Two men sentenced for hare coursing

Scott Pritchard, left, and William Johnson travelled from the Midlands with two dogs to kill hares, police said

Two men have each been ordered to pay £6,250 in fines and compensation for hare coursing offences.

William Johnson, 45, and Scott Pritchard, 43, were arrested in December after travelling from the Midlands area to Lincolnshire with two dogs to kill hares, Lincolnshire Police said.

Evidence uncovered from Pritchard's mobile phone showed images of a black and white dog on a lead with dead hares and another of the same dog with fur in its mouth.

Both men pleaded guilty at Boston Magistrates' Court to a number of offences including being equipped for or with the intention to search for or pursue hares.

Pritchard, from Manor Gardens, Dawley, Telford, and Johnson, from Lynchgate, Burbage, Leicestershire, were each also handed Criminal Behaviour Orders for 15 years and banned from keeping dogs, while their van and equipment were confiscated when they were both sentenced on Friday.

The pair were arrested after one of the men was reported to have been seen with two animals, one of which was believed to be a dog, running over land and then disappearing into long grass, the force said.

One of the dogs was seen with fur in its mouth

A Vauxhall van with a highway maintenance sticker on the back was spotted and stopped by officers on Winsover Road in Spalding.

Johnson and Pritchard were inside the vehicle along with two long dogs in the boot, an orange warning beacon, a thermal imaging scope and slip leads.

The van was seen on four separate dates when hare coursing incidents had been reported to police.

When interviewed by officers, Pritchard said someone who looked like him must have cloned his vehicle. While Johnson claimed one of the dogs belonged to his aunt and he was looking after the pet over the Christmas period.

Insp Chris Davis, of Lincolnshire Police, said: “This type of rural crime is cruel, well organised and very damaging to the rural community as well as the diversity of wildlife in our environment.

“Brown hares are protected by the Game Act 1831 and is a priority species due to significant reductions in the population. For this reason, the brown hare was included in the government’s list of priority species for nature conservation and a biodiversity action plan setting out the conservation action needed.”

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