HARE COURSER FROM COUNTY DURHAM CONVICTED OF HARE COURSING AND HUNTING ACT OFFENCES IN HUMBERSIDE

On 28th April 2025, Bernard JARDINE from County Durham appeared at Hull Magistrates Court for sentencing following guilty pleas for offences under s.63 and s.64 Police Crime Sentencing Courts Act, and s.1 Hunting Act following an incident of illegal hare coursing with dogs on private farmland at Burton Agnes, East Yorkshire in November 2024.

JARDINE was sentenced to a 12 months Community Order including 6 months of Electronic Tag and 10 days of Rehabilitation Activity, ordered to pay £500 compensation to Humberside Police for Kennel Costs, a further £199 costs and an order to forfeit a Thermal Scope, locator handset and a bleeper dog collar.

Sgt Kevin Jones from Humberside Police Rural Task Force stated following the conviction, “Illegal hare coursing is a UK Wildlife Crime Priority and a Priority for the Rural Task Force. The criminality involved is serious, organised and sophisticated in their planning often involving cross border offending. Not only does it involve barbaric acts against protected wildlife species, but it causes harassment, alarm, distress and annoyance to the rural communities. Poachers do not care about trespassing across farmland, intimidation to farmers and landowners, and the damage they cause. However, they do care about the zero tolerance response that Humberside Police have towards their illegal activities. I hope this arrest and the seizure of all items used in the commission of hare coursing offences – including their dogs – , together with the sentencing, sends out a strong message to anyone with intentions on travelling to Humberside to conduct illegal hare coursing activities. We will be ready to take positive action utilising all the available legislation. I would like to pass on my continued thanks to local farm watch community and Humberside Fire and Rescue Drone for supporting our response to this incident – together we make the East Riding of Yorkshire a hostile place for Wildlife Crime. If you witness any suspected hare coursing in progress please contact the police on 999 quoting Operation Galileo.”