Two Poole men have been convicted of committing offences under the Hunting Act 2014.
Ty Warren, 54, and Victor Mabey, 70, appeared before Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Monday 8 August 2016 and pleaded guilty to hunting a wild animal with dogs, contrary to section 1 and 6 of the Hunting Act 2004.
Mabey also admitted possessing an offensive weapon, in particular a lock knife.
The pair were each fined £150 for the hunting offence and ordered to pay £85 in court costs. Mabey was ordered to pay an additional £100 for possession of the knife.
The court heard that at around 7.10pm on Thursday 2 June 2016 a 999 call was made to Dorset Police reporting that hare coursing was taking place in the area north of Ashley Wood Golf Course just east of Blandford at Tarrant Rushton.
Warren and Mabey were seen acting suspiciously in a dark blue Daihatsu Fourtrak 4×4.
Witnesses saw two dogs coursing after a hare through a field of freshly planted maize.
Officers arrived and watched one dog course after a hare through several fields before walking through an area behind the Royal Signals Army base.
Warren and Mabey left the scene and headed into a wooded area.
Officers, assisted by the dog section and NPAS helicopter, searched the area for around 40 minutes and arrested the pair as they emerged from the woods.
Police Sergeant Danny Thompson, of North Dorset police, said: “Dorset Police is committed towards tackling wildlife and rural crime and I hope this conviction sends out a very clear message that such crime is not acceptable in our county and we will investigate incidents thoroughly.
“I would like to reassure the public that, together with partner agencies, we take these crimes seriously and will prosecute offenders accordingly.
“We have regular patrols in targeted areas and can only ask that the public remain vigilant to such crimes and come forward with any information.”
Further information in helping to fight wildlife crime can be found at nwcu.police.uk. Advice on rural crime can be found at dorset.police.uk.
If you witness a suspected crime in action call 999 immediately and ask for the police.
