News

Huntsman and joint master of the South Dorset Hunt Mark Anthony Pearson, of Child Okeford, appeared at Weymouth Magistrates Court 08/06/2022 to plead not guilty to one count of hunting a wild mammal with dogs. Pearson, aged 64, is accused of hunting a fox with a dog on13/12/2021 at Bere Down Farm on Bere Down…

Matthew Ramsden, joint master and huntsman of the Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt, and the hunt’s second whipper-in Rhys Matcham appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ on 11/05/2022 charged with hunting a wild mammal with a dog contrary to S1 Hunting Act 2004. The case relates to an alleged incident that took place in Brokenborough, near Malmesbury, on…

The appeal hearing for Mark Hankinson to be heard at Southwark Crown Court has been changed to July 6-8, 2022. Mark Hankinson had appealed his conviction and a date for his appeal hearing had previously been set for May 5, 2022 at Southwark Crown Court. He had been  found guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on…

Mark Hankinson has appealed his conviction and a date for the appeal has been set for May 5, 2022 at Southwark Crown Court He had been  found guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 15 of intentionally encouraging or assisting others to commit an offence under the Hunting Act by telling them how to use …

Director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association, Mark Hankinson, has been found guilty of encouraging or assisting others to commit an offence under the Hunting Act by telling them how to use the excuse of ‘trail’ hunting to get away with hunting traditional live quarry hunting.  Hankinson was one of the speakers from the Hunting…

A huntsman and a former whipper-in of the Quorn Hunt have been cleared of an offence under the 2004 Hunting Act part way through their trial after prosecutors reviewed the evidence of the main witness in the case. John Oliver Finnegan, 36, and Rhys Matcham, 30 were both found not guilty at Leicester Magistrates’ Court…

The huntsman and former whipper-in of the Lamerton Hunt have been cleared of illegal fox hunting. Huntsman David Lewis, and his former whipper-in Gareth Frain, who is now huntsman of the North Cornwall Hunt, were each found not guilty of an offence under the Hunting Act 2004 at Exeter Magistrates Court on March 18 2021.…

Huntsman David Lewis, 50, and former whipper-in Gareth Frain, 25, appeared at Exeter Magistrates’ Court on 15 and 17 February 2021 accused of hunting a wild mammal with dogs on Dartmoor in Devon on 14 December 2019. The court heard both men were paid employees of the Lamerton Hunt, based at Lewdown, Devon. Both men…

A trial involving two men who worked for the Quorn Hunt who were due to stand trial at Loughborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday, January 11 has been adjourned until a case management hearing on March 10 when a new trial date will be set. The two men face charges of illegally hunting a fox with…

Two men from the Quorn Hunt pleaded not guilty at a pre-trial hearing on the 7th October at Leicester Magistrates Court after being charged with offences under the Hunting Act 2004. They now face a two-day trial at Loughborough Magistrates Court due to take place on the 11th and 13th January next year. Huntsman John…

John Oliver FINNEGAN aka Ollie FINNEGAN, huntsman of the Quorn Hunt, and former whipper-in of the hunt Rhys MATCHAM are due to appear at Leicester Magistrates’ Court at 10.00 hours on 07/10/2020. The case had been previously listed for 30/09/2020. This is their first appearance and they have been charged with S1 Hunting Act 2004…

Richard Down, former huntsman, and Martin Watts, former whipper-in and current huntsman of the Quantock Staghounds, were both accused of hunting a wild mammal with a dog in a trial at Taunton Magistrates’ Court. The reported incident was alleged to have been committed on land owned by the National Trust at Trendle Ring, Bicknoller in…

Huntsman of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt has been found not guilty of illegal fox hunting.  Mark Peter Doggrell of Bishops Down, Sherborne, was accused of hunting a wild mammal with a dog in a two-day trial at Taunton Magistrates Court, where video footage was played of the incident. The incident was alleged to have…

Retired huntsman Richard Down of the Quantock Staghounds and former whipper-in Martin Watts are due to stand trial for illegally hunting a deer with dogs. The case will be heard at Taunton Magistrates’ Court on 3rd February 2020. The alleged incident took place on 18th March 2019 near Trendle Ring, near Bicknoller on the Quantock…

Huntsman of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt Mark Doggrell is due to stand trial at Taunton Magistrates’ Court for illegally hunting a fox with dogs. The trial starts on the 21st January and is expected to last two days. The alleged incident took place last year on 23rd February 2019 at Charlton Horethorne in…