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Hunt surveillance case dropped


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From the Countryside Alliance

 

On Tuesday we had the very good news that Dorset Crown Prosecution Service had dropped its prosecution against Christopher Leadbetter, an ex-employee of the South Dorset Hunt, the day before his second trial on Badger Act charges was due to start. The case was brought by the CPS on evidence by the League Against Cruel Sports. As we

previously reported Mr. Leadbetter had already been cleared last month of one charge under the Badgers Act after a six day trial when a judge ruled that he had no case to answer. That case had also raised important questions about the lawfulness of the use of evidence collected by anti-hunting activists using covert filming when thecourt ruled that such surveillance should be authorised under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.

 

A completely innocent man has spent two years clearing his name at the cost of over £250,000 to the taxpayer all because the police and CPS chose to pursue prosecutions based on the spurious allegations and unauthorised surveillance evidence. A LACS employee and other activists had set up movement activated hidden cameras on private property and also secretly filmed Mr. Leadbetter and other members of the South Dorset hunt. The prosecution claimed that Mr. Leadbetter had been interfering with an active badger set, but produced no solid evidence other than the opinion of an alleged 'expert'. When it was revealed in the first case that the 'expert' was in fact an ex-hunt sab and current LACS activist the judge ruled that his evidence could be considered biased and the case collapsed.

 

If any good can come of this situation it is an acceptance that the police and the CPS, not animal rights activists, should uphold, investigate and prosecute the law. The role that the League Against Cruel Sports played in these prosecutions meant that a fair and proper trial process was impossible. The South Dorset Hunt should be congratulated on its brave stand which has benefited us all by causing the Crown Prosecution Service to issue new guidance on secret filming and revealing the extent of animal rights involvement in some criminal prosecutions.

 

And before the criticism starts let's be clear that this is not about protecting those in our community who might be acting illegally, it is about ensuring that those who are not cannot be unjustifiably targeted in breach of their rights. It is about ensuring that other hunt employees and keepers do not face the same sort of flawed prosecution that saw Christopher Leadbetter leave his job and spend two years proving his innocence. It is about ensuring that police, not activists and vigilantes, police animal welfare and wild animal legislation.

 

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Well done to Chris! I know him and he is a top man. Let us hope that the LACS have to foot a big bill to cover their legal expenses. It is a shame Chris couldnt get some damages off of LACS to compensate for all the trauma he has had to endure in the past two years.

Let us hope LACS continue to fail with their prosecutions....it seems they do not have a good track record! :victory:

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Let us hope LACS continue to fail with their prosecutions....it seems they do not have a good track record! :victory:

 

This because they have a very blinkered/biased view of things and it leads them to barking up the wrong tree.

What a bunch of twits.

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