Philip Saunders, huntsman of the Pipewell Foot Beagles, was yesterday found guilty of illegal hunting at Northampton magistrate’s court. Fittingly, the conviction – only the second of a hare-hunting beagle pack – came just before the 21st anniversary of the Hunting Act.
The case arose following footage taken by courageous wildlife photographer Emma Reed who captured the Pipewell Foot Beagles hunting and killing a beautiful hare at Boughton Estates, Kettering, land owned by the Duke of Buccleuch. Ms Reed’s video clearly shows Saunders growling, “Get onto it!” a hunting term used to encourage hounds to pursue and attack their quarry.
This is not the first time this criminal gang have been in trouble. In 2018, local police released images of four members of the Pipewell Foot Beagles hare hunting but failed to act even when the HSA provided some of their names.
Saunders was fined £1000, ordered to pay costs of £3,600 and a victim surcharge of £400. And, in a first for a Hunting Act case, the magistrate said: “I order the destruction of the hunting horn involved in this offence. Mr Saunders you must surrender it to the police by 5pm on February 19.”
As the horn is the principle means by which a huntsman controls the hounds, this is an entirely appropriate sanction, that the HSA believe should become standard practice in all such cases.
The HSA sends its warmest congratulations to Emma. After the case she commented,
“I am pleased with the guilty verdict as justice has been served. The judge was strong in his summing up of sending a message to the hunting community that these illegal actions will not be tolerated and are totally unacceptable.”
Well said!
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