Director fined £3,500 for advising on illegal foxhunts
HUNTING could be banned by some of Britain’s biggest landowners after a leading official was convicted of encouraging illegal foxhunts.
Mark Hankinson, director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) encouraged huntsmen to use legal trail hunting as “a sham and a fiction” to mask the unlawful chasing and killing of animals during two webinars, Judge Tan Ikram ruled yesterday.
Last night, the Hunting Office, which held the webinars, said it was considering an appeal against the “hugely disappointing” verdict at Westminster magistrates’ court.
Footage of the invitation-only webinars was obtained by animal rights activists who had hacked into the emails of a hunt master, the court was told.
When police announced that they would be investigating the footage, some of Britain’s biggest landowners, including the National Trust, Forestry England and United Utilities all suspended hunting licences on their land.
All three organisations said that they are now considering how to respond to yesterday’s guilty verdict. It is understood that it could result in hunting being banned on their land.
Hunts across the country are now set to review their practices to ensure that they are acting within the law in order to reassure landowners.
After he was found guilty of encouraging illegal hunting, Hankinson was ordered to pay a £1,000 fine and a £2,500 contribution towards legal costs.
Delivering his verdict, Judge Ikram said: “There was a clear and common thread throughout his addresses in the webinars. “In my judgment, he was clearly encouraging the mirage of traillaying to act as cover for old fashioned illegal hunting.
“Whilst he didn’t use overt words, he implied it again and again.”
Hankinson maintained throughout his trial that his recorded words, including telling huntsmen to lay multiple trails as a “smokescreen”, were taken out of context.
Richard Lissack, QC, acting for Hankinson, 60, had attempted to have the footage evidence thrown out of court on the basis that it was obtained illegally and passed to the Hunt Saboteurs Association.
However, Judge Ikram denied his request saying that there was no evidence of fraud.
After the verdict, Mr Lissack said that the ruling would do “great harm” to the hunting community which Hankinson has “dedicated his life to” and will result in him losing his job with the MFHA.
Chris Luffingham of the League Against Cruel Sports said he was “delighted” with the verdict.