Fox Attack Case Discontinued Against Avon Vale Terrierman

Terrierman Alex Warden (in blue jumper) retrieves his terrier from the dug out badger sett as fiance Melissa Hyde leans over.

There could not be a more obvious case of illegal hunting than that captured on camera by fox hunter Harry Mayo at a meet of the Avon Vale Hunt in Brokerswood in December 2022.

The video, which showed Avon Vale terrierman Alex Warden retrieve his terrier from a badger sett, as someone lifted the doomed fox from the ground and threw them to the waiting hounds who proceeded to tear the terrified animal apart. A second fox bolted, to delighted squeals of the baying hunt crowd, as the Huntsman ran back to his horse to continue the chase.

Terrierman Alex Warden (in blue jumper) retrieves his terrier from the dug out badger sett as fiance Melissa Hyde leans over.
Terrierman Alex Warden (in blue jumper) retrieves his terrier from the dug out badger sett as fiance Melissa Hyde leans over.

The video was leaked to Hunt Saboteurs and sent onto ITV. Most of the perpetrators were quickly identified, and subsequently Wiltshire Police charged the three most culpable – Huntsman Stuart Radbourne, Whipper-in Aaron Fookes and Hunt Terrierman Alex Warden. Radbourne and Fookes appeared in court earlier this year, and both pleaded guilty to the offences they were charged with and sentenced in July of this year.

Aaron Fookes (L) received an 18-month Community Order, 200 hours of unpaid work for Animal Welfare Act charges and fined just £833 for the Hunting Act charges.  Stuart Radbourne (R) was fined just £384 for Hunting Act offences.
Aaron Fookes (L) received an 18-month Community Order, 200 hours of unpaid work for Animal Welfare Act charges and fined just £833 for the Hunting Act charges. Stuart Radbourne (R) was fined just £384 for Hunting Act offences.

Warden, from North Bradley, also appeared in court in July but pleaded ’not guilty.’ He elected for a trial by jury which was set for 21st of December 2023. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, the CPS have now decided that they do not feel the evidence is strong enough for a realistic chance of conviction and that they have discontinued the case against him.

Warden is seen retrieving his terrier and carrying the dog away.
Warden is seen retrieving his terrier and carrying the dog away.

Warden was seen in the video retrieving his terrier from the badger sett, as his partner Melissa Hyde looked on. The offence is said to have occurred on land owned by Warden’s family. Warden was a regular terrierman out with the Avon Vale most Tuesdays, he also often rode with them, and he began Tuesday 20th December last year on his horse, and ended with assisting in the dig out, using one of his own terriers.

Warden places himself at the scene of the crime on his social media.
Warden places himself at the scene of the crime on his social media.
Avon Vale Tuesday-Terrierman Alex Warden who hid all his terriers at a relative’s house, following the video leak, pictured here with his fiance Melissa Hyde who was also present at the crime scene.
Avon Vale Tuesday-Terrierman Alex Warden who hid all his terriers at a relative’s house, following the video leak, pictured here with his fiance Melissa Hyde who was also present at the crime scene.

Terrierwork is a Hunting Act exemption, but under the exemption it is still unlawful to bolt and to hunt the fox, as is throwing the bolting fox to waiting hounds. So even this case captured on video, a clear cut case of illegal terrierwork, carried out by a named terrierman, whose co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty and received their convictions, is still able to out play the CPS and get off scot free.

For almost 20 years, hunting has been banned. Hunts stated at the time they would continue to hunt illegally, and developed the smokescreen of Trail Hunting to bamboozle courts, prosecutors, police, politicians and the public. That smokescreen has worn increasingly thin and the public is under no doubt as to the fact that hunts have continued to illegally hunt with impunity since the ban. That the CPS has failed to prosecute a culprit of such blatant criminal cruelty on such a clear-cut case as this is just one of a long line of failures of the law to act when it comes to these so-called trail hunts.

We are calling on the next government to fix the law around hunting. They must

  • Ban so-called ‘trail hunting’ – this is nothing but a smokescreen for illegal hunting
  • Immediately end ‘terrier work’ on hunts. The worst cruelty takes place here, to foxes, badgers and to terriers.
  • Close loophole exemptions including the research exemption
  • Increase sentencing powers under the Hunting Act, to bring it into line with other animal cruelty offences.

Find out more about our campaign to secure a real ban on hunting here.

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