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A Somerset huntsman is appearing at Taunton Magistrates on Tuesday, 21 January accused of hunting a fox with a pack of hounds.
Peter Mark Doggrell, of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt, will appear in court in a case expected to last two days.
The case follows an investigation by Avon and Somerset Police based on evidence obtained by Hounds Off and Somerset Wildlife Crime.
A spokesperson for Somerset Wildlife Crime, said: “We welcome that an alleged fox hunt is up in court and facing charges for the alleged illegal persecution of British wildlife.”
Justice
Joe Hashman, founder of Hounds Off, said: “We look forward to the court case involving one of the biggest alleged fox hunts in the region and we hope that justice is served.”
Doggrell faces a charge of hunting a wild mammal with a dog contrary to Section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004.
The alleged offence is said to have been committed on Saturday, February 23, 2019 in a churchyard in Charleton Horethorne in Somerset.
Martin Sims, director of investigations at the League Against Cruel Sports and former head of the police’s National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: "We will now await the outcome of the trial.”
The case comes nearly 15 years after hunting with dogs was banned in England and Wales with the introduction of the Hunting Act 2004, which came into force on February 18, 2005.
Representatives from Somerset Wildlife Crime will be holding a media call on the steps of Taunton Magistrates Court immediately after the trial concludes.
This Author
This article is based on a press release from the League Against Cruel Sports.
