'Nail in coffin' of hunting ban as foxhunter wins High Court ruling

TONY Wright, the first huntsman to be prosecuted under the Hunting Act, today won a High Court ruling which was immediately hailed as a new blow to the Labour Government’s anti-hunting legislation.
The two judges found in favour of Mr Wright (pictured) and rejected an appeal by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), meaning the prosecution of many Hunting Act offences will now be more difficult.
The League Against Cruel Sports brought a private prosecution against Mr Wright after he led out the Exmoor Foxhounds in April, 2005, just a few weeks after the Act came into force.
He was alleged to have signalled the hounds to pursue two foxes at Drybridge, on the Devon side of the county boundary, twice allowing them a ‘prolonged period of pursuit’.
Under the law, only flushing out foxes to be shot is still legal.
Mr Wright, now aged 54, of Simonsbath, was convicted in Barnstaple Magistrates Court in August, 2006, and was fined £500 and ordered to pay £250 costs.
However, the conviction was overturned by in Exeter Crown Court in November, 2007.
Now, a CPS appeal against his acquittal has been lost in the High Court.
The CPS argued it should have been for Mr Wright to prove that he had been hunting legally, and that ‘hunting a mammal’ includes ‘searching’ for it.
After the case, Mr Wright said he was relieved it was now all over and he hoped the case had put one of the final nails in the coffin of the Hunting Act.
He said: “This prosecution has now dragged on for over three years and during that time I have been living under the threat of a criminal conviction.
“If this judgment, though, makes it less likely that other people will face the sort of vindictive prosecution that I have been through, then it has all been worth it.”
Countryside Alliance chief executive Simon Hart said: “Even before today’s judgment only five people connected to hunts have been convicted of any offence since the Act came into force.
“The CPS argued in court that if it lost this appeal ‘prosecutions under the 2004 Act would rarely be viable’, so there should now be even fewer prosecutions.
“The Hunting Act is an increasingly pointless piece of legislation that offered little and has achieved less.
“Politicians of all parties are coming to realise that it has failed and it is now a question of when, not if, the Hunting Act is repealed.”
The ruling means those accused of breaching the hunt ban will be innocent until proven guilty, with the burden of proof lying with those bringing a prosecution.
Legal expert Tim Hayden, chairman of Taunton law firm Clarke Willmott, said: “This decision will reduce the risk of people being convicted where they are unable to recall or to prove the events that may have happened many months earlier.
“I would expect a reduction in the number of such cases being brought before the courts.”

Minister visiting Exmoor to discuss future vision

A MINISTERIAL visit to Exmoor will take place tomorrow (Thursday) as the national park authority showcases some of its successful work.
Jonathan Shaw (pictured), the new Minister with responsibility for national parks, will spend the day seeing projects for himself and considering important local issues.
Mr Shaw, who is Minister for Landscape and Rural Affairs, will discuss the future of farming and the vision for a carbon neutral National Park by 2025.
During the afternoon, he will travel to Anstey and Molland Moors to consider the potential impact of proposed wind farms outside Exmoor’s southern boundary.
Then, he will pay a visit to Blackpitts, near Simonsbath, to view habitat restoration work and moorland restoration proposals.
Mr Shaw, who has been Labour MP for Chatham and Aylesford since 1997, said: “Exmoor is important, not just for its wonderful scenery and tranquility, but for its contribution to a better environment for all of us through conservation of the land and wildlife and tackling climate change.
“I am impressed by the National Park’s efforts, working with others such as farmers and landowners, local communities, businesses, and local authorities so that many more people in the future can appreciate and enjoy Exmoor’s special qualities.”

Night time Exmoor farm raiders net £12,000 of machinery

QUAD bikes and farm equipment valued at £12,000 have been stolen in a night time raid on an isolated Exmoor farm.
The thieves forced their way into a barn at the unnamed farm in Simonsbath between 8 pm on Friday, January 18, and 8 am on Saturday, January 19.
They stole two Yamaha quad bikes (similar to the one pictured, right) and a Wessex Jensen towed wood chipper and other farming equipment.
Details have just been published by the police - nearly two weeks after the crime was committed.
Exmoor neighbourhood beat manager PC Alan Edwards is appealing for anybody who might have any information about the offence to contact him by calling 0845 4567000 or using the free Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111, where they do not have to leave their name but they could receive a reward.