Two hunt workers convicted of illegal fox hunting

Robert Gurney and Andrew Kendall were found not guilty of all charges, while Edward "Mikey" Bell (set back) and Adam Egginton were found guilty of hunting foxes

Two men have been found guilty of illegal fox hunting at two separate events in Norfolk.

Huntsman Edward "Mikey" Bell, 31, and his assistant Adam Egginton, 23, who both lived at the hunt kennels near Swaffham, allowed their hounds to hunt foxes.

They have been fined £500 for each offence, and have to pay court costs and a victim surcharge which took the total to £1,700 each.

Hunt masters Andrew Kendall, 67, of Henstead near Lowestoft and Robert Gurney, 55, of Bawdeswell near Dereham, were acquitted of all charges.

The charges of dogs dangerously out of control at Tittleshall near Fakenham were dismissed as the judge said there was no evidence a fox had been killed

The men - all members of the West Norfolk Hunt - had been on trial at Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court accused of offences in Hingham, near Watton, and Tittleshall, near Fakenham, Norfolk.

Prosecutors argued that on 8 February and 20 February 2023, dogs on two trail hunts were dangerously out of control, causing criminal damage and killing a fox.

District Judge Matthew Bone said there was insufficient evidence to prove charges of dogs dangerously out of control, and he dismissed all charges of criminal damage.

He said all four defendants had given evidence that the hunt masters had no command of the hounds, so therefore could not be criminally liable.

The hunt at Tittleshall had been laid as scent trail, but the hounds found a live fox and chased it.

District Judge Bone said he took an adverse inference from the fact all four defendants either refused to name or failed to identify a man who climbed a fence to retrieve the carcass of the fox killed in a family garden in Hingham.

But he dismissed all charges against joint hunt masters Mr Kendall and Mr Gurney.

He also dismissed the charges of criminal damage, and said it had not been proven that the hounds were dangerously out of control.

But he said the charge of illegal hunting against Bell and Eggington had been proved beyond reasonable doubt on 8 and 20 February.

He said Bell, who is married with two children, and Egginton knew there was a fox and almost immediately diverted the dogs in the direction of the fox.

"I simply do not see how they failed to see the fox," he added.

Of the incident at Hingham, he said: "What the dogs did on that patio was utterly distasteful and Bell and Egginton will be held criminally liable."

Edward Bell, left, and Adam Egginton, right, have been ordered to pay a total of £1,700 each after being convicted of two counts of fox hunting

District Judge Bone, sentencing, said: "Mr Bell, in particular, you should have known better.

"You didn't just hunt once, you hunted twice, and on the second occasion an animal that parliament legislated should not be killed by a dog was killed.

"That has been the law for almost 20 years and yet on my verdict on both occasions while you may have been following trails, you took the opportunity to act unlawfully."