Three men have been fined for poaching after being caught on private land with nine dogs in Sheppey.
On 21 October 2022, Kent Police’s Rural Task Force (RTF) attended a report of trespassing on farmland in Queenborough. Officers located three men, one of whom was arrested for breaching his criminal behaviour order (CBO) already in place for similar offending.
Two men were summonsed to court for trespassing on land in pursuit of game. At the time of the incident officers seized eight deceased rabbits, a catapult, ball bearings, and a hunting knife.
Later the same day, another man was charged with breaching a CBO and with trespassing in pursuit of game.
On Wednesday 15 February 2023, all three men appeared before Medway Magistrates’ Court, where they pleaded guilty to the charges.
A man aged 29, from Tonbridge, and another man aged 32, from Warlingham, Surrey, were each fined £300, plus £205 in other costs.
A 33-year-old-man from Sittingbourne, was fined £80, plus nearly £200 in other costs and ordered to carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work.
Investigating officer, Sergeant Darren Walshaw, said: ‘The east of England regularly suffers incidents of illegal hunting. Those involved are often linked to other offences, which can have an extremely adverse impact on the rural community.
‘Others thinking of poaching should be aware that our seven-force collaboration was formed to create a borderless approach to address countryside crimes. We are working alongside the Crown Prosecution Service to reduce the number of reported incidents and prosecute those who choose to continue with this activity.’