Huntsman who threw live fox to pack of hounds walks free from court

20 December 2023 , 12:51

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Oliver Thompson is seen in sickening footage throwing a fox to a pack of dogs (Image: RSPCA)

A huntsman was handed a suspended prison sentence after leaked videos showed him baiting a fox with a dog - and throwing another to be savaged by hounds.

Oliver Francis Thompson, 32, formerly of the Old Berkshire Hunt in Oxfordshire, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing an animal unnecessary suffering. He was employed by the Avon Vale Hunt in Wiltshire when he committed the offences in 2020. In footage recorded in July 2020, shared between the defendant and his associates, Thompson is shown with a young fox in a trap, with his dog Nellie being encouraged to bark and menace the animal at very close quarters.

Later, the fox is taken out of the trap by Thompson and, held by the scruff of his neck, is repeatedly thrust at the barking dog 19 times. In a second incident filmed on Christmas Eve in December 2020, Thompson, in a hunting jacket, is shown digging a fox out of its earth, surrounded by associates also wearing traditional hunting jackets, terriermen and a child. The live fox is then thrown into a pack of hounds.

At Swindon Magistrates' Court on December 11, Thompson was handed a 20-week prison sentence suspended for two years. He must also undertake 300 hours of unpaid work and pay £2,500 costs. In addition, the terrier named Nellie was ordered to be handed over to the RSPCA. Thompson's mate Stuart Radbourne, who also appears in one of the videos, was given a suspended prison sentence back in October 2023.

Chief Inspector Will Mitchell from the RSPCA's Special Operations Unit said: "This sickening video footage demonstrates the terrible levels of cruelty and suffering that we see inflicted on animals on a daily basis. We think of ourselves as a nation of animal lovers, but the RSPCA's experience shows that there are still people out there that consider it a bit of fun to throw a live animal to a pack of hounds to be ripped apart or to incite a dog to attack a fox. Our thanks go to everyone who has helped in this successful prosecution."

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Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales by the Hunting Act 2004, and in Scotland via the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002. It is legal in Northern Ireland. However, there is no law specifically referring to fox baiting. This involves locating a fox, usually underground, and using a dog to dig down to fight and kill the animal.

Fox baiting can also involve the removal of a fox from an earth or badger sett. They are placed in a bag or storage container and taken to another location for other people to watch the fox be put against a dog or dogs to fight to the death. In some cases the 'terrier man' will remove the fox and throw it to the dogs to attack and kill.

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Ryan Merrifield