Supporter is found guilty of slashing tyres during hunt meeting

A FOX hunting supporter has been found guilty of slashing the tyres of a protester’s vehicle.

John Hadfield targeted the hunt saboteurs’ Mer- cedes Vito during a meeting of the Atherstone Hunt in rural Leicestershire last year.

Leicestershire Police said the 52-year-old walked toward the parked vehicle and took a penknife from his pocket and slashed a tyre.

The incident was filmed by hunt saboteurs and cir- culated widely on social media at the time of the offence.

It happened on the A444 Atterton Road, near Fenny Drayton, on November 1.

In a statement, Leicestershire Police said: “He took a multi-tool from his pocket and pierced one of the tyres on the passenger side of the van before walking away.”

John Hadfield, of Burton Road, Twycross, appeared at Loughborough Magistrates’ Court last Thursday, where he was convicted of an offence of criminal damage.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge at an earlier hearing.

He was sentenced to 18 months’ conditional discharge and ordered to pay £625 in costs, £64 in compensation to the victim and a £20 victim surcharge.”

Detective Inspector Paul Kenyon, the investigating officer, said: “This was an act of pointless vandalism which caused needless distress and expense to the owner.”