Warwickshire man declared guilty of hunting fox with dogs

A man has been convicted of hunting a wild mammal with dogs, after a fox was killed.

Benjamin Halsall, 24, of Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, had denied the position under the 2004 hunting law and told the Court of Coventry magistrates that helped hunt trails and that everything had happened very quickly on October 9, 2023.

The court heard that his work was to detect any coverage of rupture of wild animals and ensure that the herd of dogs did not chase, but the district judge David Murray concluded that he did not make any effort to intervene.

Halsall was fined with £ 1,000. Warwickshire Hunt Limited was acquitted of the same offense. The judge said there was no evidence that he was involved.

The Prosecutor’s Office said that Halsall, described as whipper-in, were the eyes and ears of hunting in the idlicot area of ​​Warwickshire.

I was on horseback and in court They told him His work was to detect any coverage of rupture of wild animals and make sure that the wishes did not chase it.

The magistrates court was shown the bodycam video taken by Rebecca Forrester of three Hunt Sabotours counties, who showed her trying to approach between the fox and the dogs, but the fox was quickly killed by the herd of dogs.

Halsall had told the Court that they had asked him to help with a search for paths in the day, but that he had not been involved in the organization of the same.

He said he thought he had found a good place to observe him and believed he was going to plan until the fox arose.

The defendant said at that time that he decided not to make any movement to encourage the fox to pass and did not shout because he did not want to encourage the sits.

He saw the fox be killed, but everything happened in five seconds, he said.

His defense lawyer said he was doing everything possible and that he simply made the wrong decision.

But District Judge Murray said there was no evidence that an artificial path for hunting for trails had been put.

He also said that Halsall, even if he had volunteered to help in the role of Whipper-in, had the responsibility of anticipating and intervening, but did not.