HUNTSMAN WILL APPEAL COURT DECISION

Countryside Alliance Press Release

Exmoor Huntsman Tony Wright will launch an appeal against his conviction for an offence under the Hunting Act following today’s verdict in a Barnstaple magistrates’ court.

Tony Wright was found guilty despite undisputed evidence that he was attempting to comply with the conditions for ‘exempt hunting’ with two hounds, a marksman and that a fox was shot.

Simon Hart, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: “No right minded person thinks that Tony Wright should have been branded a criminal.

“If people were confused about the Hunting Act before today they will be a lot more confused now. We believe that he was trying to comply with the law as he understood it and will be supporting his appeal.

“This is a piece of legislation which took seven years and 700 hours of parliamentary time to get onto the statute book yet still it is illogical and unclear.

“Any law which can put a man like Tony Wright through nine months of court action and tell him he is a criminal for doing something he believed was entirely legal clearly isn’t working”.