CONVICTED (2024) | Thomas Ledbury, born c. 1985, of Pine Close, Corsham SN13 0LB – part of a group of huntsmen that threw a live fox to a pack of hounds.
Tom Ledbury was captured on video watching another person remove a terrified fox from his den before throwing the animal to a pack of hunting dogs.
Ledbury, who was employed by the now defunct Avon Vale Hunt as a terrierman, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting another to commit an offence, namely unnecessary suffering to a fox.
Video footage obtained by hunt saboteurs showed Ledbury supervising hunt members as they throw a live fox to a pack of baying hounds in an incident near Melksham on December 24, 2020.
The video shows the fox being bitten on its right hind upper leg and upper neck as it is launched into the pack.
Ledbury is shown looking on as the horrifically cruel incident takes place.
An expert witness told the court there was no doubt that the fox was alive when he was pulled from the hole. He added that the poor creature would have experienced severe fear and extreme pain whilst being torn apart by the hounds. It would have eventually lost consciousness and died.
Two other men – namely Oliver Thompson of Faringdon, Oxfordshire and then Avon Vale Hunt Master Stuart Radbourne, a serial wildlife persecutor from Chippenham, Wiltshire, were convicted in relation to the same incident.
Stuart Radbourne (left) and Oliver Thompson
Thompson was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a fox following trial and sentenced to a 20-week suspended prison sentence. Radbourne received a suspended 18-week custodial sentence.
Image credit: Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs
A fourth man named Charlie Ball was also present and initially prosecuted. Unfortunately, the status of the prosecution against him isn’t currently known.
Charlie Ball (standing) pictured with Tom Ledbury. Photo credit: Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs – Twitter
A fifth hunt member identified by Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs as Rob Shearring was shown in the video with a spade and “assisting with the illegal kill”. It is unclear why charges have not been brought against Shearring given his clear involvement.
The Avon Vale Hunt was disbanded in February 2023 after it was removed from the sport’s governing body following the leaking of a video showing two foxes being dug out of the earth and thrown to waiting hounds on December 20, 2022.
Chief Inspector Will Mitchell, from the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit which led the investigation, named Operation Aurora, said: “As part of a larger investigation the video footage was identified from a seized mobile phone.
“This shocking hunt video shows the lack of compassion and empathy for this fox who is thrown to a pack of baying hounds to be ripped apart. It’s really worrying to think anyone may find treating an animal this way fun.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with a requirement to undertake 240 hours of unpaid work.
Ledbury runs a business called Tom Ledbury Maintenance and Installations. He currently holds a contract with Bath and North East Somerset Council to repair and maintain street furniture and park infrastructure.
CONVICTED (2023) | sadistic Daniel Taylor, born c. 1992, of 99 Shrewsbury Road, Manton, Worksop S89 2TX – tortured, killed and mutilated more than 100 deer, foxes, badgers and pigeons.
A police search of the home Daniel Taylor shares with company director wife Georgina Ruth Taylor, née Georgina Brigham, revealed over 100 graphic phone videos and images which showed him attacking, decapitating and encouraging his dogs to fight and kill wildlife.
Prosecutor Lucy Woodcock told the court: “In some videos he is seen dissecting the animals and ripping internal organs out”.
Officers also found 15 deer heads and 14 fox tails, as well as snares and weapons.
Police found a shocking hoard of deer skulls, fox tails and weapons at Daniel Taylor’s family home
A blood-stained quad bike and lamping equipment were also recovered.
Police arrested Taylor, confiscated his phone and removed his dogs from the house as part of the investigation.
Officers were able to map the images and videos on his phone to specific locations.
PC Mark Holland, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “From this we were able to prove when and where most of the animals were killed and link this evidence in with several reports of poaching.
“We also received intelligence which helped establish Taylor was in areas at the relevant times.”
PC Ben Harrison said: “At the back of Taylor’s premises we found what was essentially a slaughterhouse for animals.
“Taylor clearly took pleasure out of his dogs torturing these animals.
“They were clearly being trained to get hold of these animals and rip them to shreds.
“The videos were gruesome and the sounds of the animals squealing in pain were horrible.
“In one particular video, while Taylor was filming one of these acts, he dropped his phone and it flipped over. He bent over to pick it up and it captured a full face shot of him. There was no question over who was doing the filming or who was the owner of these videos.”
The court heard Taylor had played a leading role in “sadistic behaviour” which was “prolonged and repeated” between August 2021 and February 2023.
Sentencing Taylor, Judge Mark Watson told him: “These offences cannot in any way be described as sport. This was a barbaric hobby of yours.
“This was planned activity by you and you clearly revelled in the suffering of these animals.
“You encouraged your dogs to attack these animals with ferocity and they suffered immeasurably.
“These were prolonged and repeated incidents of serious cruelty and examples of sadistic behaviour.”
Sentencing | jailed for two years and eight months. Banned from owning, keeping or participating in keeping dogs for at least seven years
CONVICTED (2024) | Dane Crawford, born c. 1993, and Shelby Wallis (born 3 October 2000), both of 18 Howgill Avenue, Lancaster LA1 2HG – for offences relating to illegal ear cropping and serious wildlife crime.
Lancaster man Dane Crawford was jailed for 30 months and given a lifetime ban for a ‘portfolio’ of animal cruelty offences against a fox and his own pet dogs, while partner Shelby Wallis walked free with a suspended prison sentence and 10-year ban.
Crawford and Wallis both pleaded guilty to four offences under the Animal Welfare Act, which included failing to treat their two lurchers’ injuries, including one badly fractured leg, and for allowing the ears of two of their bullbreeds – Drey and Shakira – to be illegally cropped.
Crawford also admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a fox after setting dogs on the wild animal inside a garage.
Dogs recovered from the couple included bull breeds Drey and Shakira, both of whom had illegally cropped ears.
The RSPCA launched an investigation following reports of puppies having their ears cropped, leading to a warrant being executed by police at a property in Lancaster in February 2022.
A number of dogs were present but there was no evidence of any crimes having been committed.
During the property search, two mobile phones were recovered which contained images and videos of wildlife being attacked by dogs. This prompted a further warrant, on November 1 2022, in which Crawford was arrested.
Lurchers Major and Lassie were found with untreated injuries after being used by Dane Crawford to attack wild animals including foxes.
During this search, more dogs were found at the property, including two lurchers – called Major and Lassie – with untreated injuries, and bullbreeds with cropped ears. Five dogs in total were removed and placed into RSPCA care.
An image recovered from Crawford’s mobile phone showed Crawford with one of his dogs and a dead fox.
Investigators also looked into the images and videos from the phones, two of which showed foxes being set loose in confined spaces with dogs encouraged to attack them.
RSPCA Inspector Will Lamping, who led the investigation, said after the case: “An image was recovered showing Crawford in very distinctive trainers with one of his dogs, holding a dead fox.
“We could identify him within the video of the fox being attacked because of these trainers.”
A vet assessed the lurchers and bullbreeds after they were removed from the home of Crawford and Wallis.
She described Major’s facial injuries as “unusual” and “traumatic”, and suspected they’d been caused by another animal at least 72 hours before. She said, in her witness statement, that the owner should have sought veterinary advice.
She described Lassie’s fractured leg as ‘a traumatic wound’, adding: “I am not sure how it happened but the dog has been left with a very painful leg and the owner had not sought timely veterinary advice. As such there was development of swelling and more pain, and infection.”
Inspector Lamping added: “In interview, Crawford told me he got the two lurchers six weeks before from Appleby. Wallis told me that the three bullbreed dogs were hers and that they’d been imported.”
Lassie and Major were signed over into the RSPCA’s care a few days after they were removed. After spending some time receiving treatment, were both rehomed. The bullbreeds were signed over at a later date.
Sentencing the couple, Judge Simon Medland KC said they had shown “cruel and neglectful behaviour” which caused the animals to suffer “to a substantial degree”.
Addressing Crawford in relation to the offences against the fox, he said: “Your behaviour was criminal and utterly shocking.”
Following the sentencing, Inspector Lamping said: “This case sends a clear message to those that choose to engage in wildlife persecution and ear cropping that their cruel activities will not be tolerated.
“It took many hours to comb through the videos and pictures on the phones recovered; but this work uncovered the serious level of cruelty shown to both the wild animals literally being thrown to the dogs – and to the puppies whose ears were being mutilated.
“The defendants’ own dogs were used in these attacks and were left without vet treatment for serious injuries – including a fractured leg.
“Both have been handed lengthy bans on keeping animals, and handed prison or suspended prison sentences, for their treatment of animals.”
Sentencing | Crawford: 30 months in prison; £3,500 towards costs. Disqualified from keeping all animals for life. Wallis: three-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months; 200 hours of unpaid work; £2,500 towards costs. Disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Liam Talbot, born 1996, of 28 Rowan Road, Weaverham, Northwich CW8 3DU – forced dogs to fight foxes and badgers to the death.
Talbot pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
He admitted making dogs fights with foxes and badgers, causing three dogs to fight with wild animals and taking and killing a badger.
Images produced in the prosecution against wildlife killer Liam Talbot
He also admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a bull lurcher cross-type dog named Cid by failing to provide vet care and attention for an injury to his upper left canine tooth.
The animal fights were uncovered through Talbot’s social media posts, with Talbot uploading compilation videos of images to TikTok.
These videos were found as a result of investigations by The Naturewatch Foundation and were subsequently passed across to the police and RSPCA.
One video showed images of a person with a lamp at their waist, holding a black and white Lurcher-type dog by the collar with his left hand and a fox in his right hand.
The compilation video also shows images of a person holding up a fox whilst with a black and white Lurcher-type dog; while another person is shown holding a Lurcher-type dog on a lead in his right hand and a fox in his left hand. The fox has an injury to its hindquarters.
Another TikTok compilation videos show three dogs attacking a fox, two dogs attacking a badger, and other images of foxes and dogs.
A police warrant took place at Wolvesley Place in Winsford on February 22, 2023, during which two dogs belonging to Talbot were found.
Pepper, a nine-year-old female tan bull lurcher and Cid a nine-year-old male black bull lurcher, both had scarring to their faces and chests and were present in the digital evidence presented to the court.
A written statement from an expert veterinary surgeon said they had examined several videos that showed a ‘number of dogs in circumstances suggestive of those dogs being used for the purpose of hunting wild mammals’.
In his conclusions, he said Cid would have suffered as a consequence of an injury to the left upper canine tooth.
He said: “Once removed the tooth was described as being rotten, suggesting a timescale of at least 10 days, probably longer.”
After viewing video footage he said that both Pepper and Cid were “repeatedly placed in circumstances that exposed them to injury by fighting with wild mammals such as a fox and/or badger.
He added: “The skin scars found to be present on both of these dogs are consistent with injury via such a mechanism.”
Sec 8 Animal Welfare Act, animal fight (dogs/badgers and dogs/foxes)
Sec 9 Animal Welfare Act for three dogs causing them to fight with wild animals)
Protection Of Badgers Act Sec1 and 2 for taking and killing a badger.
Pepper and Cid were officially handed over to the RSPCA and will now be rehomed.
Speaking about the case, Chief inspector Ian Muttit, from the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit (SOU), said: “Badger baiting has been illegal for more than 180 years, yet we still find people spending their time inflicting sickening pain, suffering and misery on animals in this way.
“It is also horrifying to see that perpetrators are then creating videos glorifying attacks on wildlife and flagrantly posting them on social media for others to view.
“We will continue to stand up for animals involved in wildlife persecution and for the dogs often caught up in these horrifying attacks.
“We would very much like to thank The Naturewatch Foundation for their initial investigations and also Cheshire Police.”
Sentencing | 16-week custodial, suspended for 18 months; community order with 25 hours of rehabilitation; six-month mental health treatment requirement; £500 costs, £154 victim surcharge. Disqualified from keeping all animals for three years (expires January 2027).
CONVICTED (2023) | father and son wildlife persecutors Robert Mills, born c. 1956, and Jack Mills, born c. 2001, both of Little Orchard, Exted, Elham, Canterbury CT4 6YG – used superglue to patch up the wounds of a dog forced to fight a fox.
Jack Mills (left), his father Robert Mills (centre) and an as yet unidentified Kent Hounds terrierman. Photo credit: West Kent Hunt Sabs
Robert and Jack Mills, who are believed to be terriermen with the Kent Hounds, used the strong commercial adhesive in a botched DIY effort to put the Patterdale terrier’s lip back together after she was maimed during the illegal chase.
The terrier, known as Fudge, was one of two dogs discovered with shocking injuries at the pair’s family home in Elham, near Canterbury.
The other, a lurcher called Rose, had extensive scars across her face, a large part of her tongue missing and she had a weeping nailbed on one of her paws.
Photo credit: Kent Online. Robert Mills is pictured outside court (left)
The Mills had allowed the animals to suffer without seeking proper treatment for their injuries.
Incriminating messages – including a photo of a smiling Jack Mills posing with a dead fox – were found during examinations of their mobile photos.
In court, both men pleaded to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
The court was told police executed a warrant at their home on January 18, 2023, as part of an RSPCA investigation known as Operation Aurora.
In a statement provided to the court, RSPCA special operations officer Jason Bowles, said: “Rose from kennel A had a large part of the skin around her lower jaw missing and part of her tongue. Her feet were discoloured. She had extensive scarring to her face and muzzle.
“Fudge from kennel A had part of her lower jaw in an unusual state in that it looked to have been injured in the past and had healed in an odd shape and she had scarring to the muzzle.
“There was a strong smell of ammonia in the building but I took into consideration that this was early in the morning, possibly before an early morning routine had been executed.
“Bedding was inadequate in all kennels in that they did have hard beds but only remnants of straw in some.
“Water bowls were present but at least one kennel only had remnants of water. Bowls could easily be knocked over and spills take place. Empty bowls were refilled.”
Of the five dogs kept in kennels in the outbuilding, two of them – Rose and Fudge – were seized.
The court was shown messages discussing how Robert and Jack Mills had used glue to try to repair degloved tissue on a dog’s lip after she had been injured by a fox. No pain relief had been sought
Recounting the notes of an expert veterinarian who examined the animals, prosecutor Janet Patel told magistrates: “There was damage to the skin of Rose’s lower jaw with the site of a deep tear or cut visible on the lower jaw and a loss of the lip margin contiguity.
“A significant amount of the tongue had been lost in a surgical or traumatic incident. The lesions are consistent with those that could be received in a fight between this dog and a large mammal such as a dog, fox, or badger.”
The vet added that a nail was missing on Rose’s left paw, oozing fluid and causing clear pain to the dog.
Fudge was found to have suffered significant damage to his face and head, and was missing a number of front teeth.
“The person caring for Fudge cut off some tissue, used commercial superglue to try and repair degloved tissue on her face and did not administer any pain medication,” the prosecutor added.
Messages shared between Robert and Jack Mills – both bricklayers by trade – described the dogs being used to hunt foxes.
Records from their phones indicated Fudge was caused harm in November 2021.
The vet added: “The entries, dated 16.11.2021, lead me to believe that Fudge was involved in a fight with a mammal such as a fox, large dog, or badger.
“The use of the word ‘hangin’ implies the lower jaw has been degloved to some extent, leaving the tissue literally hanging. There are two more statements. Firstly, that super glue has been used to try and put it back together and secondly that some of the flesh has been cut away.” This referred to a message, containing a typo, which said: “I just cut a bit of.”
Fudge had significant facial injuries and was missing several front teeth
The vet continued: “To advise the court in this matter I am forming my opinion on the basis that the person caring for Fudge cut off some tissue, used commercial super glue to try and repair the degloved tissue and did not administer any medication.”
Another mobile phone message discovered by officers read: “Had any joy with the fox?”
A picture of a dead fox was also shared with the words: “Went out this morning, Fudge killed it.”
Rose had a swollen toe with a nail missing. The vet that examined her said she vocalised her pain during examination
Ms Patel added: “That is the language of both Jack and Robert tracking and killing foxes, and it is not them flushing a fox out so that it can be killed humanely with a pistol.
“Both Jack and Robert Mills have shown deliberate disregard for the welfare of animals by placing them in situations where they sustained these horrific injuries.”
When questioned by police, Robert said that the dogs’ facial injuries had occurred when Rose and Fudge encountered a badger in the garden and that both dogs had been attacked by a rabbit.
But his son contradicted that claim in an interview, saying that neither dog had ever come across a badger.
Mitigating, solicitor Sam Harkness told the bench both men were remorseful.
“Mr Mills says he has owned dogs all his life. He deeply regrets his actions and Mr Mills Junior says this is a steep learning curve,” said Mr Harkness.
“They are both devastated that they have been involved in these proceedings, but they have cooperated.”
The charges related specifically to Fudge’s facial injury and the wound to Rose’s foot, which was sustained in the days before the police visit in January 2023.
During a discussion about the prospect of both defendants being banned from keeping any animals, the pair were seen intensely shaking their heads.
Sentencing the pair, chairwoman of the bench Patricia Light told them they had “broken the custody threshold because there is more than one dog with deliberate suffering,”
She added: “The fact that you have access to a vet and financial means to pay for treatment and yet still did not seek treatment shows deliberate disregard for the welfare of the animals.”
She continued: “We are also granting a deprivation order for Fudge and Rose and the RSPCA will seize your other dogs.
“We are also granting a disqualification order for both of you in relation to owning, keeping, or participating in controlling or transporting any animals for five years, no application may be made to appeal this for two years.”
Rose and Fudge, who have remained with the RSPCA since January 2023, can now be rehomed.
The Mills’ other three dogs will be seized within 14 days, with magistrates also giving them two weeks to rehome a number of chickens and ferrets.
Sentencing | 23-week custodial, suspended for two years; 150 hours of unpaid work; £500 costs and £154 surcharge each. Five year ban in relation to all animals, but can appeal after two years (expires December 2028).
CONVICTED | huntsman Oliver Thompson, 32, of 4 Old Berks Hunt Kennels, Little Coxwell, Faringdon SN7 8ES – baited a petrified fox cub with a dog while his wife Felicity Thompson, aka Felicity Hook, filmed events.
Huntsman Oliver Thompson was filmed training a terrier to attack a fox
Thompson, formerly of the Old Berkshire Hunt, was filmed removing a young fox from a trap and repeatedly putting her in close proximity to a terrier named Nelly in July 2020.
The video – filmed near Melksham, Wiltshire – was leaked and the RSPCA successfully prosecuted the defendant Oliver Thompson for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Thompson pleaded guilty to the offence at Swindon Magistrates’ Court, and appeared for sentencing on Monday 11 December.
He also admitted second charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal – which involved throwing a fox to a pack of hounds on Christmas Eve 2020.
Magistrates described his offending as “sadistic behaviour” in which he had a “leading role”.
Thompson’s wife Felicity Thompson aka Felicity Hook had the case against her dismissed after the prosecution offered no evidence.
Felicity Thompson, whose voice is heard on the video, was also charged. However, prosecutors offered no evidence and the case against her was dismissed.
After the footage was leaked, the British Hound Sports Association said it had suspended Oliver Thompson pending further investigation. but he subsequently resigned from the Old Berkshire Hunt.
A spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association said that it was “no surprise for us to learn about the latest incident of animal cruelty”.
They added: “These two new offences pre-date, but are in addition to the recent court case of Stuart Radbourne and whipper-in Aaron Fookes who were also sentenced Hunting Act and Animal Welfare Act offences, when they also threw a fox to the hounds in Brokerswood in December 2022.
“Hunt Saboteurs are out in the fields, week in week out and witness the cruelty at every hunt we attend. The next government must act and close down the smokescreen of trail hunting for good.”
Sentencing | 20-week prison sentence suspended for two years; 300 hours of unpaid work; costs of £2,500. No dog ban was imposed but the court ordered Thompson to hand Nelly the terrier over to the RSPCA. It’s not known if she will be re-homed or put to sleep.
CONVICTED (2023) | gamekeeper Ryan Martin, born 28 August 2000, of Balmanno Cottages, Marykirk, Laurencekirk AB30 1US – set his dogs on foxes and badgers and filmed the carnage.
Ryan Martin, who is a father, uploaded twisted social media videos of his dogs killing badgers and foxes
Martin, who is employed as a gamekeeper, posted twisted videos to TikTok and Snapchat showing bloody clashes between his dogs and foxes or badgers. Martin is heard on the videos goading his dogs into attacking the wild animals.
The shocking footage was used as evidence to convict Martin, who considered foxes and badgers as “vermin”
Martin was prosecuted following an investigation by the Scottish SPCA’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) after they received intelligence in January 2022.
On February 9, 2022, SSPCA inspectors and police officers visited Martin at the home he shares with fiancée Lia Stewart in the Aberdeenshire village of Marykirk.
A search was undertaken of the property and Martin’s mobile phone was seized. Three dogs, who looked similar to those in Martin’s social media videos, were also removed. .
The seized dogs, who all had fresh and historical animal fighting injuries, were brindle lurcher Boss, tan and white lurcher Storm and brindle deerhound/greyhound Beau.
Martin’s dogs had fresh wounds and historical injuries caused by illegal fighting with wildlife.
The dogs were examined by a vet who concluded: “It is my opinion that these dogs have been repeatedly involved in fighting with other animals and, in the case of Storm, the injuries are consistent with fighting with a badger.
“The injuries in Beau do not exclude fighting with badgers. The injuries in these dogs would have caused them pain and suffering.
“In summary, it is my considered opinion that these dogs were involved in illegal wild animal fighting activities.
“The type and distribution of injuries on Storm is consistent with wounds sustained during ‘badger baiting’ – an illegal activity where both the dogs and badgers suffer a great deal.”
Boss was found to have multiple healed injuries and scars, as well as a “deformity” to the lower lip. These injuries were deemed by a vet “consistent with, but not exclusive to, wild animal fighting injuries”.
Forensic examination of Martin’s phone uncovered numerous videos of his dogs fighting with foxes and badgers.
One 60-second video, which had been posted to Snapchat, showed Storm with the top of a badger’s head in her mouth whilst Beau and Boss are biting and attacking the badger all over his body and legs.
Depute fiscal Clair Stewart told the court: “The badger’s head and body are heavily blood-stained. A dog can be heard squealing and the badger can be seen to have a hold of Storm’s snout and lower jaw within its mouth.
“Throughout this clip, the accused can be heard shouting, ‘Get on, get on, chi chi chi chi’.”
Storm is seen “gripping the badger’s head in her mouth” while Beau and Boss bite at the badger, which is “twisting and wriggling on the roadway”.
Ms Stewart continued: “Storm’s face is buried into the chest of the badger, which appears to have a grip of her by her face.
“The accused can still be heard shouting encouragement to the dogs,
‘Get on, dogs, get on, get in there, chi chi chi.
“The video ends with Beau and Storm sitting within the rear of a vehicle with bleeding and fresh injuries to their noses.
“The accused can be heard to say, ‘Look at her, man. Go on, dogs. Piggies. Wayhay.’”
Pigs or piggies is a slang term for badgers commonly used by wildlife criminals like Martin.
A second video, posted on TikTok, shows Storm standing in a field with blood around her chest, face and head.
Storm and an unidentified lurcher dog then attack a live badger before the video cuts into another where a fox “appears to have Storm by the collar”.
At the start of a third video, posted on TikTok, Martin tells his audience: “Hold on to your fucking hats. What you’re about to see isn’t 100% legal”.
A series of photographs then show several dogs standing in a field followed by a video of Storm beside a dead fox lying on the ground.
Martin initially denied causing his dogs to fight with badgers and foxes on various occasions but later changed his plea to guilty.
His lawyer Gregor Kelly of Lefevre Litigation initially claimed his client was “out at night shooting foxes as he thinks he’s entitled to do with his dogs.”
Kelly continued: “At the time, when foxes have been shot, he encourages the dogs to go and retrieve, as they’re trained to do, and dispatch the foxes.
“On one occasion, they encountered a badger.”
Kelly conceded that “immature” and “frightened” Martin saw foxes and badgers as “vermin” but “accepts these are views not acceptable in modern Scotland”.
He told the court that Martin planned to work as a joiner to support his partner and children in the future.
Sheriff Ian Wallace told Martin: “I don’t accept the explanation you gave to the social worker.
“It’s clear from the narrative you were causing, intentionally, these animals to fight and that caused injuries and/or death to not just the foxes and badgers but to your own dogs.”
Martin has since signed ownership of the dogs over to the SSPCA, which has rehomed them.
Sentencing | 175 hours of unpaid work. Banned from keeping or working with dogs for just five years (expires December 2028).
‘Not Guilty’ (2023) | huntsman Myles O’Connor, born c 1993, of 3 Greenwells Cottages, Melrose TD6 9HE – cleared of illegally hunting a fox with dogs.
Myles O’Connor, formerly a whipper-in with the Buccleuch Hunt, is now believed to be working for the Old Berkshire Hunt in Faringdon, Oxfordshire. Image credit: Scottish Borders Hunt Sabs
O’Connor, of the Buccleuch Hunt based in the Scottish Borders, was found not guilty of hunting a fox with dogs at Hume, near Kelso, on 22 December 2021.
It was claimed that a hound started chasing a fox after picking up a scent and nothing was done to stop the pursuit.
Myles O’Connor gets friendly with fellow wildlife killer Tim Allen, also of the Buccleuch Hunt. Source: Scottish Borders Hunt Sabs
However, Mark Moir KC said in his closing statement: “Mr O’Connor did not see the single hound chasing the fox and therefore was not deliberately involved in encouraging the hunting.”
After considering the evidence, Sheriff Peter Paterson agreed and delivered a not guilty verdict.
He said: “It is well known that cases of this nature involve highly emotive issues with a clear polar divide.
“That is not a matter for the court. It is for the court to apply the law.
“In this case, thankfully and possibly for the last time, this does not need the complexities of the 2002 Act.
“It boils down to whether the accused witnessed the single hound pursuing the fox and under the law I need to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt.”
Sheriff Paterson said he agreed with Mr Moir’s position that O’Connor did not see the hound pursuing the fox and, if he had, he would have taken steps to recall that hound.
He added he had no difficulty in returning a not guilty verdict in this case.
O’Connor, who gave an address in Melrose, is no longer with the Buccleuch Hunt and is understood to be working for the Old Berkshire Hunt, which is based in Faringdon, Oxfordshire.
Robbie Marsland, director of the LACS, said it was disappointed with “yet another not guilty verdict”.
He said it showed the need for a “new, stronger law” to replace the 2002 act, which the group said had led to only one successful prosecution for mounted fox hunting.
CONVICTED (2023) | Richard Adrian Rosen, born June 1958, of 78 Twyford Avenue, Muswell Hill, London N2 9NN – poisoned a fox cub.
Despite subjecting a trapped fox cub to a slow, painful death, Richard Rosen walked free from court with a conditional discharge
Rosen told the court that having caught the cub he decided to try to “humanely euthanise” her as he had no safe way of releasing her.
But a judge decided that Rosen caused the fox unnecessary suffering as he placed her in a wheelie bin and then in a rubble sack along with a bowl of dichloromethane (DCM) – a banned poison.
Rosen laid the trap at the end of his garden in Twyford Avenue, Muswell Hill, on the evening of May 18, 2021, to catch a rat that his lodger Annabel Eager had seen.
The following morning a three-month old fox cub weighing 2kgs was found in the trap.
District Judge Denis Brennan said: “As [Rosen] approached it, it was scrabbling, digging at the concrete, with eyes frantic, snarling, with bared teeth. He did not know what to do but decided against release as he feared it might bite him.”
Rosen collected a bottle of an old poison from the 1980s which he believed was chloroform. However, the bottle was clearly labelled DCM – a now banned substance which was used in paint stripper products until 2010.
Rosen pictured holding the cage with the dead fox cub inside
As he collected the poison from her bathroom, Ms Eager said her landlord sounded proud of himself that he had caught the fox.
Describing the fox, Ms Eager said: “Her fur was sticking out of the bars a little bit. She was cramped, stressed, she looked like she had been there a long time.
“She was having a dig into the corners trying to find a way of getting out of but it was locked, she couldn’t get out.”
Defending Rosen, Anthony James said: “The defendant took some steps before making the decision to euthanise the fox. He called the vets, who were unable to assist him.
“He then called the RSPCA and remained on the phone for approximately 10 minutes but was unable to get through to anyone. He was of the view that the fox needed to be dealt with quickly.”
Rosen then placed the caged fox in a wheelie bin with a bowl of DCM. When after around 40 minutes it was still alive, Rosen also covered the caged fox with a thick rubble bag.
After Ms Eager phoned the RSPCA, one of the charity’s officers Jack Taylor arrived at the property.
“I asked Mr Rosen why he killed the fox. He told me he caught a fox accidentally and proceeded to kill it using chloroform,” Mr Taylor said.
“I asked why he didn’t release the fox. He told me because foxes are vermin and that would be unthinkable.”
When he was asked to surrender the dead fox, Mr Taylor said: “Mr Rosen shook the fox out of the cage as if he was trying to get ketchup out of a bottle.”
Rosen told the court he would not have killed it if he had been given advice by the RSPCA but he was unable to get help.
When asked why he described foxes as vermin, he said: “I was upset, foxes had been s***ing on my driveway, I was annoyed.”
Two animal forensics experts called to give evidence were unable to agree on whether the animal suffered before her death
Dr Sean Taylor, called by prosecutor Hazel Stevens, said that inside the wheelie bin the poison would evaporate and cause the fox to suffer. Dr Taylor said the fox’s eyes, nose and airways would all be stinging because of the irritant.
“It certainly would cause a fox distress when that substance is inhaled, which of course would have been unavoidable for the fox,” he said.
However, Dr David Bailey, who was called by defence counsel Mr James, said the fox appeared to have died peacefully.
Dr Bailey said: “There was no external trauma. Animals that are distressed in these situations often defecate themselves or urinate themselves. There was no sign of this.”
Dr Bailey suggested the fox may have died due to a build-up of carbon dioxide rather than due to a lack of oxygen.
“You don’t suffer, smell or detect a build-up of CO2,” he said. “The fox would have experienced, in my opinion, a very similar process to how they slaughter pigs.”
However, in his judgement District Judge Brennan said: “There is ample evidence here, on the facts, that the fox cub was caused unnecessary suffering by the combination of inhalation of DCM in the confined space of the closed wheelie bin and suffocation within the bag within the bin.
“It was clearly in that bin for at least 40 mins before being wrapped up in the builder’s bag. It did not die instantaneously from inhalation of DCM, on the evidence here. This is not a case of industrial amounts of carbon dioxide being applied very quickly.
“Therefore the only possible explanation, taking the acknowledged stress the animal was under before it was put inside the bin, is that for an unknown but significant period before unconsciousness occurred, it would have suffered due to the effects of DCM and the lack of oxygen.”
On September 22, 2023) Rosen was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and administering a poisonous substance to a protected animal.
Sentencing | 12-month conditional discharge. Ordered to pay £12,000 in costs to the RSPCA.
CONVICTED (2023) | former head gamekeeper David John Scott, born c. 1989, of Bridgehaugh, Dufftown, Keith AB55 4DS – kept 14 dogs in appalling conditions at the home he shared with wife Gillian Elizabeth Scott.
David Scott, a former gamekeeper, admitted neglecting 14 dogs with additional charges relating to dog fighting and setting a dog on a snared fox were dropped. Photo credit: Press & Journal
Scott admitted a catalogue of animal welfare offences in relation to 14 neglected dogs.
The Crown accepted a not guilty plea from his wife, Gillian Scott.
The court heard Scott had been head gamekeeper at Cabrach and Glenfiddich Estates until the raid on his home in September 2022.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke said the Scottish SPCA’s special investigation unit had received a tip-off about the welfare of animals being kept by the Scotts during August 2022 and attended the scene with police.
Wife Gillian Scott escaped punishment after her not guilty plea was accepted by the court
There they found three “wet, extremely dirty” and “totally unacceptable” kennel blocks, each without any sleeping areas for the dogs.
Ms Poke said: “There was a strong smell of faeces and urine abundant throughout the kennels,
“There were no dry areas for the dogs to lie down and no evidence of any dog food.”
The officers found a barrel full of rotten meat and fish it was suggested this is what the dogs were being fed.
All 14 dogs were removed to the care of the SSPCA and were said to have been “suffering and in distress”.
Scott admitted causing unnecessary suffering and pain to dogs by not seeking veterinary treatment or providing them with essential care.
Photo credit: Press & Journal
As part of a plea bargain, a not guilty plea to a charge that Scott trained a male black and tan dog called Boysie to fight and supplied videos of his brawls was accepted by the Crown.
The dog-fights were said to have taken place at the home address.
Another offence, whilst at Cabrach and Glenfiddich Estate on July 13 2022, of snaring a fox and letting his dog attack it, was also dropped.
The 14 neglected dogs included:
Ellie, a female harrier-type dog, who suffered an ear mite infection for weeks without getting treatment.
Babatoots, a female spaniel who also had infected ears and gums for weeks without medical help.
Toots, another female spaniel who suffered from infections of the ears and gums.
Sadie, a female spaniel who had chronic ear infections and conjunctivitis.
Defence counsel Callum Anderson said the couple had been going through a “difficult period” in their lives at the time of the police raid. He said Scott had accepted the conditions were “awful” and said the kennels had become so wet due to a “torrential storm” the night before.
Mr Anderson said Mrs Scott still owns two dogs as family pets and said the lapse was due to “dramatic circumstances”, including the death of her father and a medical issue around the date of the offences.
“They accept they were not dealing with matters at that time. That is the reason why veterinary treatment was neglected,” he said.
Scott had lost his position as head gamekeeper after the raid and had been “demoted sideways”, whilst still earning a salary of £40,000 plus accommodation worth £15,000 per annum.
“He recognises it was not acceptable and lessons have been learned,” Mr Anderson said.
On sentencing, Sheriff Robert McDonald said Scott had “failed to keep a grip” on his animals, adding: “No matter how bad your life is, your animals still need looking after.
“The dogs don’t care. If things are tough, you should make arrangements for them.
“I am conscious of your employment and that you may be around dogs when out on a shoot. I have the power to impose a custodial sentence or a £20,000 fine.
“However, I have taken this into account and take a serious view and will impose a fine.”
Sentencing | fined £1,275. Banned from owning more than two dogs for just three years (expires September 2026).
