CONVICTED (2017) | vicious poaching gang Mark Amos Mabey, born c. 1964, of Wareham Road, Lytchett Matravers, Poole BH16, Lewis Todd Longstaffe, born 26 September 1994, of 128 Sandy Lane, Upton, Poole BH16 5LY, and Edward Turner, born c. 1965, of Lockyers Drive, Ferndown BH22 – found with 100 dead or injured pheasants in their car.
The court heard that at around 12.35am on Wednesday January 6, 2016, a land worker was alerted by an acquaintance to possible poaching activity taking place on the private land he manages to the north of Wimborne and alerted police.
The man located the offenders inside a Mitsubishi 4×4. The Mitsubishi reversed at speed toward the victim’s vehicle and crashed into it. The offenders also fired a steel shot at the man and his car, the court was told.
The man managed to reverse away from the offenders and lost sight of them.
The police helicopter tracked the men to Tarrant Monkton where they were arrested.
The Mitsubishi was recovered and examined. The boot contained more than 100 pheasants that were either dead, or alive but maimed.
Mark Mabey was found guilty of affray. He also pleaded guilty to night poaching. He was handed a 10-month prison sentence suspended for two years, a 20-day rehabilitation order, 80 hours of unpaid work and a one-year exclusion from the estate where he committed the offences.
Lewis Longstaffe, a previous offender, and Edward Turner pleaded guilty night poaching. Longstaffe was fined £337 and ordered to pay £150 costs. Turner received a £202 fine and £150 costs. The pair were also handed a two-year restraining order that prevents them from contacting the victim or entering their land.
Update | October 2023
On Monday 23 October 2023, Mark Mabey was sentenced to five months in jail, suspended for 18 months, and banned from having anything to do with dogs until October 2030. He was also ordered to carry out unpaid work and subjected to a tagging order.
He was prosecuted alongside various relatives/associates (charges against others possibly dropped) after police seized 11 dogs from his home after they were deemed by a vet to be suffering.
Bit Of Work The Scum Want.
They wouldn’t have the energy, to go out Hunting or Lamping or whatever else they have been up, to before they were caught.
They have brought Shame To Their Families.
Their Children will be Bullied in School and out the Street.
Shame on them.
They won’t have no luck for what they have done.