Four men given suspended prison sentences for hare coursing
Four men have been given the most severe sentences for hare coursing that we have seen in the UK. The men were hare coursing in Spalding on 9 November 2022, and were arrested by Lincolnshire Rural Crime officers. All four pleaded guilty to the charges against them. The four men, aged between 33 and 40, […]
Court bans hare coursing offenders from keeping dogs for 11 years
Aberdeen Sheriff Court has banned two men from keeping dogs for a total of 11 years. It comes after video footage caught the pair hare coursing. According to AberdeenLive, a witness filmed Steven McDonald and Richard Hanratty using lurchers to course a hare in Mosstown Field, Udny, in August 2019. The witness also saw two […]
First convictions using new hare coursing laws show fresh legislation is possible
New anti-hare coursing legislation came into effect last summer. We’re now seeing the first prosecutions under that law. And it shows courts can have an impact on wildlife crime – if the government wants them to. Police gained new powers to deal with hare coursing on 1 August 2022. As part of the far-reaching and […]
Hare courser has penalty increased after appealing sentence
Ryan Thomas Spence, 33, of Redcar, became the first offender in North Yorkshire to be given a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) for hare coursing offences last year. Spence, described as a ‘prolific courser’, was handed the banning order following a North Yorkshire Police investigation which saw him convicted of hunting wild mammals with dogs (contrary […]
Phone messages incriminate Scottish hare coursers
Two men have been convicted of hare coursing in Forfar Sheriff Court, Scotland, after incriminating evidence was found on seized phones. Alexander Stewart, 35, and Jackie Stewart, 42, were arrested after a farmer recognised their vehicle in the area, and called police to the scene. When they arrived, the police saw Jackie, accompanied by a […]
Tougher sentencing for hare coursing introduced
Government introduces tougher sentencing and improved powers to tackle the cruel crime of chasing hares with dogs The government has announced today that tough new measures to tackle the crime of hare coursing (chasing hares with dogs) will come into immediate force. Anyone caught hare coursing will now face an unlimited fine and up to […]
Hare coursing and hare hunting – is there police bias?
Hare coursing and hare hunting – is there police bias? During a Westminster Hall debate on a pair of anti-hunting petitions promoted by Protect the Wild (formerly Keep The Ban), the under-secretary for environment Rebecca Pow said that the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act would bring in new legislation that would “genuinely help [police] […]
New laws targetting hare coursers will come into effect from August
New laws targetting hare coursers will come into effect from 1st August, timed to start with the next hare coursing ‘season’. NEW OFFENCES, NEW PENALTIES The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act brought in new laws aimed at giving police greater powers to tackle hare coursing (a wildlife crime under the Hunting Act 2004) and […]
