Two members of the historic Meynell and South Staffordshire Hunt were today found guilty of breaching the 2004 Hunting Act. The case against the Right Honourable John Edward “Johnny” Greenall, recently resigned huntmaster and major patron of the hunt and Glen Morris, steward and assistant terrierman was based on video evidence obtained by hunt saboteurs in October last year. This is the first conviction, since hunting was banned, of illegal hunting during the cubbing season where young hounds are trained by killing foxcubs.
This is the second time in as many years that members of a major East Midlands Fox Hunt have ended up in court for alleged offences of the Hunting Act. Last year, the huntsman and terrierman of the prestigious Fernie Hunt based in Leicestershire were convicted of illegal hunting and interfering with a badger sett.
Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: “It is a great credit to these saboteurs that, despite the flaws in the Hunting act, they were able to gather concrete proof of illegal hunting. Cub hunting is one of the guilty secrets of the hunting community and we hope this evidence that it is still being practiced by such a prestigious hunt will force the police to enforce the Act more rigourously. This is proof that, over seven years after the Hunting Act became law, hunts are still training their hounds to illegally chase and kill wildlife.”
