK from a vegetarian-friendly variety to
rennet. The company received over 6,000 complaints on the issue, while
some 40 MPs had also signed a petition against the move.
Fiona Dawson, managing director of the Mars snackfood business in the
UK, said yesterday (20 May): "It became very clear, very quickly that
we had made a mistake, for which I am sorry. There are three million
vegetarians in the UK and not only did we disappoint them but we upset
lots of other consumers."
Dawson added: "We have listened to their views and have decided to
reverse our decision. All those people who have enjoyed our products
in the past will soon be able to enjoy them once again."
Mars UK said it would change its recipes immediately to get back to
using the vegetarian-friendly whey.
David
Paul Lewis
Monday May 21, 2007
The Guardian
The company behind some of Britain's top-selling chocolate bars has
admitted many of its well known brands will remain unsuitable for
vegetarians, despite reversing a decision to use animal extracts in
its products.
While Mars UK has backflipped over the use of animal extracts in some
of its chocolate confectionery - including Mars and Snickers bars -
ingredients used in its other products, such as Twix, Bounty,
Celebrations, Topic and Milky Way, will not be changed, meaning they
will continue to be unsuitable for vegetarians.
A week-long campaign by vegetarians prompted Mars UK to admit it had
become "very clear, very quickly" that it had been a mistake to change
the variety of whey used in Mars, Snickers, Maltesers and Galaxy bars
from a vegetarian source to one with traces of rennet, an animal
enzyme which is taken from the stomachs of calves.
But with hundreds of thousands of chocolate bars containing the new
ingredients already thought to be on the shelves and the company
ruling out a recall, Mars has had to admit it cannot tell vegetarian
consumers exactly when its bars will be safe to eat.
"The position is highly confused," said Annette Pinner, chief
executive of the Vegetarian Society, who has been in talks with Mars
UK over the weekend. "We need to know what's going to be vegetarian -
and when it's going to be vegetarian."
While welcoming the U-turn, she added: "We really want clarity. That's
what is important so that people know Mars can be trusted."
Mars UK began using animal products in chocolates produced at its
factory in Slough, Berkshire, on May 1.
Within a week of the decision being announced, more than 6,000 people
had called and emailed the multinational's switchboard, which usually
receives 500 comments a week. More than 40 MPs also signed a petition
to voice their disapproval.
With uncertainty over which of the country's most popular chocolate
bars vegetarians can actually eat, the advice from the company last
night appeared far from simple.
Bars produced in the UK which are stamped with a "best before" date
after October 1 2007 may contain animal rennet. But the company could
not say precisely which best-before dates will contain animal
extracts.
Customers unsure about the vegetarian suitability of any given bar are
advised to call the company's consumer care telephone number, and will
receive a refund if they are unsatisfied with their product, the
company said.
In an advert taken out in several national newspapers today, Mars UK's
managing director, Fiona Dawson, apologises to consumers. "We made a
mistake," she says in a signed open letter. "We apologise. The
customer is our boss. Therefore we listen to you and your feedback."
Promising "a selection of your favourite brands" to be made suitable
for vegetarians in the "near future", she adds: "We will keep you
informed of our progress against this commitment - expect to hear from
us soon."
She told the Guardian the decision to revert to vegetarian-friendly
whey for a selection of lines had been customer-led, but indicated
there had not been a boycott.
"There's been no impact on sales - this has been about getting
feedback from people who love our product," she said.
David
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/printNewsBis.asp?id=76676
21/05/2007- Masterfoods' U-turn over its plan to reformulate its
famous confectionery brands using animal-derived whey sets a precedent
that will prevent any other food manufacturer from flying in the face
of the trend towards vegetarianisation of our food.
A vicious battle raged between Masterfoods and a small, but vocal,
army of vegetarians when the maker of Mars, Maltesers, Snickers and
Galaxy bars decided to use rennet, animal-derived whey (taken from
calves' stomachs) instead of the more costly vegetarian whey from
plant sources.
The decision, based on the desire to shave a few digits off the
company's costs, sparked huge debate played out in columns of
mainstream newspapers.
Faced with a reported 6,000 letters from furious chocoholics, Mars
realised its misjudgement and yesterday executed an impressive
about-face. The company issued a lengthy apology to its customers and
vowed to keep its products meat-free.
But why the furore in the first place? Surely a manufacturer is
entitled to tweak the odd recipe?
Well yes. If it wants to alienate a slice of its consumer base, then
on its own bottom-line be it. But one gets the feeling that
Masterfoods did not factor in the 3m UK vegetarians who would no
longer spend their pocket money on its wares, when analysing the cost
benefits of substituting rennet for vegetarian whey.
And in the light of the embarrassing conclusion to the affair, other
food manufacturers are highly unlikely to try the same tactic.
For a start, it was problematic that Masterfoods' decision was
financially motivated. In general large companies still struggle with
the image as megalithic money-bags, and consumers are unlikely to
swallow the idea that they are being fed something they do not want
simply to line their pockets.
It might have been a different story had Masterfoods' reformulation
been based on maintaining or improving the taste of the product.
In 2005 Cadbury Trebor Bassett resisted pressure from The Vegetarian
Society to reformulate Jelly Babies using vegetarian gelatine. The
company said it had investigated gelatine alternatives and was unable
to replicate the texture.
It was able to stick to its guns because it is more acceptable for a
company to refuse to reformulate using vegetarian ingredients than it
is for them take away a vegetarian treat-food.
Secondly, how on earth would a company communicate its intention to
take a product from vegetarian to non-vegetarian?
As Masterfoods discovered, decisions like these have to be handled
with the utmost delicacy so as not to blow up into a public relations
disaster and have long-lasting effects on the brand.
It could not exactly have come out with an advertising campaign
featuring cute little calves being slaughtered. But anything short of
full disclosure makes for criticism of acting in an underhand way and
trying to dupe the consumer.
Masterfoods' approach was something between the two. It did not keep
completely schtum but sent discreet letters to retailers informing
them of the reformulation. However the content of these letter has not
been made public, and it was only when The Vegetarian Society was
informed about them that the campaign kicked off.
So are we heading for a future where the only products that are not
suitable for vegetarians are those that contain meat in its familiar
form, pictured on the packaging and included in the product name?
Probably not. There are still some ingredients, particularly those
with nutritional properties, that cannot be sourced from plant matter.
What is more, most vegetarians are aware there are certain foods they
should avoid - like jelly sweets, for instance. If they are unsure, it
is to them to look at the ingredients list.
But there is no denying that there is a general shift towards making
foods suitable for more consumer groups - not only vegetarians but
also people who adhere to kosher or halal diets, and allergy
sufferers.
On ingredients side of the industry, considerable R&D is devoted to
coming up with vegetarian alternatives to animal ingredients. For
instance, both BASF and DSM have vitamin and nutrient ranges that are
suitable for a broad range of diet preferences.
Last year Dutch potato starch group Avebe created a new subsidiary
called Solanic, offering vegetable proteins said to overcome
functional barriers that have led some companies to plump for animal
proteins in the past.
The sense behind such strategies increases with every animal-related
food scare. Even those who aren't strictly speaking vegetarian are
more and more sensitive about the source of the food they eat.
At the finished product end, the vegetarian lobby is a powerful one.
The Vegetarian Society has collaborated with the Food Standards Agency
on a set of guidelines for vegetarian and vegan products, which were
released last April.
These guidelines are not legally enforceable however, but are designed
to improve labelling by providing criteria, help manufacturers avoid
common mistakes, and help enforcement agencies identify misleading
labelling that contravenes the 1990 Food Safety Act or the 1968 Trade
Descriptions Act.
Ideally The Vegetarian Society would like to see a set of legal
definitions governing what foods can be construed as vegetarian and
what not.
It is not there yet, but one day it might be - and then the situation
will become clearer, both for vegetarians and for companies who cater
to them and every other dietary peccadillo out there. In the meantime,
unless they relish the thought of vegetarians braying for their blood,
companies are advised to leave vegetarians' treat foods well alone.
David
At Mars UK we recently changed the source of some of the whey which is
used in some of our chocolate products. We have received lots of
feedback that this decision has made it difficult for some of you,
especially those of you who are vegetarians, to continue to enjoy our
products.
We made a mistake. We apologise.
The consumer is our boss. Therefore we listen to you and your
feedback.
As a company we value openness, honesty and diversity and we believe
that anybody should be able to choose freely from our range of
chocolate brands.
But being sorry isn’t enough. Therefore we commit to you today, that
we at Mars UK will ensure that a selection of your favourite brands –
Mars bars, Snickers bars, Galaxy and Maltesers, will be suitable for
vegetarians in the near future. To this effect we are starting to
change our manufacturing process today.
We will keep you informed of our progress against this commitment
through regular updates on this website.
Please accept our apology and keep talking to us, via
our careline - 0845 0450042
our simple freepost address – Freepost, Masterfoods, Consumer Care
our website - www.masterfoodsconsumercare.co.uk
our email address – fiona...@mars.co.uk
Q1. What are you announcing?
A1. We have recently changed the source of some of the whey which is
used in our chocolate products made in the UK from a vegetarian
friendly variety to one which contains traces of traditional rennet
from animal sources. We have received lots of feedback from consumers
and reversed this decision.
Q2. Are you reverting to vegetarian recipes for all of those products
that were subject to the ingredient change?
A2. Yes, this announcement means that favourite products - Mars bars,
Snickers bars, Galaxy, and Maltesers will once again be suitable for
vegetarians.
Q3. You make lots of other brands – what about the suitability of
them?
A3. Other products will also be suitable for vegetarians including
Minstrels, Revels, and Ripple. However, Twix, Bounty and Celebrations
will continue not to be suitable for vegetarians.
Q4. I’m a vegetarian – which products can I eat / should I avoid?
A4. Currently we cannot guarantee that our products contain vegetarian
rennet. However, we are starting to change our manufacturing process
with immediate effect. We want to get our vegetarian products on the
shelves as soon as possible. During this process of changing the
recipes we will provide updates on this consumer care website, on a
regular basis. If you are not sure about the suitability of our
products please call us on 0845 0450042.
Q5. Why did you decide to change the ingredients in the first place?
A5. We made the change to broaden our supply base in order to ensure
we could continue to provide our consumers with products of consistent
quality in the future.
Q6. Will you now consult with consumers on any future changes to
products?
A6. Yes. This change was a mistake and we are sorry that we may have
prevented consumers from enjoying the products they’ve always enjoyed.
MARS®, SNICKERS®, MILKY WAY®, MALTESERS®, GALAXY®, TWIX®,
CELEBRATIONS®, M&Ms®, SKITTLES®, STARBURST®, TOPIC®, BOUNTY®, REVELS®,
MAGIC STARS®, MINSTRELS®, MARS® DELIGHT™, FUN SIZE®, UNCLE BEN’S®,
DOLMIO®, BOUNCE®, CHAPPIE®, TRILL®, THOMAS®, FROLIC®, KATKINS®,
PERFECT FIT®, CATSAN®, CESAR®, KITEKAT®, PAL®, PEDIGREE®, SHEBA®,
WHISKAS®, MYPETSTOP® are all trademarks of Mars, Incorporated and its
affiliates.
David
By Martin Beckford
Last Updated: 5:17am BST 01/06/2007
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/01/nbse01.xml
Animal remains could once more be added to farm feed, raising fears of
another BSE outbreak, following tests by European scientists.
The European Union is spending £1 million on research that would allow
the ban on using animal proteins in farm feed to be relaxed, it was
claimed last night.
BSE led to millions of cattle being culled ten years ago
The practice of using the remains of pigs and chickens as fodder was
banned by the EU in 2000 after BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease,
was blamed for infecting hundreds of people with an incurable brain
disease.
BSE, which also led to millions of cattle being culled and devastated
Britain's beef industry in the biggest food scare the country had ever
seen, was thought to have been spread through feed which included the
remains of diseased cows.
The European Economic and Social Committee decided at a recent meeting
that pig meal should be allowed for chickens and that chicken remains
should be fed to pigs, once new tests are established which would
identify the different kinds of meat contained in feed.
The committee concluded: "The EESC suggests that the European
Commission pursue and step up as swiftly as possible the studies
currently under way which clearly show that the use of meat meal from
non-ruminants can be used in pig and poultry feed without posing any
danger to human health.
"The way in which proteins are identified and the methods used to
trace the meat meal in which they are found must give consumers a
cast-iron guarantee that pigs are fed on meat meal obtained
exclusively from the by-products of poultry, and that poultry is fed
on meat meal obtained exclusively from the by-products of pigs."
The committee said that the ban on using meat meal - comprising animal
remains, ash, fat and water - had lumbered farmers and producers with
increased prices for vegetable feed and for the disposal of animal
carcasses, which were then passed on to shoppers.
Its report said: "The ban on the use of meat meal dealt the sector a
major blow, because it lost a major source of protein for feed and the
price of vegetable protein shot up due to increased demand.
Consequently, the price of feed rose sharply.
"Slaughterhouse by-products also went from being a source of
additional profit to constituting a financial burden; this factor,
combined with the higher price of meat meal, inevitably led to higher
prices for the consumer."
But Hugh Pennington, an expert on BSE and the human version of the
disease, vCJD, condemned the plans last night.
He said: "There needs to be a rigorous scientific assessment of any
plans to reintroduce meat meal to pigs and chickens, which would have
to be entirely independent of the EU."
A Defra spokesman said: "At present in EU legislation there is a total
ban on processed animal proteins in farmed animal feed."
The spokesman admitted that an EU "roadmap" for tackling BSE published
two years ago contained a proposal to relax the ban, but insisted:
"There are currently no specific EU proposals relating to pig meat or
poultry meat on the table."
David
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article1867990.ece
Food safety fears over animals fed to animals
Rajeev Syal
Tests to allow the remains of animals to be reintroduced into farm
feed for the first time since the BSE crisis are being carried out by
European scientists, The Times has learnt.
The EU is spending €1.7 million (£1.15 million) on research which
would allow the remains of pigs and chickens to be used as fodder.
The practice was banned by the EU in 2000 after the spread of BSE,
commonly known as “mad cow” disease. BSE was blamed for infecting
hundreds of people with the incurable brain disease vCJD.
The move will shock consumers and scientists, many of whom were
angered by the use of animal remains in feed.
Related Links
Spectre of ‘mad cow’ hangs over feed plans
A distasteful idea which is better buried
The Government told The Times last night that it was aware of the
proposals to “relax” the ban.
The proposal comes from the European Economic and Social Committee, a
statutory advisory committee to the EU. It follows pressure from
farmers and food manufacturers concerned at the high cost of disposing
of carcasses.
A minute from the committee says that pig meal should be allowed for
chickens and that chicken remains should be fed to pigs.
“The EESC suggests that the European Commission pursue and step up as
swiftly as possible the studies currently under way which clearly show
that the use of meat meal from nonruminants can be used in pig and
poultry feed without posing any danger to human health,” it reads.
Meat and bone meal comprises 50 per cent animal remains (the pieces
stuck to the bones of the animal after the best cuts have been
removed), 35 per cent ash, 10 per cent fat and a little water.
Scientists, including two institutes in Britain, have been asked to
devise tests that can identify different kinds of meat meal in feed.
Hugh Pennington, a bacteriologist at Aberdeen University and an expert
in BSE and vCJD, said that the proposals raised concerns for consumers
and the Government.
“There needs to be a rigorous scentific assessment of any plans to
reintroduce meat meal to pigs and chickens, which would have to be
entirely independent of the EU.
“We will have to find out about the risks of influenza and salmonella
being passed from pig to chicken, or vice versa. The biggest problem
will be to win over public opinion," he said.
Legacy of a crisis
€1.7m: The amount of EC money being paid to devise tests for animal
remains in feed
12: Scientific institutes across Europe, including two British
laboratories, are involved in the research programme
7: Years since EU legislation banning the use of animal proteins in
animal feed, was first introduced
183,000: BSE cases confirmed in the UK since the epidemic was first
identified in 1986
160: Confirmed deaths from vCJD in Britain since the disease first
emerged in 1990. Another five patients thought to have it are still
alive
Source: EESC, Defra, Times Database
David
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article1867987.ece
Spectre of ‘mad cow’ disease hangs over plans to feed chickens to pigs
Almost 20 years after BSE led to a feed ban, an EU body says use of
meat meal from non-ruminants poses no danger to human healthRajeev
Syal
Nothing could have been farther from the pastoral image of a British
beef cow chewing the cud in a country field.
Television footage of head-swaying beasts, driven shakily mad by a
wasting disease, became a common sight during the late 1980s.
It soon became clear that bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE),
commonly known as “mad cow disease”, had been spread through cattle
feed.
By the mid 1990s the disease had created the biggest food scare
Britain had seen. It resulted in the culling of millions of cattle and
the devastation of the country’s beef industry.
Related Links
Food safety fear on animal remains in farm feed
Until then, the public had taken little interest in modern industrial
cattle farming. But when BSE was identified as the cause of variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), a human brain-wasting condition, the
truth became horribly clear.
Commercial feeds for most farm animals contained meat and bone meal.
Cows, which are natural herbivores, were being fed parts of other dead
cows. Their feed also included the ground and cooked left-overs of the
slaughtering process gleaned from other animals. The carcasses of sick
and injured animals such as pigs and chickens were being used as a
protein supplement.
The use of dead, diseased cows was identified by experts as the
probable cause of the spread of BSE. As a result, the British and
European authorities introduced laws and regulations to control the
use of animal remains in feed.
In 1988 Britain introduced a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban and made
BSE a notifiable disease. Six years later, the EU banned the feeding
of mammalian meat and bone meal to cows and sheep.
In 1996, when BSE was linked to a new vCJD, the Government extended
the ban on the feeding of mammalian meat and bone meal to all farmed
animals.
In 2000, the EU authorised a ban on the use of all animal proteins in
animal feed in all member states. Now the European Economic and Social
Committee (EESC), an advisory body to the EU, is hoping to reverse
this ban with the introduction of new regulations. In the minutes of a
meeting published last December, the committee concluded that pig meat
could be fed to chickens, and chicken meat to pigs.
“The EESC suggests that the European Commission pursue and step up as
swiftly as possible the studies currently under way which clearly show
that the use of meat meal from nonruminants can be used in pig and
poultry feed without posing any danger to human health,” it said.
“The way in which proteins are identified and the methods used to
trace the meat meal in which they are found must give consumers a
cast-iron guarantee that pigs are fed on meat meal obtained
exclusively from the byproducts of poultry, and that poultry is fed on
meat meal obtained exclusively from the by-products of pigs.”
The reason for the proposed change, according to the minutes, was
increased costs to Europe’s farmers and consumers. The committee said:
“The ban on the use of meat meal dealt the sector a major blow,
because it lost a major source of protein for feed and the price of
vegetable protein shot up due to increased demand. Consequently, the
price of feed rose sharply. Slaughterhouse by-products also went from
being a source of additional profit to constituting a financial
burden; this factor, combined with the higher price of meat meal,
inevitably led to higher prices for the consumer.”
Supporters of the committee’s conclusions point out that pigs and
chickens are omnivores and that, if the feeding process is closely
monitored, feeding chickens to pigs and pigs to chickens should be
safe.
Seppo Kallio, a committee member from Finland, said that the
conclusions had been approved despite some reservations on health
grounds.
“We have given our opinion to the European Union that this is of the
utmost importance,” he said. “Our committee has members who are
employers, trade unions and consumers, and we were very much in
support of these proposals.”
Although Mr Kallio, who represents farmers, supports the proposals, he
added that he had his own reservations about any future relaxation of
EU laws. “This kind of exercise is a big risk because we would have to
monitor production very closely,” he said.
As a result of the committee’s conclusions, €1.7 million (£1.15
million) of European money has been authorised for scientific research
into the detection of meat products in animal feed. The research is
being coordinated by a Belgium-based research programme that hopes to
devise ways of identifying different types of meat in animal feed.
According to the group’s proposal, it “aims to complete the scientific
conditions that should allow the repealing of the extended feed ban”.
Twelve scientific institutes across Europe, including the Central
Science Laboratory and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Britain,
are involved in the research.
Vincent Baeten, from the Walloon Agricultural Research Agency, said
that they hoped to establish tests that would identify cow, pig,
sheep, fish and poultry meat in animal feed. “The EU has got to the
stage that amendments of certain BSE measures can be done, but only if
the scientific conditions are in place,” he said.
"We are trying to develop tests which allow the identification of meat
which can later be used to ensure that certain animals are being fed
the right kind of feed, preventing any risks of species cannibalism.”
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
said last night that the Government was aware of the EU proposals and
was monitoring the scientific research commissioned by the EU. “There
are currently no specific EU proposals relating to pig meat or poultry
meat on the table,” he said.
David
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/article1867986.ece
A distasteful idea which is better buriedNigel Hawkes: Analysis
Fancy a pork chop fattened on the beaks and gizzards of dead chickens?
Or a chicken fed on scraps of pig too unappetising even to find their
way into a meat pie? No, I thought not.
Posing the question in that way invites its own answer, but I am not
sure there is a nicer way of putting it. It beggars belief that barely
20 years after the emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
and a decade after it transmitted itself to humans as variant CJD, we
should again be talking of feeding animals to animals.
There are, of course, some important differences. Pigs are omnivores
and have always been the ultimate disposal machine for waste food. And
chickens have such a brief life that the prospect they could incubate
a CJD-like disease is small.
In the past, both species have been exposed to far more contaminated
meat and bone meal than cattle ever were. Pigs can get BSE if they are
injected many times with homogenised brain from infected cows, but
not, experiments suggest, from eating it. There is no evidence that
chickens can be infected by either route.
Related Links
Food safety fear on animal remains in farm feed
Spectre of ‘mad cow’ hangs over feed plans
So it is certainly possible to argue that the proposal would be safe,
assuming no cross-contamination of the feedstuffs with waste material
from sheep or cattle. What I doubt is whether consumers are ready to
listen to such an argument.
Food is a point at which science and emotion intersect. Without
scientific advances in production and preservation, it would be
impossible to feed so many so well. Modern food is as much a product
of the laboratory as it is of the farm and field.
But it is far more than that. Sitting down to a meal is a celebration,
an opportunity for companionship and shared pleasure – in Eurospeak,
we might call it an instrument of social cohesion.
People have gut instincts about food, which is hardly surprising as
that is exactly where it is heading. It is a subject where rational
argument can take you only so far before it is swamped by more
atavistic instincts: harvest home, a full larder, a satisfied family.
So food producers and retailers must meet two conflicting demands: the
need to produce food in unrealistic quantities at unreasonably low
prices, while pretending it is as wholesome and “natural” as ever.
This is a tricky task, made doubly difficult by the memory of BSE and
the false assurances doled out by politicians that it could not be
transmitted to people through beef. Britain was probably unlucky to be
the place where this ghastly experiment played out – it could as well
have happened in a number of other countries – but it has sensitised
consumers here to a higher degree than elsewhere.
So while it might be safe to feed chicken waste to pigs, and vice
versa, it would not be sensible to try. The demons it would set in
motion would far outrun any benefits that farmers might accrue from
the cheaper disposal of carcasses and a convenient source of
high-protein feed. It is an idea better buried.
Ian
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_experiments/ALL/1598//
Fourteen SPEAK campaigners who took part in a peaceful protest against
the proposed Oxford University animal labs have walked free from court
after the District Judge condemned Thames Valley Police for unlawfully
stopping their protest last July.
A dictaphone recording was heard during the trial of foul-mouthed
conversations between officers. A superintendent was heard to say of
the SPEAK campaigners '... we have to prosecute the shit out of them'.
Another officer declared: 'The problem is the protesters do not
realise how powerful the university is...'
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Police stopped ‘lawful protest’
Oxford Mail
The Speak protest which led to the court case
Fourteen animal rights campaigners walked free from court today after
a judge condemned the police for unlawfully stopping their protest.
The protesters were all cleared of refusing police orders to break up
the demonstration against Oxford University's animal research
laboratory outside the Sheldonian Theatre at the Encaenia ceremony
last July.
A tape-recording emerged during the trial of unguarded comments by
officers, calling the campaigners from the Speak animal rights group
"c****", saying they wanted to "prosecute the s*** out of them" and
claiming the university was powerful.
The comments, caught on a dictaphone accidentally switched on inside
an officer's pocket, led to Speak accusing the force and university of
colluding to stifle their right to protest.
During last summer's protest, demonstrators refused to move from
outside the Sheldonian Theatre, where the Encaenia ceremony was being
held, under police powers known as section 14s, and instead sat down.
At Bicester Magistrates' Court, District Judge Deborah Wright cleared
all 14 defendants of offences under section 14 of the Public Order
Act.
But she found 70-year-old Pauline Broughton guilty of obstructing a
police officer and Fran Cornwell guilty of assaulting a police officer
- and gave them both absolute discharges.
Ms Wright said: "I find the (section 14) conditions were imposed
unlawfully.
The protesters after the court case
"Whoever was responsible for making the decision that this prosecution
should proceed in light of the tape may well have made a serious error
of judgment."
She added: "Although the (taped) conversations were made away from the
public, all the officers were on duty. Pc (Colin) Travi accepted he
had referred to them (the protesters) as c****."
He was also recorded saying "the problem is the protesters do not
realise how powerful the university is - it's a sleeping giant".
Pc Andy Bignall was recorded saying: "We knew we were going to take
bodies today."
Supt Chris Shead said: "Now we have to prosecute the s*** out of
them."
And Ms Wright added Chief Insp Chris Sharp admitted the measures they
imposed were "draconian".
Ms Wright said the protesters had been put under a "metaphoric
microscope" by police.
Outside court, Speak spokesman Mel Broughton said: "I am extremely
angry and disturbed about what has been revealed of the attitude of
Thames Valley Police.
"I think anyone in the country who believes you have a right to
protest and a right to free speech should be very, very concerned."
Referring to police comments about Oxford University, he added: "These
two extremely powerful institutions are prepared to get into bed with
each other to frustrate lawful protest."
Thames Valley Police Deputy Chief Constable Alex Marshall said: "I
have listened to what the judge has had to say and I take her comments
very seriously and will now review this case to see whether there are
any disciplinary matters that need to be dealt with.
"There are comments on the tape that I find very regrettable and I
find some of the comments unprofessional. I will take careful note of
what the judge has said and see if there are any matters which arise
from it."
Referring to the comments about Oxford University, he added: "Those
are the comments of a constable after an operation. There's no
collusion."
A spokesman for Oxford University said: "While we are in regular
dialogue with the police, operational matters are entirely within
their jurisdiction, and are not a matter for the university."
9:51pm Wednesday 30th May 2007
Ian
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/EDUCATION/resources/ALL/1372//
Angling . or fishing . is a sport¯ that involves using a baited hook
on the end of a line to catch fish, who are then reeled in by a rod.
Far from being . as it is made out to be . a gentle pastime that
connects people to nature and encourages conservation of rivers and
lakes, it causes suffering not only to individual fish, but
also to birds and other wildlife.
Coarse angling is the capture of freshwater fish from
rivers and streams, such as pike, bream, rudd and tench.
These fish are inedible, so they are caught just for ¡®fun¡¯
and will often be thrown back into the water. However,
this does not mean that they do not suffer, and a large
number die during or shortly after being caught, from
stress or injury. Coarse anglers have to buy a rod licence,
and, as it is cheaper than game fishing and easier to
hook a fish in a river or lake, it is the most popular form
of the sport.
Game angling involves the capturing and killing of fish
who are considered edible, such as sea trout, salmon
and grayling. Game anglers pay large amounts of money
for a licence to practise their ¡®sport¡¯. This gives them
access to game fisheries, which are rivers or lakes that are
purposely kept stocked with fish. Birds such as cormorants,
herons, owls and kingfishers, and mammals, such as,
otters, who are natural predators of the fish, are ruthlessly
killed in order to preserve the fish for the anglers.
Sea angling requires no licence and takes place on
beaches, rocks, piers and boats. As with game angling,
most fish caught in this way are killed and then eaten.
Examples of sea fish include eel, shark, bass and plaice.
It is a common myth that fish can¡¯t feel pain, but there is
plenty of research proving that they can! The government
advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC),
acknowledges that fish experience fear, stress and pain
when removed from water, and that the physiological
mechanisms in fish for experiencing pain are very similar
to those in mammals.
An RSPCA-sponsored report
concluded that all vertebrates . including fish . experience
similar sensations in response to painful stimuli. In pain
sensitivity experiments performed at Edinburgh¡¯s Roslin
Institute, fish had toxin and acid injected into their lips.
They exhibited ¡®rocking¡¯ motion, similar to the way higher
vertebrates . such as people . rock to comfort themselves.
They also rubbed their lips against the tank walls and gravel,
and took three times longer than normal to resume feeding.
¡®Anatomically, physiologically and biologically the
pain system in fish is virtually the same as in birds
and animals.¡¯ Dr Donald Broom, a scientific advisor to
the British government
Nor do fish only have three-second memories! Fish can
perform complex mental tasks, such as mapping out
obstacles in their tanks. And in other tests, spotted
rainbowfish remembered how to escape from a net in
their tank 11 months after initially working it out.
Imagine biting into a delicious apple, and then feeling
your lip being pierced by a hook. The hook pulls on your
lip and all of a sudden you¡¯re yanked violently forward
and dragged along the ground. This is similar to what
happens when anglers catch fish! When hooked fish
are dragged out of the water into the air, they cannot
breathe, and they begin to suffocate . just as you
would if you were dragged underwater and held there.
The hooks are often covered in little spikes called barbs.
Sometimes fish swallow the hook entirely, and the barbs
can cause serious injury to their internal organs, usually
resulting in a painful death.
Fish have a mucous layer over their scales to keep them
waterproof and protect them from infection. When they
are handled, this layer is damaged and they are left
highly susceptible to disease when they are put back
into the water. So they may not die immediately, but
there is a high chance that they will soon afterwards.
Coarse anglers who do not intend to eat the fish that
they have caught will remove the hook from the fish¡¯s
mouth and then put the fish in a keepnet. This net keeps
them captive under the water until the angler has counted
his catch at the end of the fishing session. Keepnets are
often a cause of disease, distress and death because of
overcrowding and lack of oxygen in the water within the
net.
Researchers at the Oklahoma Department of
Wildlife Conservation found that up to 43% of fish
released after being caught died within six days.
Live maggots skewered onto the hook are the
commonest form of bait, athough small fish are
sometimes used to catch larger fish. This is known as
¡®live-baiting¡¯. The small fish are impaled live onto the
hook. They swim around until they are eaten by a
predator (the bigger fish the angler is interested in
catching) or until they die from their injuries.
The nylon line used for angling is non-biodegradable,
which means it does not rot away. Often it becomes
tangled in trees or other vegetation, so it is cut and left
on riverbanks, where it is a great threat to wildlife. Birds
and ducks in particular are at risk and frequently become
fatally trapped in the discarded line. Many swans have
been found with anglers¡¯ hooks embedded in their
throats and stomachs from swallowing discarded lines
with hooks still attached.
A close season (when anglers should not go fishing)
runs from 15 March to 15 June, although regulations
vary in different regions of the country. The close
season is supposed to be a time to allow fish a break
during their spawning season, though it has been
scrapped on all still waters (ponds, lakes and
reservoirs) since 1995.
Killing wildlife
Fish are cold-blooded, salt or freshwater-dwelling
animals. They have a brain, a backbone, a skeleton,
a nervous system and pain receptors all over their
bodies. They breathe oxygen from the water
through their gills. Fish are cold-blooded because,
unlike mammals, their blood temperature fluctuates
with the temperature of the surrounding water.
This allows them to survive as the temperature of
the water changes with the seasons.
FISH FACTS
Things anglers say:
" People who go fishing help to conserve the fish
and their habitats"
It is true that there are some
anglers who monitor the quality of the rivers, and clear
up after themselves. Sadly, however, they are outnumbered
by those who dont bother to get involved in conservation,
and who leave litter around that is hazardous
to wildlife. And how can you argue you are conserving
fish if your hobby involves killing them?
"We should be encouraging young people to take
up fishing as it helps to teach them about nature"
By going fishing, young people are hardly learning to
appreciate nature. Rather, they are learning that it is
OK to kill defenceless animals for fun! There are lots
of other outdoor hobbies and pursuits that can be
followed instead, such as bird spotting, visiting nature
reserves, helping at an animal sanctuary, or getting
involved in practical conservation work with the
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV).
See www.btcv.org or phone 01302 572244.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Write to your local newspaper informing people about the cruelty of
angling.
Animal Aid can give you tips and advice.
Have a look at the Pisces website (the youth section of the Campaign
for the
Abolition of Angling) at www.pisces.demon.co.uk. Perhaps you could
distribute their angling leaflets at school or put one of their
posters up in your local library?
Join Animal Aids youth group, Youth4Animals, and help campaign
against angling
.
. Order our anti-angling poster and stickers.
For more information on animal issues please contact: Animal Aid, The
Old Chapel, Bradford St, Tonbridge, TN9 1AW
Tel: 01732 364546 ¡Ü www.animalaid.org.uk ¡Ü www.youth4animals.com ¡Ü
email: in...@youth4animals.com
ontheroad
"Ian" <I...@google.com> wrote in message
news:51e763dd7npejue60...@4ax.com...
> WHAT IS ANGLING?
A safe, healthy source of food...
Now, tell us how slicing, dicing, shredding, dis-membering and poisoning
animals is "better"
than catching fish. Tell us how destroying the environment for the
petro-chemical industry
is "better" than catching fish. Tell us how importing massive amounts of
exotic foods and
spices from around the world is "better" than fishing. Tell us how leaving
animals to die of
starvation and predation after you take all the easy food and cover from
crop fields is "better."
Tell us how scooping and shredding billions and billions of animals during
power generation
is "better"
Jim Webster
Prosecution: Leicestershire duo operated illegal waste site on a farm
Posted 16 May, 2007
Jason Martin Webb (aged 37) of Wigston trading as Webb & Sons Skip
Hire and Wyn Lloyd Pierce (aged 56) of Foston Lodge Farm both pleaded
guilty at Market Harborough Magistrates Court to two charges relating
to operating an illegal waste management site at Foston Lodge Farm,
Leicestershire.
These charges were brought by the Environment Agency under the
Environmental Protection Act (1990). Jason Martin Webb was fined
£4,800 and ordered to pay costs of £639. Wyn Lloyd Pierce was fined
£2,400 and ordered to pay costs of £639.
For the Agency, Kiran Cassini told the court that on 2 January 2006,
the Agency received a report regarding the illegal deposit, keeping
and storage of controlled waste at the premises of Foston Lodge Farm,
Welford Road, Leicestershire.
Agency officers visited the premises of Foston Lodge Farm and saw five
skip containers holding amounts of controlled waste in the name and
livery of Webb and Son. The controlled wastes in the skips included
brick rubble, radiators, broken slabs, packaging wastes and light
fittings.
During the site inspection, Agency officers witnessed the arrival of
Jason Martin Webb in a skip lorry with a container full of waste. Both
Mr Webb and Mr Pierce were interviewed under caution at the site on 11
January 2007, in connection with the illegal waste activities taking
place at the site.
Speaking after the case, Mervyn Tongue, an Agency officer involved in
the investigation said: " Mr Webb and Mr Pierce acted with complete
disregard for the environment, which will not be tolerated by the
Agency. We issue waste management licences that authorise the keeping,
treatment and disposal of controlled waste.
"Illegal waste management facilities have a financial advantage over
legitimate waste management facilities, which is unfair. This
prosecution sends out a clear message to illegal waste operators that
you will be caught and prosecuted."
In passing sentence the court stated that Mr Webb was primarily
responsible for the activities at the site and that Mr Pierce
committed these offences recklessly.
The court found agrivating features in this case which included the
fact that both defendants had been warned about their conduct. The
fine imposed against Mr Webb reflected the approximate cost of a Waste
Management Licence.
This article is from Environment Times © 2001
Environment Times is published by Beckhouse Media Limited,
22 Warwick Street, Adlington, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 4JQ.
T: 01257 481878 F: 01257 474975
E: in...@environmenttimes.co.uk
***********************************************
Like my posts? Let Jim know
j...@websterpagebank.freeserve.co.uk
Need to complain?
j...@websterpagebank.freeserve.co.uk
Jim Webster,Barrow-in-Furness farmer,troll & president of Cumbria CLA.
Would you let your children near this person? see
http://tinyurl.com/kgbnf
Now in the sixth year of raving,defaming,bullying and libeling Pat Gardiner, and
still no result.
Need to complain about employees bringing Country Land and Business Association
into disrepute? Why not contact us at
Country Land and Business Association
16 Belgrave Square
London
SW1X 8PQ
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7235 0511
Fax: +44 (0)20 7235 4696
E-mail: ma...@cla.org.uk
David Fursdon – President
Phone: 020 7235 0511
FAX: 020 7235 4696
Email david....@cla.org.uk
Henry Aubrey-Fletcher – Deputy President
Phone: 020 7235 0511
FAX: 020 7235 4696
Email henry.aubr...@cla.org.uk
William Worsley – Vice President
Phone: 020 7235 0511
FAX: 020 7235 4696
Email william...@cla.org.uk
Jim Webster
The real handouts have gone so I may as well get a proper job. Do they
still pay you for stuffing envelopes?
I was shamed to see this, and must admit I'm thinking of going veggie.
How can we trust UK farmers with our lives?
Ceredigion farmer prosecuted for cypermethrin pollution
Author:
Martin Watkins
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Ceredigion farmer must pay over £1,000 in fines and costs after
pleading guilty to polluting a major tributary of the Afon Teifi with
the arable pesticide chemical, cypermethrin. The prosecution was
brought by Environment Agency Wales at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court
on 13 February 2007.
Michael Owens of Glanrhydydre Farm, Pontsian, Llandysul was fined £300
for causing cypermethrin to enter the Afon Clettwr. He was also
ordered to pay in £800 legal costs.
The Court was told that in October 2005 a biological survey of the
Afon Clettwr established that there had been a severe decline in
invertebrate life, such as insects, freshwater shrimps snails and
worms. These tiny creatures form the main food supply for both fish
and birds and represent a fundamental link in the food chain.
Investigations undertaken in November 2005 established that the river
was impacted by the pollution for an estimated length of seven
kilometres.
Further survey work was undertaken in December 2005 to find the source
of the pesticide chemical cypermethrin, found in the Afon Clettwr.
That survey established that cypermethrin had entered the Afon Clettwr
Fawr from a stream draining from Glanrhydydre Farm. It appeared that
the pollutant had entered the stream from a drain located in the
farmyard.
In the investigation of this incident a combination of invertebrate
and moss sampling was used. This allowed the investigation to look
back over a longer period of time than if only invertebrate sampling
had been used. Samples of moss taken from the river revealed the
presence of the pesticide chemical cypermethrin in the lower reaches
of the catchment.
The cypermethrin identified in the samples was arable cypermethrin
rather than the type licensed for use on sheep and the Court was told
that arable cypermethrin had been inadvertently mistaken for herbicide
and used to spray nettles located in the yard area.
After the case, Gareth Jones the Agency’s local Environment Management
team said:
The pesticide Cypermethrin is extremely toxic in water and continues
to behave as an insecticide in water with devastating results. Any
person using pesticides must take great care to prevent them from
entering a watercourse. The toxicity of these chemicals to the aquatic
environment means that even a few drops can cause a severe
environmental effect over kilometers of streams and rivers.’
‘This case highlights the fact that by using a combination of
investigative techniques the Environment Agency can track some
pollution incidents several months after they have occurred. This case
also shows that if the Agency suspects that an unlicensed chemical has
been used as a sheep dip and a pollution incident arises, then
enforcement action will be taken.’
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doc reference:
TC038/07MW
Jim Webster
Somerfield is the latest supermarket chain to ban ‘animals for sale’
ads on instore noticeboards following an Animal Aid campaign. It joins
other major supermarkets - Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, the Co-op
and Tesco - in their commitment to reducing the suffering of companion
animals.
Animal Aid believes that advertising animals for sale in such
locations exacerbates the problems of overbreeding and also encourages
inappropriate impulse buys. After the novelty of a new animal wears
off, people often realise that they do not have the time, money or
commitment to provide for their new pet’s most basic needs. As a
result, such animals suffer appalling neglect, while hundreds of
thousands are abandoned to rescue shelters where they await a second
chance of a happy life. Some are never found a home and many are
killed simply because there are too many to look after. Whilst these
animals die, breeders profit from creating more, and irresponsible
owners, who do not spay or neuter, allow their animals to produce
offspring. Breeders with young animals for sale have regularly used
noticeboards such as those found in supermarkets.
Animal Aid is delighted to have received this positive response from
Somerfield. We hope that with your help we can also persuade ASDA to
change its mind. Please write to Director, Andy Bond and let him know
that all the other major supermarket chains have taken the
compassionate decision to ban animal ads. Animal Aid supporters and
the majority of ASDA customers will now be hoping for a positive
change of heart from ASDA.
ASDA, Andy Bond, Chief Executive, ASDA Stores Ltd, ASDA House,
Southbank, Great Wilson Street, Leeds, LS11 5AD.
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http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_other/ALL/1549//
This year, Animal Aid’s sponsored walk is on Saturday, June 9th on
Hampstead Heath, and we are pleased to announce that human and animal
rights campaigner Peter Tatchell will be officially opening the walk.
He will then walk the 10 kms around the Heath, so please join in the
fun and walk with Peter and help to raise vital funds for Animal Aid’s
educational work.
Everyone that completes the walk will get an exclusive certificate
signed by Peter, a T-shirt and a glass of bubbly. Veggies Catering
will be providing delicious cold buffet snacks. Everyone that comes to
the Heath has great fun, so pop June 9th in your diary, and we’ll see
you there!
Animal Aid supporter and walker Miranda says, “I love the Animal Aid
sponsored walk as the money I raise helps the animals, not forgetting
being around like-minded individuals with Veggies catering to boot!”
If you can’t make it on the day, but would like to support the walk,
please click here to sponsor Peter.
To register for the walk and to receive further details, please email
Karin or call her on 01732 364546 ext 223.
On the same day, there is another walk taking place in Leeds. If you
would like to take part in this 10 km walk around Roundhay Park,
please contact Karin for a sponsor form and route map. Everyone that
takes part will receive a free T-shirt and a certificate signed by
Animal Aid’s Director, Andrew Tyler.
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http://www.horsedeathwatch.com/index.php
Animal Aid's Race Horse Death Watch was launched during the 2007
Cheltenham Festival. Its purpose is to expose and record every
on-course Thoroughbred fatality in Britain.
The horse racing authorities have resolutely failed to put horse death
information into the public domain, preferring to dismiss equine
fatalities as ‘accidental’ and ‘unexplained’. Even when several horses
die at a single meeting, the term ‘statistical blip’ is often
deployed.
Animal Aid has produced a series of revealing reports over the last
seven years exposing the welfare problems associated with Thoroughbred
breeding, racing, training and disposal of commercially ‘unproductive’
horses. Our research indicates that an average of 375 horses are raced
to death every year. One-third die on racecourses, while the others
are destroyed as a result of training injuries, or are killed because
they are no longer commercially viable.
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A farmer convicted of cruelty to the animals in his care has been
jailed for six months and banned from keeping animals for 15 years.
William Jones, 67, of Hafod y Bryn Farm near Wrexham, had been banned
from keeping animals and jailed twice before, Flintshire magistrates
heard.
A vet said conditions at the farm were the worst he had seen in 30
years.
Jones had denied cruelty and causing unnecessary suffering by failing
to provide proper feed and accommodation.
Prosecuting, Sion ap Mihangel said all 50 of Jones' cows were in very
poor condition.
Lethargic
The court heard he put down handfuls of bedding straw when a vet and
officials visited the 50-acre farm, and the animals were so hungry
they ate it.
One cow was said to be on the point of emaciation and struggled to get
to its feet, while three others had no visible fat on their spines,
ribs or pelvis and their bones could be seen.
There was no feed or water available to the animals, the court was
told.
Mr ap Mihangel said livestock were kept in dark and dirty conditions.
There were no dry areas for them to lie down and the cows were
distressed and lethargic.
Defending, John Parsons told the court Jones had said his own vet had
told him the animals were fit.
He said Jones had had numerous problems, including a grievance with
the local authority over a road improvement scheme, a broken water
pipe flooding his land and a neighbour's septic tank polluting his
land.
Magistrates jailed Jones for six months and banned from keeping
animals for 15 years.
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2.23, Thu Feb 1 2007
A cattle farmer who had not trimmed his animals' hooves for up to four
years and let their pens turn into slurry swamps has been ordered to
pay £32,000 in fines and costs.
Craig Sargent, who owns a farm in Halstead, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was
also banned from keeping sheep, pigs, poultry and cattle for five
years.
When RSPCA officers visited the farm in September 2005 they found cows
without access to fresh water and with hooves so long they could not
walk properly.
They also discovered chickens which were so badly feather-pecked their
backs were bleeding, Sevenoaks magistrates heard.
During mitigations Dickon Reid said: "There was no wilful mistreating
of these animals. The offences are very much at the lower end of
causing unnecessary suffering."
But Chief Inspector Steve Dockery, of the RSPCA in Kent said: "Mr
Sargent had much advice and guidance regarding the care of the
livestock in his control but unfortunately he has chosen to ignore
that advice and these are the consequences."
Sargent, 46, has been a farmer for more than 20 years. He was fined
£12,000, ordered to pay £20,289.13 costs and banned from keeping
sheep, pigs, poultry and cattle for five years. The fine, costs and
disqualification were suspended pending an appeal.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 24/05/07
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blaydon Magistrates Court A Berwickshire farmer has been convicted
under animal welfare legislation for causing considerable distress to
injured sheep by transporting them to an abattoir when they were
patently unfit to travel.
David Mycock of Duns, Berwickshire pleaded guilty to two charges of
causing unnecessary suffering, with two other charges taken into
account, and was given a conditional discharge for 12 months for
allowing four sheep to be transported from Duns to an abattoir in
Gateshead in spite of all of them being in pain from severely damaged
feet. He also had costs of £627 awarded against him.
Magistrates at Blaydon Magistrates’ Court heard how the injured and
distressed ewes were spotted by the Veterinarian on duty at the
abattoir, who investigated the matter with Gateshead Council’s Animal
Health officer. The four sheep, in a flock of 40, were lame and in two
cases seemed unable to bear any weight on their feet and were seen to
be kneeling rather than standing.
The animals were separated from the flock and examined by the Vet
after they had been slaughtered. The examination found that one of the
sheep had chronic arthritis and the other three had severe foot rot -
in two cases maggots were found in the damaged feet.
In the Vet’s opinion, the damage present would have been evident for
several days prior to transporting the animals and they would have
experienced considerable discomfort for that time and during
transportation.
Photographs were taken of the injuries, which were shown to the
Magistrates.
When questioned by Gateshead Councils’ Animal Health Officer, Mr
Mycock stated that he felt that the animals could have been slightly
lame but that they were capable of load bearing on all four feet.
Mr Mycock was prosecuted at Blaydon Magistrates Court on Tuesday 22
May under the Protection of Animals Act 1911.
“This prosecution shows how important it is for farmers to take care
of their animals,” says Richard Ferry, Gateshead Council’s Team Leader
for Trading Standards.
“Foot rot can be a very serious condition and, as in this case, can
lead to maggot infestation in the wounds. The Animal Health Officer
and the veterinarian at the abattoir have found a serious animal
welfare problem here. The photographs of these animals injuries are
shocking and the Vet felt that the condition would have taken several
weeks to develop in all three cases and that they must have been in
considerable pain.”
He added: “It is very important that farmers maintain high health and
welfare standards for their animals. The abattoir is a food factory
and it is vital that all meat in the food chain is safe and not liable
to contaminate other products.”
Foot rot is a serious illness caused by a bacterial infection between
the horn part of the foot and the skin. It can cause the separation of
the wall of the hoof and animals with advanced foot rot are extremely
lame and their general condition is poor.
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One of the unfortunate cattle
Craig Sargent
A farmer who allowed 19 cows to wallow in two feet of their own
faeces has been banned from keeping animals for five years and fined
£12,000.
Craig Sargent, 45, of Halstead was sentenced at Sevenoaks
Magistrates' Court on Wednesday for causing unneccessary suffering to
cattle and poultry at his farm in Halstead.
RSPCA inspectors found a bull at Sargent's farm with hoofs so
overgrown they were like Turkish slippers and other cattle kept in
pens up to the top of their legs in mud and excrement.
Rex Bryan, prosecuting, said: "The bull's hooves were overgrown to an
alarming extent that it could not walk properly."
Magistrates were shown video footage filmed by RSPCA inspectors when
they first discovered the neglected animals in September, 2005.
The footage showed the cows struggling to walk as they tried to get
out of a slurry pit knee-deep in their own faeces.
The court also heard Sargent had a chicken shed containing birds so
badly feather-pecked their backs were bleeding.
Water troughs for pigs, cattle and sheep were dry except for one,
which contained a pea-green liquid at the bottom.
Speaking to the court, RPSCA Chief Inspector Steve Dockery described
the severe distress that he found the animals in.
He said: "The first thing I noticed was a lot of loud bellowing from
the cattle."
Sargent, who lived rent free with his parents, was found guilty of
three counts of causing unnecessary suffering his animals and also
neglect his stock and failing to provide fresh drinking water or
ensure there was dry bedding for his cattle, pigs and sheep.
He was given a five-year ban on keeping animals, ordered to pay
£20,000 in court costs and given a £12,000 fine.
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A North Yorkshire farmer has been convicted under animal welfare
legislation for causing considerable distress to an injured sheep by
transporting it to an abattoir when it was patently unfit to travel.
Donald Lowther of Stank Hall Farm in North Yorkshire was fined £300,
with £269 costs, for allowing a sheep to be transported from
Northallerton to an abattoir in Gateshead in spite of it being in pain
from a severely damaged foot.
Magistrates at Blaydon Magistrates’ Court heard how the injured and
distressed animal was spotted last September by the vet on duty at the
Coast and County abattoir in Felling. The vet investigated the matter
with Gateshead Council’s Animal Health Officer and found that the
sheep was lame and seemed unable to bear any weight on its foot.
The animal was slaughtered and samples taken for examination by the
Veterinary Laboratories Agency, which concluded that the damage
present in the sheep’s leg would have been evident for several days
prior to slaughter and that the animal would have experienced
considerable discomfort due to the condition of its left foot.
The foot was so badly damaged by infection and maggots that the animal
was deemed unfit to travel. Photographs were taken of the injuries,
which were shown to the Magistrates.
Mr Lowther was prosecuted by Gateshead Council under the provisions of
Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997 for failing to spot the
injury and making sure the animal was treated before it was loaded for
travel.
“This is a very important prosecution,” says Richard Ferry, Gateshead
Council’s Team Leader for Trading Standards. “The animal health
officer and the Vet at the abattoir found a serious animal welfare
problem. “
“The photographs of this animal’ injuries are shocking and the animal
must have been in considerable pain.
“It is very important that farmers maintain high health and welfare
standards for their animals. The abattoir is a food factory and it is
vital that all meat in the food chain is safe and not liable to
contaminate other products.’
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By Hugh Muir
A FARMER who was convicted of ill-treating a pony faced protesters
yesterday as he began a legal attempt to get the animal back.
Anthony Probert, 58, was jeered and booed by 30 demonstrators outside
Pontypool County Court three months after he was fined £1,200 for
causing unnecessary suffering. The pony, a two-year-old brown Welsh
cob called Target, is being kept by the Society for the Welfare of
Horses and Ponies, which is refusing to tell Mr Probert where the
animal is.
He is entitled to have the pony returned because Pontypool magistrates
did not impose a confiscation order. Before the hearing, which was
adjourned by District Judge John Evans for a month, Alisdair
MacGregor, 66, a society trustee said: "An important principle of
animal welfare is at stake. Target should be where he will be looked
after, not where it's been proved he won't. People who have caused
suffering to animals should not have a second chance of doing it.
"Target was starving, hardly able to stand and near to death when he
came here. But we restored him to a healthy, strong and lively animal
and are absolutely determined to protect him."
Mr MacGregor, who has collected 24,000 names for a petition opposing
Mr Probert, was critical of the RSPCA, whose inspectors found Target
emaciated in a field near Abergavenny. The society brought the
prosecution against Mr Probert but is now supporting his attempt to
get the pony back.
"This legal situation would not have arisen if the RSPCA had pressed
more strongly for an order banning Mr Probert from keeping horses.
Amazingly, the RSPCA has told us that we must comply with Probert's
wishes. We say that they should be on our side, not on the side of the
convicted abuser."
Mr MacGregor and his wife Jenny have instructed a barrister to fight
their case, arguing that Target should not be put at risk of cruelty
again. Mr Probert was convicted after magistrates heard that Target
was being kept in a pitiful condition in a field close to Mr Probert's
home in Gilwern, Abergavenny.
Mr Probert, who breeds other ponies denied the cruelty charge, but was
fined £500 and ordered to pay £706 costs. Yesterday's hearing was
listed for 45 minutes, but was adjourned after the judge decided it
would take longer. It is now expected to be heard in the New Year.
Mr Probert, a retired steelworker, refused to comment as he left
court. No RSPCA spokesman was available for comment but the society
has previously said that it has no option but to support Mr Probert.
"We believe that anyone convicted of cruelty should be banned from
keeping animals," it has said.
"However we cannot take the law into our own hands. If the magistrates
did not impose a ban then the pony must be returned and we have
written to the Society for the Welfare of Horses and Ponies telling
them so."
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By Sean O'Neill
MORE than 400 deer being bred for export became diseased, starved to
death and were buried in pits after their owner refused to pay
veterinary and feed bills, a court was told yesterday.
The deer, which had an export value of £110,000, belonged to Galtee,
an Irish food company, but were kept on Tremoreland Farm, near Bodmin,
Cornwall. The farm manager, Robert Jasper, 40, was fined £500 at
Bodmin yesterday after he admitted six charges of causing unnecessary
suffering to the deer.
Philip Lee, prosecuting, said that, when police and RSPCA officers
visited the farm earlier this year, they found just 389 deer instead
of the 840 that should have been there. The farm had been overstocked
and lungworm spread through the herd, damaging the animals' immune
systems and making it painful for them to eat.
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Action has been taken against one of Scotland's biggest pig farmers as
animal rights campaigners released footage of "horrific conditions" on
some of his farms.
Arthur Simmers of Scotpigs Ltd, Scotland's second biggest pork
producer, has been expelled by the industry's quality assurance
agency, Quality Meat Scotland, a move which officials say in effect
stops him doing business in Scotland.
The action coincides with the release of an undercover video taken by
Advocates for Animals in the last week at four Scotpigs farms. The
footage showed the rotting carcasses of piglets among live animals,
infestations of rats and flies, and pigs with open and weeping sores.
The group's campaigns director, Ross Minett, said the videos, which
have been passed to the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals, were "the shameful reality" of modern intensive pig
farming.
"We have investigated Scotland's pig industry again and yet again we
have found a disgusting situation," he said.
Quality Meat Scotland confirmed it had removed Scotpigs from its
assurance scheme. All 300 pig farms in Scotland take part in the
voluntary scheme, which ensures standards of animal health and
welfare.
QMS said the decision had been taken before the release of the
Advocates for Animals video.
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It is merely pete
granny reburier and animal rights activist who is too ashamed to post under
his own name so he posts under other peoples, so far I must be the sixth or
seventh ID he has stolen
but then that is the sort of people get involved in animal rights
Jim Webster
"Jim Webster" <Jim.W...@PageBankFarm.com> wrote in message
news:boma63huflmcvg331...@4ax.com...
> As a farmer of some years, I fear it's time to pull out of farming.
> The real handouts have gone so I may as well get a proper job. Do they
> still pay you for stuffing envelopes?
>
>
> I was shamed to see this, and must admit I'm thinking of going veggie.
> How can we trust UK farmers with our lives?
duhh
pete hasn't worked out that farmers produce the food veggies eat