Dog bans for pair charged under hare coursing law

Hare coursing was made illegal under the Hunting Act in 2004

Two men who were the first in Lincolnshire to be charged under new laws to tackle illegal hare coursing have been sentenced.

Darren Lee, 26, of Coventry, and Ronnie Doherty, 21, from Northamptonshire, both pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to pursue hares with dogs at Boston Magistrates' Court last week.

It comes after reports of hare coursing led to their arrests in the Holbeach area in August.

They were each ordered to pay an equal share of £11,144 for kennelling and veterinary costs and banned from keeping dogs for five years.

The rehoming order was suspended until 31 March to enable them to rehome their pets.

The Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which passed into law on 1 August, made it an offence to go equipped for, search for, or pursue hares with dogs, and an offence to trespass with intent to search for or pursue hares with dogs.

Those convicted of doing so face an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison.

It also allows courts to order a reimbursement of the costs of kennelling which is paid for by the police.

Lee, of Top Road, Barnacle, and Doherty, of Newton Road, Rushden, were also each fined £416.

The court issued an order to Doherty for the forfeiture and destruction of a thermal scope used to detect body heat of hares.

According to police, coursers are often engaged in illegal betting involving large sums of money and the dogs involved can also be worth thousands of pounds (library photo)

Ch Insp Steve Williamson, force lead for rural crime, said: "This is the first sentence we have had in the county under the new legislation and the result will be welcomed by all.

“We hope this sends a strong message that we will take robust action to prevent and disrupt those involved in rural crime, which is often linked to other forms of criminality."

NFU county adviser for south Lincolnshire, Johanna Musson, called it a "landmark conviction".

"We now have a genuine deterrent to hare coursers – if you come here, you’ll have your dogs, cars and equipment seized and receive a hefty fine," she said.

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