CONVICTED (2023) | serial hare courser Liam Doherty, born c 1990, of Ince Road, Thornton, Liverpool L23 4UF – used dogs to hunt wild hares.
Doherty, who in January 2016 was convicted of the same offence* alongside Bootle men James Reid, born 1 October 1983, and Neil Walsh, born c. 1985, was convicted of hunting a wild mammal with dog/s under the Hunting Act 2004
He was prosecuted after officers from the South Rural Task Force were called to land near to the Lancashire/Merseyside border. It followed reports that a man had been seen hare coursing by the landowner in February 223.
Officers from Lancashire Constabulary attended and stopped and searched a 4×4 vehicle in a nearby residential street.
In a statement issued on October 9, 2023, South Rural Police Taskforce officer PC Helen Williams said: “Hare coursing can be extremely distressing for our community as offenders commit cruel acts towards our wildlife. It is a misconception for people to think this is a minor crime in the countryside.
“Those involved in hare coursing trespass on land, damaging crops and property. The measures farmers have to put in place to deter these offenders cost considerable amounts of money which in turn is passed onto food consumers.
“The South Rural Task Force is committed to stamping out wildlife crime in Lancashire and we would like to thank local farmers and landowners for reporting these offences.”
Sentencing | ordered to pay £537 in fines and costs. The vehicle used in the offence was also seized.
*Previous Conviction (2016)
In January 2016 Liam Doherty, James Reid and Neil Walsh were all handed Criminal Behaviour Orders after being caught using dogs to poach protected brown hares on Lancashire farmland.
Doherty, at the time living in Crosby and Reid and Walsh, both from Bootle, were caught entering farmland with four dogs with the intent of hunting brown hares.
The 18-month order prohibited the men from entering a large area of West Lancashire with a dog or being in company with anyone with a dog, until June 2017.
PC Ivan Leivers said: “These three men have regularly and routinely entered West Lancashire with the express intent of hunting a protected mammal – the brown hare – with their dogs.
“This order will ensure that if they continue to partake in this barbaric activity, they face the very real possibility of being given a custodial sentence.
“The other offenders who come here to carry out coursing should be warned we will apply for these orders wherever and whenever we can.”