CONVICTED (2022) | badger baiters Jamie Lee Davies, born 16 December 1988, of 13 North Street, Castleford WF10 2QL, Nathaniel James Holmes, born 26 December 1992, of 45 St Andrews Road, Castleford WF10 2NF, and Brandon Reece Abbott, born 2 June 1993, of 171 Watling Road, Castleford WF10 2QY

The men were spotted on Boxing Day 2019 with five dogs and spades in private woodland near Church Fenton in North Yorkshire.

A member of public was suspicious of their actions and called the landowner and police.

When the landowner arrived, he discovered three spades left in a pool of water and a black terrier dog with serious injuries, sitting close to a known active badger sett.

As the trio tried to leave the area, they were stopped by an officer from North Yorkshire Police. The officer seized the four dogs, who were taken to police kennels, while the black terrier was taken to a vet.

He was found to have injuries to his jaw and teeth which were consistent with being caused by a badger. He was also covered in dried, caked mud. The dog was treated by a local vet and has since been rehomed.

A statement from North Yorkshire Police, said: “It has taken a long time to get this case through the courts due to covid and other delays but I’m pleased that the three men have finally faced the consequences of their cruel actions.

“Interfering with a badger sett is not only illegal but it causes immense suffering to both the badgers involved and the dogs who are sent down the setts.

“The black terrier we found at the scene had serious injuries to his jaw and teeth which the vet identified as consistent with those seen by dogs involved in badger baiting. The people who take part in this abhorrent ‘sport’ will send a dog down into a badger sett in order to ‘flush out’ the badger and use locator collars to keep track of where they are underground.

“Sometimes the badger will be allowed to run away but often they will be brought to the surface and the dogs encouraged to fight them, sometimes ending in the badger’s death and nearly always ending with both the dog and the badger suffering serious injuries.

“The dog we found had a number of older injuries which had not been treated, causing him immense pain.

“I’d like to thank the quick thinking members of the public who spotted what these men were up to and called the police and I’d also like to thank our expert witnesses who supported our investigation.”

Sentencing |
All three received fines and no other penalties. Jamie Davies was fined £428, Nathaniel Holmes was fined £252. Brandon Abbott was fined £656.

Yorkshire Post
ITV News

Additional Information

Holmes, Davies and Abbott were discovered by the landowner’s daughter in a privately owned wood and in broad daylight on Boxing Day 2019. Aware that the three men had seen her, the young girl decided not to turn and run, but very bravely confronted them and asked what they were up to in her wood. Two men were digging into the large badger sett whilst the third man told the girl, “We’ve lost our dog. It’s chased a fox, We have permission.”

The men had a cover story prepared and hoped that the girl was naive enough to accept it and walk away. However, having watched badgers all her life at this sett, the girl knew exactly what the men were up to and once out of earshot, rang her dad, the farmer.

After calling the police, the farmer drove immediately to where the three men had parked their silver Subaru Forester, registration number SL03 HWT. The men, now unsettled, left the badger sett and made their way across a muddy field with four dogs, crossing a deep dyke and back towards their car and the waiting farmer.

After angrily confronting the men, the farmer traced their footsteps back across the field where he found two spades dumped in a puddle of water. A third spade was later found during crop spraying. No locator collar from the dog was ever found, a point which the defence impressed upon the Magistrates.

Disposing of incriminating items such as spades and locator collar will often save badger diggers from facing more serious charges and can make the case harder for the prosecution.

Thankfully, due to the quick actions of the farmer and his daughter, the police were able to intercept the Subaru car containing the men and four of their dogs (none were microchipped).

The fifth dog, a badly injured Patterdale terrier, was found sat on top of the badger sett, trembling, very timid and caked in mud. He was treated by a vet who found old and infected wounds together with a fresh lower jaw injury consistent with coming head to head with a badger. None of the men claimed ownership of this dog who was treated for the horrific injuries and later rehomed.

Sadly the other four dogs may not be so lucky. They can now be returned to their owners together with the Subaru car! It is heartbreaking to learn that the kennels where the dogs have been safely housed for two years had good homes waiting for them at the conclusion of this case. One can only guess at the fate that awaits them when returned to their owners.

Due to the pandemic and other issues, this case has been continually delayed. Originally heard at York Magistrates Court, it was moved to Scarborough, thus losing much of the initial impact presented by the Prosecution in York.

The farmer, his daughter, a badger expert, the police and veterinary surgeon all presented credible evidence in York.

Abbott and Holmes gave their employment as groundworks with Wakefield Council. Jamie Davies/Milner is a self employed painter and decorator trading under the name J.Davies painting contractors and undertakes work within care homes and letting organisations, both in the public and private sectors.

In December 2020Jamie Davies was convicted alongside others of stripping copper wire from power lines putting lives at risk and leaving 45,000 homes without power. He was jailed for 18 months. The full story can be found here.

Source: York Anti-Hunt League