A HUNTSMAN who sent messages bragging about illegally hunting foxes has been given until January 3 to pay more than £1,300.

John Oliver Finnegan, a huntsman with the Quorn Hunt in Leicestershire, joined up with the Ledbury Hunt for the illegal pursuit in the Hartpury area, Cheltenham magistrates were told.

At a hearing on Tuesday, December 6, Finnegan, of Northwich in Cheshire, admitted hunting a wild mammal with dogs.

He was ordered to pay £1,330 within 28 days after being convicted under the Hunting Act 2004.

Among the messages discovered by police rural crime teams was one in which Finnegan described the pursuit of two foxes.

The court was told that onn the afternoon of Friday, January 7, police were contacted by local hunt monitors who had seen a group illegally hunting on land in Hartpury.

A video showed Finnegan taking a number of hounds into woodland while the rest of the hunt stayed around the perimeter.

The hounds were then seen running out of the woodland while loudly and aggressively barking.

Moments later the hounds were digging at the ground which indicated that a mammal had gone to ground into a fox den or badger sett.

The group were approximately 20 metres away and used their horn to control the hounds before calling them away.

Finnegan and other members of the group were later seen racing their horses along the road however the hounds were not with them but could be heard in a nearby derelict building.

Finnegan was linked to the Hartpury incident after his mobile phone was seized by Leicestershire Police in relation to offences believed to have been committed in their area.

As part of the investigation his phone was downloaded and WhatsApp messages showed him admitting to hunting mammals. 

The conversations made reference to the January hunt in Gloucestershire and discussed his involvement.

When asked in a WhatsApp message how he got on in Ledbury, Finnegan replied: “****, only found a brace, first one by Redvers House got headed  (when a fox takes shelter) about 20 times and went to ground.

“The second was on a brook at the back of the mares yard he went 5 fields to a real thick cover by griffin’s which we weren’t aloud (sic) in and had to stop them.”

PC Phil Mawdsley from Gloucestershire Police’s Rural Crime Team said: “This has been a lengthy investigation into an incident of fox hunting concerning Finnegan, who at the time, was the huntsman for the Quorn Hunt based in Leicestershire.

“On January 7 this year he joined up with the Ledbury Hunt and led an illegal fox hunt through the area of Hartpury in Gloucestershire.

“His actions were witnessed and reported to police. An investigation was launched by the team and with assistance from Leicestershire Police’s Rural Crime Team evidence of the offence was uncovered through phone messages which showed Finnegan bragging and admitting to the illegal hunting of foxes.

“This case sends a clear reminder for hunts, both nationally and locally, that breaches of the Hunting Act 2004 will not be tolerated by Gloucestershire Constabulary and those caught breaking the law will be sent to court.”

Sergeant Paul Archer from Leicestershire Police’s rural policing team added: “When we examined Finnegan’s phone, we found a number of messages which implicated him in hunting foxes in Gloucestershire.

“We are always proactive in working with other forces and these messages were passed on, resulting in colleagues from Gloucestershire being able to charge him with offences related to fox-hunting.

“We will continue to investigate any reports of illegal hunting and work with our rural communities going forward.”

Last year Gloucestershire Constabulary became the first police force nationally to launch three new online reporting tools for rural, wildlife and heritage crimes.

The forms comprise of “Report a rural crime”, “Report a wildlife crime”, and “Tell us about a possible wildlife or rural crime”.

Members of the public are encouraged to report any rural or wildlife crime they see taking place so that it can be followed up by officers. You can found out more about the forms or report a rural, wildlife or heritage crime by visiting: www.gloucestershire.police.uk

ν The Ledbury Hunt says it was “entirely unaware” the prosecution of Finnegan for hunting illegally during a joint meet in its “country” and is “baffled” by phone messages produced in court as evidence.

A spokesperson said the hunt was “surprised and concerned” at the news, and “baffled by the alleged content” of the divulged messages from his phone.

The spokesperson insisted the Ledbury had laid trails on the day, “and was intent only on legal hunting, as it has been since the Hunting Act came into force”.

Herefordshire Hunt Sabs (saboteurs) claimed the Ledbury Hunt could not have been ignorant of Mr Finnegan’s intentions.

The Ledbury Hunt statement reads in full:

 “The Ledbury Hunt was surprised and concerned to hear allegations relating to a joint meet with the Quorn last year.

“The Ledbury Hunt was entirely unaware of any prosecution and is baffled by the alleged content of any private messages between the Quorn huntsman and another party.

“The Ledbury Hunt had laid trails and was intent only on legal hunting as it has been since the Hunting Act came into force.“