Lancashire hunters guilty of hare coursing with dogs in Ribble Valley
Two men have been convicted of hunting hares with dogs on Lancashire farmland.
Wesley Jefferson, 36, of Hibson Road, Nelson and Bradley Atkinson, 32, of Cliff Street, Padiham were both found guilty at Burnley Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
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They were charged with ‘trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs’ after being arrested by Ribble Valley Rural Task Force officers in the Bashall Eaves area of Clitheroe on July 5, 2023.
Both men were issued with fines and costs totalling £941.
Hare coursing has been illegal in the UK since 2005, when the Hunting Act 2004 made it an offense to hunt wild mammals with dogs. Those convicted of hare coursing face an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison.
Lancashire Police Sgt Kevin Day welcomed the pair’s conviction and warned that his Rural Task Force will seek prosecutions against anyone caught hare coursing.
He said: “The incident took place on July 5, 2023 where two lurcher type dogs were observed to be pursuing a hare in the Bashall Eaves area of Clitheroe.
“The Ribble Valley Rural Task Force attended and also observed the dogs chasing the hare. At this point the gentlemen recovered the dogs and offered the classic "we are just walking our dogs" defence.
“The magistrates considered the evidence and dismissed Mr Jefferson's account and found both men guilty of the offence. Mr Atkinson did not attend the hearing and sentence was passed in his absence.
“Hunting with dogs is illegal in all but very limited circumstances. Hare coursing and similar activities often result in the pursued wild mammal being killed in an inhumane manner and your Rural Task Force will seek prosecutions for anyone caught engaged in such an activity.”
Sgt Day added: “Interestingly Mr Jefferson amused himself by whistling the Laurel and Hardy theme tune as I exited the court building. This ditty is generally reserved for when one of our clients perceives that they have secured a win of some description, not when they have just been found guilty and sentenced for a crime.”