24th February 2023
Police have thanked the public for their help in brining three men to justice in connection with hare coursing.
Three men have been sentenced trespassing with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs at Oxfordshire Magistrates’ Court this week.
Michael Toogood, 26, of Warrant Road in Market Drayton, and Ben Evans, 23, of Radmore Junction in Ryton and Joseph Smith, 38, of Water Lane, Stourport-on-Seven, all pleaded guilty to the offence at Oxford Magistrates’ Court were each fined £500, and have to pay £85 in costs and £200 in surcharge for the offence in Letcombe Bassett, Wantage.
The men pleaded guilty to the offence on Tuesday, February 21.
The offence occurred on October 28, 2022 when the three men trespassed onto farmland, looking for hares with four lurcher type dogs.
Investigating officer, PC Ryan Dollery said: “The Rural Crime Taskforce is committed to bringing rural crime offenders to justice and we welcome this conviction.
“Thank you to the members of the community for reporting this incident to us, without your information and support we cannot bring these offenders to justice.
“The legislation these males were convicted of only came into effect on August 1 last year, and they are some of the very first offenders in the Thames Valley area to be convicted under this new act.”
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23345346.wantage-hare-coursing-three-men-sentenced-oxford/
Evil bastards like these should go to prison.