Badger baiting case at paradise farm, howsham

[Little Mele]

Badger cruelty trial hears how gang laughed at animal?s plight (From Gazette & Herald)

Have spent this week in Scarborough Magistrates Court listening to the most horrific and barbaric description of badger baiting. One of the worst cases I have ever heard.

Some of you may know of Robert Fuller, the Wildlife Artist and photographer, who whilst out looking for otters heard dogs yipping and barking and a badger screaming. It took him 10 minutes to reach the source of the noise and without being detected by the 8 men, he witnessed a most horrific scene of two bull cross lurchers playing tug of war with a badger sow, ripping her apart. Two terriers were also nipping in at every opportunity.

At least three badgers were killed, including one pregnant sow, plus a number of near term badger cub foetuses were found strewn in the field together with intestines, brain and skull fragments from where the badger had been shot in the head with a 12 bore.

Robert had his camera with him and a 400mm lens and was able to photograph the incident. The details and the photographs are disturbing and horrific.

I am not a fluffy bunny hugger, not by a long chalk, and know and appreciate the ways of the countryside, having been brought up with long dogs and terriers, but I ask where's the sport in having two large, powerful dogs on a pregnant sow with other dogs joining in and a total of up to 5 dogs, ripping her apart.

Where is the sport in this?

Two of the eight men have already pleaded guilty. The trial continues on Monday 12th December 2011 at Scarborough Magistrates Court.

[Dogghound]

Utterly disgusting, I know Robert and I know two setts in close proximity to his studio. This is really upsetting news from a personal point of view. I absolutely hate these people they are the lowest form of scum you can get, why oh why. . . .

What is even more heartbreaking is the fact that the sentances they get are simply not sufficient.

[Kayleigh]

Truly horrific, he is one brave bloke, if he had got caught I hate to think of the out come these people are real scum and nasty pieces of work..
So well done him for his actions I don't think I could have sat through a court case like this I would have nightmares.

[Little Mele]

Most of the people involved in this case (CPS side) have been unable to sleep. We are not able to release photos or further details at this time, apart from what is released in the media, but believe me, this is one horrific case

[Meta menardi]

This is only a few miles from where I live, I have read the reports with sadness and horror. No-one needs to apologise with comments about being thought a bunny-hugger, this is barbarism. The total lack of any empathy and the delight in things that are pointless but at the same time repulsive is very distrubing. There has to be a point in making a post about something so vile and repulsive, and my point would be, I am so glad that someone had more courage than I have to report this. The people who got arrested and charged for this have been described as "cocky" when approached by the police.

The reports in the local paper have not wallowed in detail, but I do feel that many people in the town feel a sense of shame that it has happened in our area, although the majority of those charged have been from York. It is thought that the 8 charged may have been only a part of the audience for this vile spectacle. Lets not get silly and say that they should be harmed as a retaliation, I just hope that all the weight of the sentence that can be applied is applied, and as much of their stuff that can be confiscated is taken.

I don't know what else to say, except, watch for groups of people in the countryside and numbers of cars parked up, record car plates and times and take care if you get some inkling that something is going on.

[Jim Ford]

I don't think I'll be following this thread further - it'll enrage me at the derisory sentences the culprits will receive!

Jim

[Little Mele]

This case has caused outrage. There are many, many people involved from the Police to the RSPCA to Expert Witnesses. There are three Advocates acting for the remaining six defendants - Two out of the eight have already pleaded guilty and will be sentenced 10th January 2012.

It is a very, very serious case, I know because I have been in court all week.

Will they get off with a slapped wrist? who knows, but I won't be following this thread any longer if they do, and I wrote it.

Just goes to show what happens when members of the public are vigilant and act quickly !!

How many other badgers are slaughtered for spectator sport and go undetected? Every Sunday it appears - more about that later !!

[Meta menardi]

[quote=Little Mele;854576]Will they get off with a slapped wrist? who knows, but I won't be following this thread any longer if they do, and I wrote it.
QUOTE]

Don't bail out if the sentencing goes bad, you obviously know what is going on and it is only at the stage of a derisory sentence that people like me, probably less courageous thean the original reporter of this ( he did not just phone the police, but sneaked up to see what was going on and take photos) can get into the chain of detection, prosecution and sentencing. Strike whilst the iron is hot, and hopefully whilst the fingers of the perpetrators can be hit too.

I do feel quite odd about this, all my thoughts trend towards wanting to go into a furious rant, but the awful truth of this makes me want to be cool, calm and vengeful, and I am sure I am not the only one.

I can see how your comment makes sense, but the populace is the punisher. I am not criticising you in any way, I would not have wanted to be in court to see this.

[fairplay]

Originally Posted by Little Mele

Most of the people involved in this case (CPS side) have been unable to sleep. We are not able to release photos or further details at this time, apart from what is released in the media, but believe me, this is one horrific case

Horrific as this case is, from the above quote, it seems you are involved in this case somehow, so should you be discussing this in a public forum until sentence has been passed ?
My apologies if I have interpreted the legalities of court procedure wrongly.

Neil.

[Little Mele]

Policeman?s badger horror (From Gazette & Herald)

Thank you for pointing this out. No I am not involved in the case whatsoever. As has been widely reported in the Press, photographs were taken by a witness.

Badger cruelty trial hears how gang laughed at animal?s plight (From Gazette & Herald)


Therefore if we and other badger groups get permission, along with the media, to use some of these images, then we will use them in our campaigns to stop events like this happening.

So sorry, I did word that bit of my posting incorrectly and rushed what I was trying to say instead of explaining myself properly.

At the conclusion of the trial, we will try and obtain more information, but until such time, postings about this case will be just what has been reported in the Press, who by the way have covered the case in many areas including Scarborough, Ryedale, Pontefract, York, Malton and other publications.

I cannot list all the links to this case, but there are a couple above. The reports are all very varied and some go into much greater detail than others, back soon. Thanks for your posting