PROSECUTION SENSATIONALLY DROPPED AGAINST HEYTHROP HUNTSMAN

Horse & Hound

Charges of illegal hunting have been dropped against Heythrop huntsman Julian Barnfield.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has today dropped the high-profile case against Mr Barnfield. The huntsman was charged with four offences of hunting a fox, relating to incidents between November 2008 and February 2009.

The decision comes after the CPS announced it had no plans to appeal a High Court ruling that effectively weakened the Hunting Act 2004.

Mr Barnfield told H&H: "It's now becoming apparent that it's an unworkable law, that shouldn't have happened in the first place."

The High Court ruled in February that "searching" for a mammal was not hunting, and that hunting could only be an "intentional" activity.

Mr Barnfield's solicitor, Tim Hayden, said: "My client had been engaged in lawful trail hunting, which had been wrongly interpreted to be unlawful hunting by the prosecution.

"Hopefully the recent High Court decision will help to ensure those people who take part in lawful hunting will not be wrongly suspected to be unlawfully hunting in future."

Julian Barnfield added: "Hunt staff are under a lot of pressure, and when you're filmed day-in-day-out, it's not easy to do your job."

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COTSWOLD MAN DENIES FOX HUNTING CHARGES

A COTSWOLD kennel owner and friend of Tory leader David Cameron has denied charges of fox-hunting after the ban.

Julian Barnfield, 44, of Heythrop Kennels, Chipping Norton, entered the not guilty pleas through his solicitor, Tim Hayden, at today's hearing at Cheltenham Magistrates Court.

The case was adjourned for a pre-trial review to take place and after a judicial review at the High Court in London concerning points of law that potentially relate to the case.

Barnfield pleaded not guilty to three charges of breaking the ban on hunting for foxes with dogs in Gloucestershire.

The first relates to November 17, last year at Cold Aston, the second is on January 23 this year in Moreton-in-marsh and the third on February 7 this year at Barrington.

Prosecuting, William Llewellyn, said Mr Barnfield also faced a similar matter at Witney Magistrates Court to be transferred and incorporated into this case.

A High Court judicial review is in process following the prosecution of Tony Wright at Barnstaple Magistrates Court in 2005 in relation to a hunting matter.

The Magistrates heard today that two points of law were under scrutiny at the High Court in relation to the Barnstaple case - notably concerning what the legal definition of hunting was.

The case has been adjourned for a pre-trial review on November 3 at Cheltenham Magistrates.
Julian Barnfield is the first huntsman from the West Country to be prosecuted and only the second time in Britain that such a case has been brought.

The Heythrop is the local hunt for David Cameron and he has ridden with them at least six times since he moved to take the seat several years ago.

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FOX HUNTING CASE ADJOURNED WHILE FILM EVIDENCE IS VIEWED

Horse & Hound

The first case to be brought by the state for illegal fox hunting has been adjourned while legal teams view filmed evidence.

Heythrop huntsman Julian Barnfield, was due to be prosecuted for allegedly killing a fox on 21 July, but Cheltenham magistrates have agreed to put the hearing back until 4 August after his solicitors asked for filmed footage.

Mr Barnfield, 44, was due to answer three charges of hunting a wild mammal with dogs.
The allegations relate to incidents on 17 November 2007 in Cold Aston, Cheltenham, 23 January 2008 in Adlestrop, Moreton-in-Marsh and 7 February 2008 in Barrington, Gloucestershire.

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