Mark Hankinson: Top huntsman did not encourage illegal fox hunting

Mark Hankinson was found guilty last year and ordered to pay a £1,000 fine and £2,500 in costs

A senior fox hunter has won an appeal against a conviction that he encouraged people to avoid the hunting ban.

Mark Hankinson, of Sherborne, Dorset, had been found guilty of suggesting the use of trail hunting to cover illegal activity during a webinar.

On Wednesday, a court heard his appeal, considering whether his words were intentionally encouraging an offence.

After the decision, the League Against Cruel Sports urged the government to strengthen the Hunting Act.

During a webinar on 11 August 2020, Mr Hankinson had said, "it's a lot easier to create a smokescreen if you've got more than one trail layer operating and that is what it is all about, trying to portray to the people watching that you're going about your legitimate business".

The footage was then leaked by saboteurs which led to a case being brought to Westminster Magistrates' Court on 15 October 2021.

Mr Hankinson said he was referring to the practice of laying dummy trails to fool saboteurs

The prosecution argued Mr Hankinson was encouraging the use of trail hunting, where horseback riders and hounds follow a previously laid scent, for the unlawful hunting of animals.

The defence said he was advising what to do if saboteurs disrupt legal hunts.

Mr Hankinson was found guilty and ordered to pay a £1,000 fine and £2,500 in costs.

At the appeal on Wednesday at Southwark Crown Court, Judge Gregory Perrins said "someone listening to his words might well have taken the view that he was encouraging illegal hunting".

But Mr Hankinson said he was referring to the practice of laying dummy trails to fool saboteurs.

Judge Perrins said: "We accept his role within the Hunting Office was to ensure compliance with the law and the Hunting Office itself is committed to lawful hunting."

He added: "In those circumstances it would be unusual if they now took the decision to host a series of webinars which included advice on how to work around the ban."

After the appeal's decision, the League Against Cruel Sports called for stronger measures in legislation on hunting.

"The appeal result changes nothing in terms of our position, because only by strengthening the Hunting Act, by closing its many loopholes and outlawing so-called trail hunting, can illegal hunting be properly stopped and those determined to carry on persecuting wildlife brought to justice," said Andy Knott, the league's chief executive.

After the verdict, Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "Trail hunting is a legitimate activity carried out by hundreds of hunts across the country. As this successful appeal shows, the police, public and politicians need to be extremely careful about believing spurious allegations made by prejudiced anti-hunt activists."