A member of the Buccleuch Hunt has been cleared of illegally hunting a fox with hounds. The case is believed to have been the final one brought under the old legislation in Scotland. Myles O’Connor was found not guilty after a two-day trial at Selkirk Crown Court last week.
Despite investigators from the League Against Cruel Sports filming hunt members, the judge explained: “Mr O’Connor did not see the single hound chasing the fox and therefore was not deliberately involved in encouraging the hunting.”
BASC calls for delay to the Scottish government’s muirburn licensing scheme amid concerns from practitioners over the code’s workability.
Following countryside organisations’ campaigning, penalties for illegal coursing have increased, with average fines up from £360 to £6,000