MAN TO APPEAL FOX HUNTING CONVICTION

Press Association

A huntsman is to appeal following his conviction for illegally hunting foxes.

Exmoor Foxhounds huntsman Tony Wright was prosecuted after he was filmed chasing two foxes across Exmoor with two hounds. The 52-year-old was fined £500 and ordered to pay £250 costs by District Judge Paul Palmer at Barnstaple Magistrates' Court, Devon.

Wright, of Exmoor Kennels, Simonsbath, pleaded not guilty to the charge of hunting a fox on April 29 last year, contrary to the Hunting Act 2004. The private prosecution by the League Against Cruel Sports was the first in England against a fox or stag hunt under the act.

Wright claimed he was operating under an exemption in the Act, with two dogs and a marksman. The exemption stipulated the fox had to be shot as soon as possible after it was flushed, and the hounds had to be closely controlled to enable the shooting to take place.

But district judge Paul Palmer, who watched two League videos from April 29, when two foxes were seen to be followed, told Wright: "What I saw was not exempt hunting."

He said reasonable steps were not taken to shoot the fox as soon as possible, and hounds were not closely controlled as required by the exemption. The judge said long after the foxes were flushed they were being followed by the hounds - hunting in his view.

Richard Furlong, for the League, said their costs were £65,000.

After the case, Wright said he did not feel like a criminal and added: "I can assure you we will be continuing and trying to stay within the Act as I always have done."

The Countryside Alliance (CA) said they would be supporting Wright's appeal. Ca president Labour peer Baroness Ann Mallalieu, said: "If this judgment is to stand it would be impossible to use dogs of any sort to flush foxes from almost anywhere. The Act has got to be repealed and will be repealed."

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."

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