Two Men Found Guilty Of Hunting Offences After Fox Torn Apart In Family's Garden

Two members of the West Norfolk Hunt were just found guilty of illegal hunting offenses after a fox was “pulled to pieces” in a family’s garden.

Huntsman Edward Bell and “Whipper-In” Adam Egginton were found guilty of hunting a wild mammal with dogs, which has been illegal in England and Wales for 20 years. The incident took place in Hingham, Norfolk, in February of last year.

CCTV footage captured by the family showed a fleeing fox cornered and killed in their enclosed rear garden by 38 pursuing hounds. The footage also showed a man hopping the fence to remove the animal’s remains while riders on horseback waited on the road.

District Judge Matthew Bone said it was “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the pair were engaged in “unlawful fox hunting” rather than trail hunting, which remains legal. However, anti-hunting campaigners maintain that the excuse of trail hunting is frequently used as a “smokescreen” by staff to continue illegally hunting animals.

A separate video showed the hunt on the trail of a live fox the week before the incident. Speaking directly to Bell, Bone said “This has been the law for almost 20 years, and yet on both occasions, you took the opportunity to act unlawfully.”

While video evidence and eyewitness accounts of illegal hunting are common, a successful conviction is less so. “We are pleased to see guilty verdicts returned to both staff of the West Norfolk Foxhounds for all hunting charges brought against them,” a spokesperson for anti-hunting activists at Norfolk and Suffolk Hunt Saboteurs told Plant Based News.

Both men were found not guilty of charges of owning a dog dangerously out of control and criminal damage.

Illegal hunting ‘can and will’ bring criminal convictions

Photo shows a close-up of a red fox crouched in a clump of low grass — Adobe Stock Convicting staff for illegal fox hunting can be difficult and time-consuming

Two other men, Andrew Kendall and Robert Gurney, were also on trial alongside Bell and Eggington. They were found not guilty of all charges.

There have been several notable legal wins for anti-hunting activists over the last few years. In March, Thomas Ledbury and two other men affiliated with the hunting community were convicted of animal cruelty-related offenses after feeding a live fox to hounds. Last year, the Avon Vale Hunt disbanded after a similar incident was filmed.

“We believe this landmark case sends a clear message to all hunts that evidence gathered by saboteurs, monitors, and the public can and will bring criminal convictions,” said the spokesperson from Norfolk and Suffolk Hunt Saboteurs. “We will continue to campaign for a robust set of laws to protect animals.”

Bell and Egginton have been ordered to pay fines of £1,700 each within 28 days.