Wrexham: Hunter who let hounds chase fox fined

Chris Woodward led about 50 riders on a trail hunt

A hunter who "deliberately" let hounds chase a fox has been fined.

A court heard Chris Woodward led about 50 riders on a trail hunt - where dogs chase an artificial scent - in Lower Wych, in Wrexham county on 14 January.

Woodward, 39, huntsman of the Ruabon-based Wynnstay hunt at the time has a previous conviction for interfering with a badger sett.

He was fined £525 and ordered to pay costs and a surcharge - a total of £1,375.

Wrexham Magistrates' Court heard toward the end of the hunt, with just six or seven riders left, the dogs picked up the scent of a fox and changed direction, to chase under a hedge. 

Woodward, who now lives in Burford in Oxfordshire and had denied the charge of hunting a wild mammal with dogs, told the court it happened in a "split second".

He claimed he had been unable to get over the hedge on his horse to go straight after the dogs, but had followed in their direction in an attempt to get in front of them and get control of them.

Chasing the fox, he said, was "accidental".

Suzanne Cartwright, prosecuting, said he could have taken control of the dogs but did not.

"It was a thrill, an opportunity, and you allowed them to pursue the fox," she said.

The court was also shown video taken by Cheshire hunt monitor coordinator, Lesley Martin.

Chris Woodward led about 50 riders on a trail hunt

She was alerted after hearing the hounds as they pursued the fox down a lane.

Ms Martin, said she had seen the fox looking "as if it had been hunted for some time and was tired and stressed".

She said it had turned into a field before being chased by the first of the hounds.  

Ms Martin said she and a companion tried telling the dogs to go, but they were "too excited". 

She told the court she saw Woodward riding along the road with about four others.

Ms Martin said she told him she had seen a fox and that he gave no response and rode on.

About five minutes later she said she heard the horn blow, giving the signal for the dogs to come together. 

Magistrates' chairman, Nigel Gilkes, told Woodward he was an experienced huntsman who knew his pack and had "deliberately allowed them to pursue the fox". 

He was fined £525 and ordered to pay costs and a surcharge - a total of £1,375.

Afterwards Ms Martin said: "It just proves that people are out there hunting illegally. The more of these guilty cases we get, the more it's obvious what's going on."