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David Cameron's local hunt convicted after RSPCA prosecution David Cameron's local hunt convicted after RSPCA prosecution
(about 1 hour later)
Members of David Cameron's local hunt have been convicted of illegal fox hunting in the first corporate prosecution brought by the RSPCA. Members of the David Cameron's local Oxfordshire hunt have been convicted of hunting foxes illegally in a prosecution brought by the RSPCA.
The Heythrop Hunt Limited, based in Oxfordshire, pleaded guilty to four charges of intentionally hunting a fox with dogs on land in the Cotswolds. Richard Sumner, 68, and Julian Barnfield, 49, of the 176-year-old Heythrop Hunt with which Cameron has previously ridden, each pleaded guilty at Oxford magistrates court to four charges of unlawfully hunting a wild fox with dogs. The hunt, Heythrop Hunt Limited, also pleaded guilty to the same four charges of intentionally hunting a fox with dogs on land in the Cotswolds.
The former huntsman Julian Barnfield, 49, and recently retired hunt master Richard Sumner, 68, also pleaded guilty to the same charges during a hearing at Oxford magistrates court. Outside court, Barnfield, a former huntsman with the Heythrop, claimed the prosecution had been politically motivated because of its links with Cameron's Witney constituency. He said he believed the animal charity was trying to put pressure on Cameron "not to give a free vote" in parliament in any future debate on the Hunting Act, and to embarrass the prime minister.
The prime minister, who is MP for Witney, has ridden with the hunt. Charlie Brooks, the husband of the former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, is known to have been a member. Members of the so-called Chipping Norton set – an influential group of MPs and media professionals who live in the area – who have links to the Heythrop include the prominent supporter and racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks, husband of the former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks. Their neighbour Jeremy Clarkson, the Top Gear presenter, has reportedly allowed the hunt to use his land and is among locals photographed at the Heythrop's country fair. The prime minister is understood to have ridden with the hunt on six occasions before the legislation came into force.
It is the first time a whole hunt has faced corporate charges, and is also the first case taken by the RSPCA involving the prosecution of a hunt itself. The prosecution followed footage taken by anti-hunt monitors over four days during the 2011-12 season.
Footage of hounds dragging the body of a fox across a field was played in court. District Judge Tim Pattinson was told the Heythrop Hunt met on four occasions and hunted with dogs in contravention of the Hunting Act 2004. The court heard hounds had been encouraged to chase foxes, which is banned under legislation which came into force in 2005.
Jeremy Carter-Manning QC, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said Barnfield and Sumner had been involved in a hunt that began at Daylesford House in Chastleton, Oxfordshire, on 29 February. Footage showed evidence of "prolonged and deliberate unlawful hunting", he said. Barnfield and Sumner, a former hunt master, have since retired from their positions.
After a fox ran past hunt monitors who were recording footage from a road nearby, Barnfield drew up on horseback. Jeremy Carter-Manning QC, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said the hunt was filmed on several occasions in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire during November last year and in February and March this year by members of the Protect Our Wild Animals group. Footage was passed to the RSPCA. It is believed to be the first prosecution of a hunt itself under the legislation, which abolished the hunting of foxes with hounds in almost all circumstances and, in particular, traditional fox hunting.
Carter-Manning said: "Two route followers indicated to Mr Barnfield the direction in which the fox had run. Footage shown to the court of an incident on 29 February showed evidence of "prolonged and deliberate unlawful hunting", said Carter-Manning.
"He immediately blows the hunting horn and enters the field as directed." After a fox ran past hunt monitors, who were recording footage from a road nearby, Barnfield drew up on horseback. "Two route-followers indicated to Mr Barnfield the direction in which the fox had run. He immediately blows the hunting horn and enters the field as directed," said Carter-Manning. Barnfield and another man then gave vocal encouragement to the remainder of the pack, shouting "tally ho" and "forrard".
Barnfield and another man then gave vocal encouragement to the remainder of the pack, shouting "tally ho" and "forrard", said Carter-Manning. In a subsequent piece of film, recorded 40 minutes later, monitors are heard shouting: 'There's a kill, there's a kill," and: "Call the police."
In a subsequent piece of film, recorded some 40 minutes later, monitors watching the events unfold are heard shouting: "There's a kill, there's a kill," and: "Call the police." Describing the events, Carter-Manning said: "The hounds converge into semi-circles and the screaming [of the hounds] reaches a crescendo. The hounds are making a kill."
Describing the events, Carter-Manning said: "The hounds converge into semi-circles and the screaming [of the hounds] reaches a crescendo. On another occasion, in March, footage shot by a volunteer shows hounds beginning to squeal as they try to flush out a fox from dense cover, "and then almost immediately afterwards a double horn".
"The hounds are making a kill." Further footage captures the hounds pursuing a fox and cries of "on, on, on" from the mounted hunt. Barnfield was "filmed quite clearly amongst the pursuing hounds shouting 'on, on, on' in obvious encouragement", said Carter-Manning.
The next clip showed the bloodied carcass of a fox clamped in the jaws of one of a pack of hounds, prompting gasps from a packed public gallery. Philip Mott QC, mitigating, said the charges related to four occasions within the full hunting season between November 2011 and March this year. During that period there would have been around 100 hunts, each lasting some five hours. "What you have here is unlawful hunting, shown and admitted, of no more than 15 minutes in total," he said.
On another occasion, on 7 March this year at Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, a pack of hounds on a hunt was filmed making purring noises close to a section of dense cover as they tried to flush a fox out. "It is our case that the rest of the time this hunt was operating trail hunting."
Describing video shot by a volunteer and played to the court, Carter-Manning said: "His footage captures the hounds beginning to squeal, going in and then almost immediately afterwards a double horn." Barnfield, of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, was fined £250 for each charge, totalling £1,000, and ordered to pay costs of £2,000. Sumner, of Salperton, Gloucestershire, was fined a total of £1,800 with costs of £2,500. The Heythrop Hunt Limited was fined a total of £4000 with £15,000 costs. All three were ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge.
Further footage captures the hounds pursuing a fox and cries of "on, on, on" from the mounted hunt. Following the hearing, the RSPCA's chief executive, Gavin Grant, said: "These defendants were well aware that they were breaking the law in that their actions would lead to a fox being torn apart by dogs.
Carter-Manning added: "The foxes are clearly seen by a number of relevant people, including Mr Sumner and Mr Barnfield and others. "No doubt the hunt will say that those involved have now left and they have no knowledge of this crime," he added. "The truth is this hunt believed that they were above the law – they were wrong."
"They [the men] are seen actively pursuing the hounds in pursuit of a fox. The anti-hunt monitors who shot the footage thanked the RSPCA for having the "foresight and courage to take on the prosecution".
"Mr Barnfield is filmed quite clearly amongst the pursuing hounds, shouting 'on, on, on' in obvious encouragement." Outside court, Barnfield said he had only pleaded guilty because he could not afford to fight the £327,000 case the RSPCA had mounted.
Describing the four occasions to the court, Carter-Manning said: "It seems proper to suggest that the behaviour you have seen over the last hour or so clearly shows hunting foxes, with people there specifically to obstruct anybody taking photographs or video film and any suggestion of any trail laying of any kind is completely missing from any film, but also inconsistent with the way the hounds are working on the day." "We conceded because the money wasn't there to defend ourselves. I would like to stand there and defend it but there was no way it was possible.
Both men and the Heythrop Hunt admitted four counts of unlawfully hunting a wild mammal, namely a fox, with dogs. "I am staggered by it all. The fact that a charitable body can take on this political thing and spend so much money which other people have given them for another thing is stunning."
The offences took place on 23 November and 30 November last year as well as 29 February and 7 March this year. Attributing political motivation to the animal charity, he added: "They could have picked on any other hunt but they picked on Heythrop because we are in David Cameron's constituency.
Philip Mott QC, mitigating, said the charges related to four occasions within the full hunting season between November 2011 and March this year. "I think they are trying to put pressure on him not to give a free vote like he said he would, to embarrass him in some way."
During that period there would have been around 100 hunts, each lasting some five hours, he said. Since 1835 the Heythrop Hunt, one of the most high-profile in the country, has been an intrinsic part of the Chipping Norton community. Huge Boxing Day crowds gather to see it in Chipping Norton Square as one of the market town's Christmas traditions. In 2003, Cameron, recalled a day out with the Heythrop, saying: "Nothing had prepared me for the sheer terror of a day's hunting. I battled in vain to control my powerful steed and careered through trees and bushes – completely out of control."
"What you have here is unlawful hunting, shown and admitted, of no more than 15 minutes in total.
"It's our case that the rest of the time this hunt was operating trail hunting."
Barnfield was fined £250 for each charge, totalling £1,000, and ordered to pay £2,000 costs. Sumner was fined £450 for each charge, totalling £1,800, and must pay £2,500 costs. The Heythrop Hunt Limited was fined £1,000 for each offence, totalling £4,000, and told to pay £15,000 in costs.
After sentencing, the RSPCA's chief executive, Gavin Grant, said: "These defendants were well aware that they were breaking the law in that their actions would lead to a fox being torn apart by dogs. No doubt the hunt will say those involved have now left and they had no knowledge of this crime."
He added: "The truth is this hunt believed that they were above the law – they were wrong."