Hunting circles violence and hypocrisy

Commentary: In August 2014, two Dorset hunt saboteurs were standing in an open gateway monitoring the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale hunt. The sabs said the hunters were looking for fox cubs on which to train their next generation of fox hounds for the coming hunting season. It was an evening cubbing event and also a pony club meet where children as young as 7 were taken out to watch.

The saboteurs were using a hunting horn in an attempt to confuse the hounds, when a red-coated rider came at them from behind at full gallop. The video of the incident, which was released last week on the saboteurs Face Book page, appears to show the rider deliberately steer his horse into the sabs who were standing unaware at the gate. The force of the galloping horse threw a young female up in to the air. She landed a few feet away, and after raising her head for a few seconds, she slumped and lay unmoving on the ground.  The rider didn’t stop; in fact he didn’t even look back, but kicked his horse on and disappeared across the field to join his friends who callously continued hunting. Later they all went on to a BAR-B-Q.

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An ambulance was immediately called but this was held up by the hunt supporters blocking the road. The woman’s injuries were so severe that she was air lifted to hospital where it was found she had seven broken ribs, a torn lung and an injured shoulder. She remained in hospital for two weeks and almost six months later she is still recovering.

The hunter responsible was arrested for causing grievous bodily harm but now, six months later, the Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to take the case. Apparently the video, and the other information handed over by the saboteurs, was not sufficient evidence to secure a conviction.  A spokesman for the saboteurs said that the same hunter was also charged with another assault whilst on bail for this attack. He allegedly broke a fellow hunter’s nose at their hunt ball.

Watch the video here, and draw your own conclusions - http://vimeo.com/118537772

Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: "We are disappointed, but not surprised, that no charges have been brought against the hunter. Historically the police and criminal justice system have allowed acts of violence on hunt saboteurs to go unpunished, whilst the saboteurs themselves are prosecuted seemingly at the whim of the hunts.”

Lee went on to say, “Two hunt saboteurs, Mike Hill and Tom Worby, have been killed by hunts, and another, Steve Christmas, was seriously injured and spent months in hospital. None of these cases ever came to trial. Hunt saboteurs are routinely arrested and charged with a variety of offenses where no evidence is available other than the word of pro-hunters.”

The Blackmore and Sparkford Vale hunt again. This time on Saturday the 7th February 2015, the Dorset Hunt saboteurs attended a meet at Sherborne Castle, the home of Lord Digby. From the start of the day the saboteurs said they were harassed by a large group of masked hunt supporters, who stole a hunting horn, broke expensive equipment, man-handled them and threatened them with further violence. As the day wore on the size of this group of thugs increased and their violent behaviour escalated accordingly. A spokesperson for the saboteurs told the Morning Star People’s Daily, that the violent gang used quad bikes to block in the saboteur’s Land Rover. They also smashed three of the Rover’s windows, also the headlights and then they attempted to throttle the driver. They had even prepared a homemade stinger, which they put under the land Rover’s wheels in an attempt to puncture the tyres. They also tried to stop the sabs from walking on public footpaths.

A police helicopter was employed in an attempt to find the culprits and apparently the Dorset police are investigating but the investigating officer was not available for comment when contacted by the Star.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association says attacks are not uncommon. Monitors and saboteurs up and down the country are frequently harassed and abused by masked and unmasked hunt thugs and their supporter’s.

These hunting Mafioso are emboldened by the fact that very few are caught and even less are prosecuted. They often cover their faces in order to mete out violence without being recognised. They act like feral packs of half wild dogs rampaging against those who are trying to protect UK wildlife from hunting abuse.  The threats and the violence doesn’t always stop in the field. Saboteurs and their families and even their pets often face reprisals if they are recognised. Sometimes dead animals are left as warnings on their cars or outside of their homes.  Many saboteurs cover their faces for this reason to prevent reprisals from the hunt bully boys.

Oddly, the Countryside Alliance has failed to condemn or reprimand these people. In fact, Tim Bonner, the Countryside Alliance Campaigns Manager, has called for the police to use powers to unmask the saboteurs. He even supports a Face Book page with a petition set up specifically to this end. No mention is made of the vicious thugs who cover their faces in order to create mayhem and grievous bodily harm to peaceable people whose only crime is to care about animals.

Many pro hunt commentators have said how pleased they are that a young woman was so seriously injured. There has been little remorse shown anywhere in the pro hunting press publications.  We could be forgiven for thinking that the hunting fraternity and their familiars have the police and CPS onside. They certainly seem to believe they are totally above the law. Ironic really that the 18th of this month is the tenth anniversary of the hunting Act, you would have thought by now this minority group would have had time to get over their lust for violence and killing harmless animals.

If anyone feels like registering their disgust at the decision of the CPS not to prosecute the hunter who seriously injured a female sab, the contact details are: 
CPS; victimliaison.southwest@cps.gsi.gov.uk
Attorney General; correspondence@attorneygeneral.gsi.gov.uk
The Attorney General can also be reached via twitter @AGO_UK

Resources
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-85c0-Car-smashed-up,-driver-choked#.VN0Q2CxyZEC

http://www.huntsabs.org.uk/

http://www.nwhsa.org.uk/convicted_hunt_supporters.htm

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