Hunt verdicts welcomed by campaigners

Anti-hunt campaigners have welcomed the conviction of a retired Fitzwilliam Huntsman who used hounds to hunt a fox.

George Adams (66) was fined £1,000 after being found guilty following a two-day trial last week. The court had heard how the fox was killed by the dogs on New Years’ Day 2016 in a field near Peterborough.

Adams denied the charge, saying the hunt was using dogs to flush the fox out of cover to allow a Golden Eagle to catch the mammal.

Along with the fine, Adams was ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge and £930 costs. Falconer John Mease was cleared of both hunting a wild mammal with dogs, and causing unnecessary cruelty to an animal, in relation to an incident in 2013.

Following the conviction, Chris Luffingham, League Against Cruel Sports director of campaigns, said: “Week on week we see examples of hunts trying to cover up ille- gal hunting by pretending that they are following fake trails rather than actual animals.

“Slowly but surely the deception of hunts is being exposed and punished. We welcome this conviction and hope it will act as a deterrent to prevent fox hunts from illegally hunting with hounds and literally tearing their quarry to pieces.”

Lee Moon, Spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association said: “Although a fox had to suffer and die due to the blatant and remorseless ac- tions of the defendants we are pleased that hunt saboteurs were able to bring at least one of them to justice and would like to thank Cambridgeshire police who conducted a robust and unbiased investigation.

“The loopholes and exemptions in the current act have always been cynically exploited by hunts in order to operate much as they would have done prior to the ban.

“The guilty verdict today proves that hunting with a full pack of hounds is not the same as Falconry and the judge in summing up confirmed as much.

“The outcome today will of course have wider reaching implications for all those hunts around the country who claim to use this exemption.”

Adrian Simpson from the Countryside Alliance said they believed the judge had made the wrong decision.

He said: “We are obviously disappointed. We find it quite strange really - I think everybody does.

“The judge has found one of the defendants guilty, he’s cleared the other defendant of two charges and we think he has got it wrong.”

George Adams, front.