Hare coursers banned from driving
Discussion
Interesting punishments.
Story::>
23 February 2005 06:19
Six men caught hare-coursing illegally on farmland in West Norfolk were all banned from driving and fined a total of £4000 yesterday .
The group, aged 17 to 31 and all from outside the region, appeared at King's Lynn magistrates and admitted one charge each of trespassing in pursuit of game at Terrington Marsh, near Lynn, on November 17.
Joseph Jefford, 21, of Scotland Road, James Crickmore, 24, and William Winter, 27, of separate addresses in Fen Road, Chesterton, near Cambridge; Joseph Lee, 17 , of Green End, Landbeach, near Cambridge; Matthew Wenman, 20, of Ellens Green, Horsham, West Sussex, and Joe Winter, 31, of White Rose Walk, Cambridge, were all unrepresented in court.
Nicholas Crampton, prosecuting, explained that a farm worker at Simmington Farm, Terrington St Clement, saw about a dozen men on its land on the day in question.
“Mr Simmington would say that the private farm roads have locked barriers and gates in order to deter the dumping and burning of cars and to deter those who would trespass on the land,” he said.
“At around 3pm he reported seeing upwards of a dozen people with between eight and 10 lurcher type dogs on a field owned by the company apparently involved in what he called hare coursing.”
Police arrived and discovered a Land Rover and Toyota and a number of men and dogs involved in seeking hares across one of the fields.
The men dispersed, with some walking back to the Toyota and the police, while Crickmore and Jefford remained in the field.
“They were 100 yards in to the field and had two dogs with them and were seen to chase a hare,” said Mr Crampton.
“One of the dogs caught the hare and a large cheer went up from the group that had gathered near to the police officers. Someone made a remark like 'well, that's one all.'”
The court heard all 11 men and their nine dogs were rounded up and were courteous to the police.
Mr Crampton added that illegal hare coursing severely disrupted efforts to increase the dwindling numbers of brown hare in Britain.
He argued that forfeiture of offenders' cars would greatly reduce the chance of re-offending.
As reported in the EDP, he put forward the pioneering punishment for the first time during a similar case in Lynn 18 months ago.
Speaking to the bench, each defendant said he was just a spectator and did not own either of the cars.
William and Joe Winter, Jefford, Wenman, and Crickmore said their jobs would suffer if they were disqualified from driving, while Lee said he would not be able to get to boxing training.
Crickmore and Jefford, who have similar previous convictions, were each fined £1000, with the remaining four defendants each given a £500 fine.
All were banned from driving until April 1, formerly the end of the hare coursing season, before it was banned last week.
The bench also ordered the forfeiture of the Toyota and Land Rover and told each defendant to pay £15 towards costs.
When told about the driving ban by presiding magistrate Bob Childs, Crickmore said it was “absolutely ridiculous” and asked to see a solicitor. William Winter complained: “There's a ban on hunting, there'll be no hunting anyway.”
All men were warned they could be put in contempt of court.
John Jefford, 28, of Scotland Road; Christopher Jenkins, 19, and Henry Lee, of separate addresses in Fen Road, Chesterton, near Cambridge, and John Lee, 31, of Gypsy Lane, Wellingborough, were all convicted of the same offence in their absence.
The case was adjourned for sentence until March 22.
link
Story::>
23 February 2005 06:19
Six men caught hare-coursing illegally on farmland in West Norfolk were all banned from driving and fined a total of £4000 yesterday .
The group, aged 17 to 31 and all from outside the region, appeared at King's Lynn magistrates and admitted one charge each of trespassing in pursuit of game at Terrington Marsh, near Lynn, on November 17.
Joseph Jefford, 21, of Scotland Road, James Crickmore, 24, and William Winter, 27, of separate addresses in Fen Road, Chesterton, near Cambridge; Joseph Lee, 17 , of Green End, Landbeach, near Cambridge; Matthew Wenman, 20, of Ellens Green, Horsham, West Sussex, and Joe Winter, 31, of White Rose Walk, Cambridge, were all unrepresented in court.
Nicholas Crampton, prosecuting, explained that a farm worker at Simmington Farm, Terrington St Clement, saw about a dozen men on its land on the day in question.
“Mr Simmington would say that the private farm roads have locked barriers and gates in order to deter the dumping and burning of cars and to deter those who would trespass on the land,” he said.
“At around 3pm he reported seeing upwards of a dozen people with between eight and 10 lurcher type dogs on a field owned by the company apparently involved in what he called hare coursing.”
Police arrived and discovered a Land Rover and Toyota and a number of men and dogs involved in seeking hares across one of the fields.
The men dispersed, with some walking back to the Toyota and the police, while Crickmore and Jefford remained in the field.
“They were 100 yards in to the field and had two dogs with them and were seen to chase a hare,” said Mr Crampton.
“One of the dogs caught the hare and a large cheer went up from the group that had gathered near to the police officers. Someone made a remark like 'well, that's one all.'”
The court heard all 11 men and their nine dogs were rounded up and were courteous to the police.
Mr Crampton added that illegal hare coursing severely disrupted efforts to increase the dwindling numbers of brown hare in Britain.
He argued that forfeiture of offenders' cars would greatly reduce the chance of re-offending.
As reported in the EDP, he put forward the pioneering punishment for the first time during a similar case in Lynn 18 months ago.
Speaking to the bench, each defendant said he was just a spectator and did not own either of the cars.
William and Joe Winter, Jefford, Wenman, and Crickmore said their jobs would suffer if they were disqualified from driving, while Lee said he would not be able to get to boxing training.
Crickmore and Jefford, who have similar previous convictions, were each fined £1000, with the remaining four defendants each given a £500 fine.
All were banned from driving until April 1, formerly the end of the hare coursing season, before it was banned last week.
The bench also ordered the forfeiture of the Toyota and Land Rover and told each defendant to pay £15 towards costs.
When told about the driving ban by presiding magistrate Bob Childs, Crickmore said it was “absolutely ridiculous” and asked to see a solicitor. William Winter complained: “There's a ban on hunting, there'll be no hunting anyway.”
All men were warned they could be put in contempt of court.
John Jefford, 28, of Scotland Road; Christopher Jenkins, 19, and Henry Lee, of separate addresses in Fen Road, Chesterton, near Cambridge, and John Lee, 31, of Gypsy Lane, Wellingborough, were all convicted of the same offence in their absence.
The case was adjourned for sentence until March 22.
link
What a bunch of twits.
Hare hunters - twits for doing it where they could be easily seen and reported and not having properly got permission from the landowner to be there however "unofficial".
The whole pantomime of taking them to court - Good Lord, aren't there more pressing issues?
Driving bans - I find this ridiculous. They did not commit a road traffic offence. This is like banning someone from driving because they indecently exposed themselves in public - no correlation between crime and punishment at all.
As to confiscation of vehicles...dear oh dear.
Better to have fined them all. It sounds to me like they'd have paid up and put up.
MilnerR said:
Hang on, isnt trespass a civil offence?
Not under the Criminal Justice and public order act 1994. Its now a criminal offence and quite right too! Land owners can now use reasonable force to remove trespassers from their property
Except where they have flippin' "right to roam"...then simply being there isn't enough...
OK let's follow the logic on this one.
Ban them from driving because they used their cars to get to wherever they committed the crime.
What if they'd got a friend to drive? Ban him from driving? Or maybe ban the criminal from having friends.
What if he'd have got a cab there? Ban cabs? Ban the cab driver?
What if he walked there? Ban walking, feet or shoes?
Ban them from driving because they used their cars to get to wherever they committed the crime.
What if they'd got a friend to drive? Ban him from driving? Or maybe ban the criminal from having friends.
What if he'd have got a cab there? Ban cabs? Ban the cab driver?
What if he walked there? Ban walking, feet or shoes?
Well actually that is precisely the line taken by the Avon and Somerset Constabulary the other day when a hawker threw a stone through our front window (on account of my wife telling him she couldn't talk to him because she was bathing youngest nipper).
We got a letter and a leaflet. Crime duly dealt with.
We got a letter and a leaflet. Crime duly dealt with.
Don said:
Except where they have flippin' "right to roam"...then simply being there isn't enough...
If they are on private land doing something that they don't have permission to do then its still trespass. e.g. they have permission to cross the land but if they sit and have a picnic or pitch a tent they're trespassers
c c said:
Interesting punishments.
Story::>
23 February 2005 06:19
Six men caught hare-coursing illegally on farmland in West Norfolk were all banned from driving and fined a total of £4000 yesterday .
The group, aged 17 to 31 and all from outside the region, appeared at King's Lynn magistrates and admitted one charge each of trespassing in pursuit of game at Terrington Marsh, near Lynn, on November 17.
Joseph Jefford, 21, of Scotland Road, James Crickmore, 24, and William Winter, 27, of separate addresses in Fen Road, Chesterton, near Cambridge; Joseph Lee, 17 , of Green End, Landbeach, near Cambridge; Matthew Wenman, 20, of Ellens Green, Horsham, West Sussex, and Joe Winter, 31, of White Rose Walk, Cambridge, were all unrepresented in court.
Nicholas Crampton, prosecuting, explained that a farm worker at Simmington Farm, Terrington St Clement, saw about a dozen men on its land on the day in question.
“Mr Simmington would say that the private farm roads have locked barriers and gates in order to deter the dumping and burning of cars and to deter those who would trespass on the land,” he said.
“At around 3pm he reported seeing upwards of a dozen people with between eight and 10 lurcher type dogs on a field owned by the company apparently involved in what he called hare coursing.”
Police arrived and discovered a Land Rover and Toyota and a number of men and dogs involved in seeking hares across one of the fields.
The men dispersed, with some walking back to the Toyota and the police, while Crickmore and Jefford remained in the field.
“They were 100 yards in to the field and had two dogs with them and were seen to chase a hare,” said Mr Crampton.
“One of the dogs caught the hare and a large cheer went up from the group that had gathered near to the police officers. Someone made a remark like 'well, that's one all.'”
The court heard all 11 men and their nine dogs were rounded up and were courteous to the police.
Mr Crampton added that illegal hare coursing severely disrupted efforts to increase the dwindling numbers of brown hare in Britain.
He argued that forfeiture of offenders' cars would greatly reduce the chance of re-offending.
As reported in the EDP, he put forward the pioneering punishment for the first time during a similar case in Lynn 18 months ago.
Speaking to the bench, each defendant said he was just a spectator and did not own either of the cars.
William and Joe Winter, Jefford, Wenman, and Crickmore said their jobs would suffer if they were disqualified from driving, while Lee said he would not be able to get to boxing training.
Crickmore and Jefford, who have similar previous convictions, were each fined £1000, with the remaining four defendants each given a £500 fine.
All were banned from driving until April 1, formerly the end of the hare coursing season, before it was banned last week.
The bench also ordered the forfeiture of the Toyota and Land Rover and told each defendant to pay £15 towards costs.
When told about the driving ban by presiding magistrate Bob Childs, Crickmore said it was “absolutely ridiculous” and asked to see a solicitor. William Winter complained: “There's a ban on hunting, there'll be no hunting anyway.”
All men were warned they could be put in contempt of court.
John Jefford, 28, of Scotland Road; Christopher Jenkins, 19, and Henry Lee, of separate addresses in Fen Road, Chesterton, near Cambridge, and John Lee, 31, of Gypsy Lane, Wellingborough, were all convicted of the same offence in their absence.
The case was adjourned for sentence until March 22.
link
Excellent stuff. Break the law, suffer the consequences.
I think its creative sentencing by the magistrates.
How often have fines for this sort of offence not been paid. At least the car is some sort of tangible asset to forfeit.
As for the hare couresrs! Prior to the resent hunting ban, there has been several reports of farmers in East Anglia being intimated by gangs looking for somewhere to carry out their coursing activities.
How often have fines for this sort of offence not been paid. At least the car is some sort of tangible asset to forfeit.
As for the hare couresrs! Prior to the resent hunting ban, there has been several reports of farmers in East Anglia being intimated by gangs looking for somewhere to carry out their coursing activities.
bruciebabe said:
Excellent stuff. Break the law, suffer the consequences.
Nothing to do with this issue - being as I still the lot of them were twits - most especially the lads who clearly did things without the landowner's consent and got caught for it royally and most deserved.
But from a PHer who, for an almost certaintly, drives his car above the speed limit thrice daily that's hilarious...argue oh that's different as much you like....
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