Fine after claiming courts soft on hare coursing

A HARE-COURSING gang member has been hit with a £1,200 fine after expressing the view Scottish courts were soft on the issue.

Stuart Brunt travelled from his home in Derby to the Scottish Borders and was caught by police hunting seven hares with four lurcher dogs.

The 27-year-old was apprehended along with two other males and a juvenile at Tollishill Estate, owned by the Duke of Northumberland, near Oxton in the Lammermuir Hills on January 29.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said: “Hare-coursing is not only against the law but it is used as a form of entertainment and a gambling operation.”

He said Brunt had travelled five hours to visit the remote estate, which is three miles up a single track road off the A697 road.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told a gamekeeper had seen a vehicle parked in darkness at 7am and called police.

One of the dogs had fresh blood on its paws and the carcasses of seven hares were found. They were still warm and had fresh injuries.

Defence lawyer Ross Dow said Brunt had expressed the view Scottish courts were relatively soft on the issue of hare coursing.

He said: “There was no gambling involved but there is an element of enjoyment. He knows this has to stop.”

Sheriff Kevin Drummond said that Brunt of Wiltshire Road, Derby, had previous convictions for poaching and other wildlife offences.

The sheriff told the forklift driver:”You have demonstrated a contempt for the law.”

In addition to the fine, he was ordered to carry out 80 hours unpaid work and disqualified from owning any dog for a year.