Kimblewick Hunt Terrier Men Given Suspended Sentence for Animal Cruelty
Mark Vincent and Ian Parkinson have been given 12 week prison sentences, suspended for 1 year, and community service after being found guilty of keeping a fox captive and inflicting suffering upon it in breach of the Animal Welfare Act. Both men were employed by the Kimblewick Hunt at the time of the offence on 1st January this year.
The prosecution came about after footage was passed to the Hunt Saboteurs Association by the Covert Film Unit showing the two men releasing a captive fox to be chased and killed by the Kimblewick hunts hounds. Their actions not only cause unnecessary harm to the fox but are also carried out to facilitate illegal hunting.
The footage was filmed on New Years Day when the hunt met at Moreton, Thame, Oxon. It shows the hunt terrier men using draining rods to force the fox, that they’ve been holding captive, out of a drainage pipe then being thrown into the wood for hounds to chase. The terriermen can clearly be heard communicating with the huntsman agreeing when the best time is to release the fox which is given a brief head start so that the hunt riders experience a chase rather than a quick kill.
In her summing up the judge stated that it was high level, premeditated animal cruelty that had been done to facilitate illegal acts. In mitigation she said the two men were clearly acting under instruction from those higher up in the hunt.
Lee Moon, Spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: “We're pleased that justice has been done and the two hunt employees have been punished for their part in this shocking incident. However lets be perfectly clear, what's shown in this footage is not an unusual act in the world of organised fox hunting but rather a common place, every day action carried out by hunt terrier men week-in week-out across the country. The only difference is that these two have been caught due to the actions of the Covert Film Unit who passed their footage onto the Hunt Saboteurs Association.
It's vital that this situation isn't passed off by the hunting community as a couple of bad apples ruining it for everyone else. The footage clearly shows the whole hunt were complicit in the events that took place in January this year and therefore should all pay the penalty for this inexcusable cruelty. We again ask the Masters of Foxhounds Association, who regulate fox hunts in the UK, why they haven't suspended the Kimblewick's membership and carried out their own investigation of this criminal conspiracy? Their lack of action appears to give tacit approval to this behaviour and again suggests how commonplace it is within the hunting world.”
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LEAVE OR REMAIN? REES-MOGG VOTES TO QUIT ILLEGAL HARE HUNT
The HSA can reveal that Tory MP and Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has recently cancelled his membership of a controversial hunt group.
Rees-Mogg has been a paying subscriber to the Chilmark & Clifton Foot Beagles for about a decade, but has recently decided not to renew his subscription. Like all beagle packs, the Chilmark & Clifton Foot continue to hunt hares under the guise of “trail hunting.” The HSA believes that Rees-Mogg is trying to sever his links with hunting before the general election in a few weeks time.
HSA Press Officer, Lee Moon commented, “When even a fanatical hunt supporter like Jacob Rees-Mogg is distancing himself from a hunt you have to ask what is going on. If the Chilmark & Clifton Foot are really engaged in trail hunting then why is Rees-Mogg turning his back on them?”
Rees-Mogg also has close family ties to the neighbouring Mendip Farmers Hunt and regularly hosts them at his Somerset home. Hunt sabs have frequently had to intervene when this hunt have chased foxes and blocked badger setts.
Notes to editors:
(1) The Chilmark & Clifton Foot Beagles are one of about sixty beagle packs that hunt hares on foot.
(2) Footage of the Mendip Farmers Hunt chasing a fox can be seen here :https://www.league.org.uk/
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Kimblewick Hunt Terrier Men found Guilty of Animal Cruelty
Hunt Saboteurs Association News Release 30th October 2019
Mark Vincent and Ian Parkinson have been found guilty of keeping a fox captive and inflicting suffering upon it in breach of the Animal Welfare Act. Both men were employed by the Kimblewick Hunt at the time of the offence on 1st January this year. The trial took place at Oxford Magistrates Court and the two will be sentenced on 26th November. The Judge in the case advised the defendants to expect a custodial sentence.
The prosecution came about after footage was passed to the Hunt Saboteurs Association by the Covert Film Unit showing the two men releasing a captive fox to be chased and killed by the Kimblewick hunts hounds. Their actions not only cause unnecessary harm to the fox but are also carried out to facilitate illegal hunting.
The footage was filmed on New Years Day when the hunt met at Moreton, Thame, Oxon. It shows the hunt terrier men using draining rods to force the fox, that they’ve been holding captive, out of a drainage pipe then being thrown into the wood for hounds to chase. The terriermen can clearly be heard communicating with the huntsman agreeing when the best time is to release the fox which is given a brief head start so that the hunt riders experience a chase rather than a quick kill.
Lee Moon, Spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: “We're pleased that justice has been done and look forward to Vincent and Parkinson receiving the prison sentence their actions deserve.
What we also want to see is further prosecutions against the huntsman, Hunt masters and the Kimblewick Hunt itself. This was clearly a criminal conspiracy between the two defendants and the rest of the hunt to release a captive fox to be illegally hunted and all those involved should be punished. We also expect the Countryside Alliance to condemn this hunt and for the Masters of Foxhounds Association to kick them out of the association. Anything less will be tacit approval of animal cruelty and illegal hunting.”
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