Men convicted of illegal fox hunting ordered to pay £1,700 each

District Judge Bone said he took an adverse inference from the fact all four defendants either refused to name or failed to identify a man who climbed a fence to retrieve the carcass of the fox killed in a family garden in Hingham.

But he dismissed all charges against joint hunt masters Mr Kendall and Mr Gurney.

He also dismissed the charges of criminal damage, and said it had not been proven that the hounds were dangerously out of control.

But he said the charge of illegal hunting against Bell and Eggington had been proved beyond reasonable doubt on 8 and 20 February.

He said Bell, who is married with two children, and Egginton knew there was a fox and almost immediately diverted the dogs in the direction of the fox.

“I simply do not see how they failed to see the fox,” he added.

Of the incident at Hingham, he said: “What the dogs did on that patio was utterly distasteful and Bell and Egginton will be held criminally liable.”