Quorn Hunt trial adjourned

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 a pack of hounds.

Huntsman John ‘Ollie’ Finnegan and his whipper-in at the time Rhys Matcham, face a charge of hunting a wild mammal with a dog contrary to Section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004.

John ‘Ollie’ Finnegan remains an employee of the Quorn Hunt while Rhys Matcham is now whipper-in at the Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt.

The case follows an investigation by Leicestershire Police based on evidence obtained by professional investigators from the League Against Cruel Sports, who monitored the hunt from Breedon-on-the-Hill in Leicestershire on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.