Hunting confusion continues
Huntsman Richard Down and whipper-in Adrian Pillivant, from the Quantock Staghounds, have today been convicted of illegally hunting deer with hounds at Bristol Magistrates Court.
Video footage of two hounds chasing deer in Somerset was cited as evidence that illegal hunting was taking place, and although the defendants argued that what they were doing was within the law, District Judge David Parsons said their argument was 'disingenuous'. He said that in his eyes their hunting was not exempt, and that their belief that their hunting was exempt was 'not reasonable.' Both men were fined £500 plus £1000 each towards costs.
Countryside Alliance chief executive Simon Hart said: 'Since the Hunting Act came into force the Quantock Staghounds have acted entirely responsibly. They consulted legal experts, the hunting authorities and the police. This judgement contrasts with all their interpretations of the Act.
'One the day in question they hunted with two hounds, as stipulated by the act and ensured there were experienced guns in place to shoot the deer they flush as soon as possible. They shot six deer. If this is not flushing to guns I don't know what is.'
He then called for the Hunting Act to be repealed: 'The Hunting Act is a bad law and needs to be got rid of,' he concluded.
Comments
James Austin
Dreadful news. Why can't they let country folk attend to country matters as we have always done!
James Austin
I sat through the complete trial of these two. The video evidence was conclusive. Two hounds chased a herd of deer across the hill and over the horizon with Down and Pillivant in attendance. Nobody was available to shoot the deer dead as is required.
QED. Justice is done, the only confusion being in the mind of Simon Hart
James Austin
I sat through the whole trial of these two. The video evidence was conclusive. Two hounds chased a herd of deer across the hills and over the horizon with Down and Pillivant in attendance. Nobody was present at the time to shoot the deer.
QED. Justice has been done. The only confusion is in the mind of Simon Hart.