R v Hankinson
| Jurisdiction | England & Wales |
| Judgment Date | 15 October 2021 |
| Court | Magistrates' Court |
IN THE WESTMINSTER MAGISTRATES’ COURT
REGINA
-v-
MARK HANKINSON
_______________________________
DECISION
_______________________________
1. The Defendant is charged, contrary to section 44 of the Serious Crime Act 2007:
On 11 August 2020, did an act capable of encouraging the commission of the offence
of hunting a wild mammal with a dog, and he intended to encourage its commission.
Section 65(2) adds:
A reference in this Part to a person’s doing an act that is capable of encouraging or
assisting the commission of an offence includes a reference to his doing so by—
(a) taking steps to reduce the possibility of criminal proceedings being brought in
respect of that offence.
2. The Crown allege that the Defendant, through his words on two webinars, gave advice
on how to hunt illegally by making it look like a hunt was in fact, trail hunting. In doing
so, that he was encouraging the commission of the offence of illefgal hunting.
3. Trail hunting is not illegal and involves the laying of a scent for mounted riders and
hounds to follow. It replicates closely what a traditional hunt would have looked like
but without a fox actually being chased, injured or killed. It seeks to replicate the
traditional route that would have been taken by a fox. There is always danger in a trail
hunt that the hounds will accidentally come across the scent of a fox and end up chasing
it. The hounds should then be stopped but that eventuality would not amount to a
criminal offence. Trail hunting is capable of being used as a cover for illegal hunting,
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