"Entirely misconceived" says judge in case against Lamerton huntsmen found not guilty of chasing fox

The Daily Telegraph reports that two members of the Lamerton Hunt were cleared of allowing a pack of hounds to chase a fox on Dartmoor.

David Lewis, 50, and Gareth Frain, 25, were found not guilty of hunting the wild animal with dogs at Lake Down, near Bridestowe, in Devon.

The district judge, who had heard the case at Exeter Magistrates' Court, said the case against Mr Frain had been "entirely misconceived".

His written judgment concludes the second court case in just two weeks where after hunt members have been acquitted after the prosecution has relied on evidence provided by hunt saboteurs.

This is the second time in just a few years that prosecutions have been brought against Lamerton Hunt staff and members.

"On both occasions the hunt has been completely exonerated, but it is a horrible process for all involved who just want to go out into the countryside with horses and hounds." said a spokesman for the Lamerton Hunt.

The spokesman added: "We are not a big hunt and we are entirely run by local people. All we want is to be able to continue to carry out our lawful activities without the threat of being dragged through the courts by hunt saboteurs making allegations which they are unable to support with any evidence."

"We appreciate that the police have a job to do so we will always cooperate with any enquiries, however we would have expected the CPS to have recognised that the quality of the evidence provided would not stand up in court and are surprised that it reached this stage."

"We are delighted and relieved that the judge delivered a just and proper verdict and we can now all move on and look forward to next season."

Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance said: "We understand the difficulties faced by the police and CPS in the face of endless allegations made by anti-hunt activists, but this case is yet another reminder that evidence from partial activists must be treated with extreme caution. Their constant refrain that hunts are operating illegally falls flat as soon as it is tested in court and achieves nothing other than wasting the time of the police and the courts".

Only last week, William Bishop, a professional huntsman employed by the Crawley and Horsham Hunt, appeared for trial at Worthing Magistrates Court yesterday (10th March 2021) where District Judge Kelly stated that there was no evidence whatsoever on which a court could be satisfied that Mr Bishop had any intention to participate in hunting the fox as alleged. He was found not guilty of two charges of illegal hunting in contravention of the Hunting Act.

Both cases have prompted the Countryside Alliance to call into question the integrity and reliability of supposed evidence produced by hunt saboteurs, as well as questioning the decision of the CPS to bring these cases to court. Yesterday's not guilty verdict and subsequent judgement only furthers that position.

Photo: Lamerton Hunt Facebook