Thursday, August 10, 2006

HUNTSMAN TO APPEAL AGAINST ILLEGAL HUNTING CONVICTION

North Devon Journal

Hunt supporters have been surprised by a court judgement convicting an Exmoor man of hunting foxes illegally in the first case of its kind to be brought. But they are adamant that the ruling makes them more determined to beat the hunting ban.
Michael Moore, from East Devon Hunt, backed Tony Wright's decision to appeal against the judgement, which was made on Friday.

Wright, of Simonsbath, claimed he was operating under an exemption in the Hunting Act 2004 but the judge disagreed.

Mr Moore, said: "I think the judgement was a surprise to everyone and I don't think it was particularly well balanced.

"I have been told that the judge used a dictionary to look up the word 'flushing', nor did he take account of the intent of the huntsman.
"It was in a junior court and it will now go to another court to see what a more senior judge thinks."

Mr Moore said members of East Devon Hunt were "not in the least bit despondent about it. We knew these sort of things could happen".

Exmoor Foxhounds huntsman Wright, of Exmoor Kennels, Simonsbath, was convicted by trial after he was filmed chasing two foxes across Exmoor with two hounds.
He was fined £500 and ordered to pay £250 costs by District Judge Paul Palmer at Barnstaple Magistrates' Court. He had denied breaching the Hunting Act when he led the Exmoor Foxhounds on 29 April last year.

The private prosecution by the League Against Cruel Sports was the first of its kind in England.

Alison Hawes, South West regional director of the Countryside Alliance, said her organisation also backed Wright's appeal.
"If anything, it has made us more determined to carry on and to beat the ban," she said. "This was the one judge's view. None of the foxhounds are using that exempt rule any more.

"At the time, Tony was trying it and genuinely thought what he was doing was within the law, and still does. He had two dogs out and a gun out. All other hunts will continue and still use other exemptions."

However, hunt opponents were celebrating the result.

John Rolls, director of Animal Welfare Promotion at the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals, said: "The verdict passed today demonstrates, once and for all, that any claim that the Hunting Act is unenforceable is ludicrous.
"This ruling sends out a clear warning to all hunts that the exemptions to the Hunting Act do not provide an excuse to continue to hunt wild mammals."

The League's head of public affairs, Mike Hobday, said: "This case makes it clear chasing foxes with hounds is a criminal offence.

"Those people who still get their entertainment from being cruel to foxes are being put on notice their activities have been found illegal."

Ivor Annetts, chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports said: "This will finish the stag hunt off.
"It won't affect foxhounds because they operate differently now.The judge has ruled that what stag hunts do is illegal."

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