Five men sentenced under new hare coursing legislation in Hampshire

Five men have been sentenced for hare coursing offences in Hampshire under newly introduced legislation, following an investigation by the specialist Country Watch team.

Sections 63 & 64 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 have seen the introduction of the new offences of trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.

This is the first time Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has secured charges and convictions under this particular legislation since it was introduced in April 2022.

On the evening of 18 January this year, police received a report that a group of people had driven onto farmland in the Itchen Abbas area, damaging crops in the process, before they began hare coursing in a field.

Police were deployed to the area and located the vehicles – a Mercedes and a Jeep – before the Jeep, which was being driven by 35-year-old Lloyd Jefferies, reversed and collided with a police car. Once police detained the Jeep’s occupants, the vehicle was searched and officers located three Lurcher dogs, five dead hares, bolt croppers and a lamp.

Meanwhile, the Mercedes – driven by 40-year-old Martin Eli Buckland – left the scene and was followed by police to Southampton where the occupants were detained. Inside the vehicle were two more Lurcher dogs, two dead rabbits, a slingshot and a lamp.

Following enquiries, five people were charged with offences and pleaded guilty in Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 3 August:

• Leonard Pinnick, aged 36, of Montgomery Road in Southampton pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.
• Shane Jefferies, aged 27, of Hornbeam Close in Hedge End pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.
• Lloyd Jefferies, aged 35, of Tanhouse Lane in Botley pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs, criminal damage, and dangerous driving.
• Martin Tony Buckland, aged 19, from Hound Road in Netley, pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.
• Martin Eli Buckland, aged 40, from Hound Road in Netley, pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs, criminal damage, and dangerous driving.

Appearing at the same court today (Monday 25 September), Lloyd Jefferies and Martin Eli Buckland were ordered to pay £550 compensation each to the landowner, covering the full £1,100 worth of damage caused to the crops.

Jefferies was also handed a 12 month driving ban with a requirement to complete an extended retest, a two year ban on owning dogs, a 12 month community order with a requirement to complete 200 hours unpaid work, and was ordered to pay £100 kennelling costs for the seized dogs, £85 court costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

Buckland was subject to the same costs and surcharge, as well as the same driving disqualification and dog ban. He was also handed a 12 month community order with a requirement to complete 50 hours unpaid work.

The vehicles’ passengers were sentenced as follows:

• Martin Tony Buckland was handed a 12 month community order with a requirement to complete 40 hours unpaid work, a £40 fine, £100 kennelling costs, £85 court costs, £114 victim surcharge, and banned from owning dogs for two years.
• Shane Jefferies was handed a 12 week curfew, a 12 month community order with a requirement to complete 40 hours unpaid work, a £40 fine, £100 kennelling costs, £85 court costs, £114 victim surcharge, and banned from owning dogs for two years.
• Leonard Pinnick was handed an 18 month community order with a requirement to complete 60 hours unpaid work and attend a ‘Thinking & Skills Programme’. He was also ordered to pay a £40 fine, £100 kennelling costs, £85 court costs, £114 victim surcharge, and banned from owning dogs for two years.

The kennelling costs were recovered from all the defendants under Section 65 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act which was introduced last year.

Another passenger, a 17-year-old boy, was also arrested by police, and officers continue to work with the Youth Offending Team to reach a suitable outcome for him.

Police Staff Investigator Andrew Williams, from the Country Watch team, said: “Hare coursing is a scourge on our rural communities. It involves the senseless persecution of wildlife, whilst also making life miserable for innocent farmers and landowners, who suffer trespass and damage to their property which accompanies this type of offending.

“The Country Watch team take a very robust stance against hare coursing, and will do everything in our power to respond to reports, assist landowners and target the criminals responsible.

“Last year new legislation was introduced which is bolstering the police’s efforts to target hare coursers, bring them to justice and recover costs from them. I hope rural communities can be reassured that we are making the most of this legislation.

“We are coming into autumn now where we see the bulk of annual hare coursing reports. Please remain vigilant, and report any suspicious people or vehicles on private land to police. If a crime is in progress, dial 999.”

To report information to please, call 101 or submit details online here: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

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