Message from Sheffield Hunt Sabs
23rd August 2021
Phillip Watts today pleaded guilty to Livestock Worrying after he lost control of the High Peak hounds as they chased a calf last season, in an incident which made national press. Watts left the High Peak soon after.
He was given a six month conditional discharge and ordered to pay around £80 court costs, a fairly low sum considering the stress the calf was put through. Not to worry though, it seems likely AXA will have been on hand to cover any legal fees, considering Watts initial not guilty plea.
It was claimed by defence lawyer Stephen Welford, professional defender of hunters and their misdemeanours, that Watts had no idea where the trail had been laid and had in fact been taken to a field which the hunt weren’t allowed to lay trails in that day!
It was then stated that an inexperienced trail layer had put too much scent down, the calf had crossed the scent line while running away from hounds, picked up some of the scent, which caused the hounds to chase them. Whatever you make of that, it certainly seems slimey Welford was worth the money.
(Watch the video of the calf being chased here and read the original article here)
The defence also claimed Watts had an incident free 40 years in hunt service before retiring. He surely means 38 years, considering he was questioned by police after hounds chased a hare in 2020 and managed to cast his hounds onto the A1 while York and Ainsty North huntsman in 2017, in an incident resulted in one hound being killed by a car.
The ordeal surely shows that trail hunting as a smokescreen for chasing wildlife will result in accidents, unless it is all the hounds know. After all, 15 years since the hunting act, why should they be following anything else?
For more info on the calf chasing incident and AXA hunt insurance policy, be sure to check the links on our Facebook comments!
What arrogance these disgusting scum have. Do they think for a minute that the public are going to turn a blind eye to there disgusting behaviour.These people ARE being watched more and more. The public ARE fed up with them constantly getting away with there vile, behaviour towards our ever more struggling wildlife. 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
SO right Jante, scum like this should be sent to prison then they would have a criminal record. When is this illegal hunting going to end??on and on it goes breaking the law all the time like you say we are all fed up with it decent people are appauled with what these parasites get away with. The laws in this country are crap and need changing. I don’t drive anymore so my licence is not up to date I am a pensioner but think might borrow a car and go out see if I get caught breaking the law?????????????????????Wonder what would happen?????????????????
They should lock the vile lowlife filth up and throw away the key. 😡😡😡😡😡😡