Hare coursing sees criminals using dogs to chase hares over farmland and sometimes see large bets of money placed on the outcome. This horrendous crime damages the countryside, has a marked impact on wildlife and often causes thousands of pounds worth of damage to farmland.
Lewis Sheridan, 39-years-old, of Thicketford Road in Bolton and Joel Miller, 29-years-old, of Bryn Crescent in Rhuddlan, both pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, being equipped for searching for hares with dogs, and failure to provide driver details when requested.
They each received an 18-week sentence, suspended for 18 months, and were ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work individually at Beverley Magistrates Court on Monday 29 December. The court also imposed seven-year Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) for both Miller and Sheridan, the conditions of which will prevent them from:
• Trespassing on private farmland
• Having sighthounds unleashed on any private land without permission
• Being in a vehicle in where there are sighthounds present
• Driving any vehicle on private land, footpath or bridlepath
Breaching a CBO can result in up to five years in prison or an unlimited fine.
The CBOs have been issued following a major investigation by Humberside Police Rural Task Force working with multiple police forces and the farming community.
A major ongoing issue
NFU York East County Chair Andrew Sewell, a mixed farmer based near Melbourne, said: “We are very pleased to see this action being taken and hopefully it will act as a deterrent to stop people from committing this awful crime.
“Hare coursing is a major ongoing issue in rural communities – often leaving people feeling intimidated and unsafe in their own homes, damaging the countryside, costing farmers thousands in damage to crops and impacting our ability to deliver national food security. Hare coursing is also a major animal welfare concern.
“The NFU continues to work well with Humberside Police to help them with their efforts to tackle rural crime, so it is great to see that work making an impact.”
Police Constable Richard Fussey from the Rural Task Force said: “This case is a clear example of the partnership approach across forces and services to tackling organised wildlife crime. Support from the North Wales Rural Crime Team and Lancashire’s Rural Crime Team was vital to securing this result.
“It should send a strong message that hare coursing will not be tolerated in our force. The consequences of this offending are far-reaching, impacting not only protected wildlife but also the safety, wellbeing, and livelihoods of those living and working in the countryside.”
As part of its ongoing work to support Humberside Police, NFU members have been helping to train police call handlers recently about rural crime and its impacts.
