GRAPHIC: Warwickshire Hunt whipper-in convicted under Hunting Act.

Benjamin Halsall of the Warwickshire Hunt convicted of hunting a wild mammal with dogs.

Benjamin Halsall of the Warwickshire Hunt has been convicted of hunting a wild mammal with dogs in breach of the Hunting Act 2004. 'Whipper-in' Halsall, from Shipton-on-Stour, was found guilty by a District Judge at Coventry Magistrates' Court, after the court was shown footage of the Warwickshire Hunt's hounds ripping up a fox on 9 October 2023. He has been ordered to pay a £1000 fine and £1000 court costs.

In a significant move, Warwickshire Hunt Limited was tried for the same offence, but was acquitted. A hunt has rarely been prosecuted as a corporate body by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). However, the District Judge reportedly said that the CPS had not put sufficient evidence forward against the Hunt as a legal entity.

Benjamin Halsall watches as a fox is ripped apart - photo via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association

This is one of several recent convictions of hunt members and supporters. Protect the Wild recently reported on the Blackmore and Sparkvale (BSV) Hunt's Charlie Mayo and Kieron Bashford pleading guilty to obstructing hunt sabs while the BSV was in pursuit of a fox and a few weeks ago former Essex & Suffolk Huntsman (ESH) Sam Staniland plead guilty to three animal cruelty charges under the Animal Welfare Act. Also in the last month, the prosecution of three more ESH huntsmen fell apart after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) failed to properly prepare its case.

Fox brutally killed after Halsall drives her toward the hounds

On 9 October 2023, according to the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA), Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs (3CHS) and Warwickshire Hunt Saboteurs (WCH) were both out sabbing the Warwickshire Hunt (WH). 3CHS filmed a fox being chased from the woods by the Hunt's hounds. She ran into hunter Benjamin Halsall at the top of Idlicote Hill. Hallsall managed to turn the fox around into the path of the hounds where she was ripped apart.

The Warwickshire Hunt's hounds rip apart a fox, after Benjamin Halsall sent her into their path- photo via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association

The HSA website published graphic footage of the fox being torn apart, and then Halsall coming and retrieving her body.

Sabs tried to save the fox, but were unsuccessful. One sab from 3CHs was thrown to the ground by a member of the hunt. This assault was reported to Warwickshire Police, but the investigation was reportedly halted after the assailant fled the country.

Not an isolated incident

Halsall's behaviour is all too common for the Warwickshire Hunt. Sabs have gathered evidence of the Hunt chasing 29 foxes and one deer this season alone, in clear breach of the Hunting Act. Sab groups also recorded at least two incidents of the WH interfering with badger setts, in contravention of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. Police attended the scene on no less than 28 occasions.

Halsall picks up the dead fox - photo via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association

CPS failed to make a proper case against Warwickshire Hunt Ltd

According to a member of 3CHS who was present in court, the District Judge said that the "court has heard no evidence about who the Warwickshire Hunt Ltd are and what role they played".

The judge did accept that the WH were present on the day and had organised the supposed 'trail hunt' in which Halsall was acting as 'whipper-in'. It was also accepted that he was acting as a "representative" of the hunt, albeit on a voluntary basis. The court heard evidence that Halsall had not received adequate training.

However, the CPS did not present proper evidence setting out the corporate structure of Warwickshire Hunt Ltd and linking it with the killing of the fox. Neither did they present any evidence about who the directors of Warwickshire Hunt Ltd are.

The Hunting Act states that the corporate body is guilty of an offence if it takes place "with the consent or connivance" of at least one officer (ie a director, manager or secretary) of the Hunt. It isn't surprising that the prosecution of Warwickshire Hunt Ltd failed.

Warwickshire Police attempt to claw back their reputation

Warwickshire Police (WP) put out the following statement about Halsall's conviction:

"Last year communities across Warwickshire and the country were deeply saddened when they saw a video on social media showing illegal fox hunting.

Officers from our Rural Crime Team worked incredibly hard to gather evidence to build up a robust case to put to the courts."

Warwickshire Polivce even released a video statement about the conviction.

So why the sudden police enthusiasm for prosecuting hunt members? In Protect the Wild's opinion this 'copaganda' has everything to do with repairing the force's damaged reputation after it was widely criticised for its close relationship with the Warwickshire Hunt. In fact, WP was recently forced to release a secret Protocol from the 2023/4 hunting season showing that the police had agreed to tell the Hunt every time they intended to turn up at any of their meets, a move tantamount to promising to tell a burglar before attempting to catch him in the act of robbing a house. The signing of the agreement coincided with the dropping of a Community Protection Notice (CPN) issued to WH. Full details of Warwickshire Police's secret agreement with WH can be found here.

When we contacted WP about the disclosure of the Protocol, they pointed us to their press release about the conviction of Halsall - suggesting strongly that the enthusiastic police press work is part of a PR strategy to rebuild public trust after the embarrassing release of the Protocol.

"Wildife is being killed in front of our eyes”

A spokesperson for Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs made the following comment to the HSA about Halsall's conviction:

“Three Counties were there that day supporting West Midlands Hunt Sabs. The Warwickshire hunt blatantly and deliberately hunted this fox which ended with them being ripped apart by the hounds. Witnessing an act of such horrific cruelty so close was deeply distressing. Hunting is still happening week in week out and wildlife is being killed in front of our eyes”

A spokesperson for West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs commented to the HSA:

“This confirms what we have been saying for a long time – the Warwickshire Hunt are regularly illegally hunting and killing foxes. They are operating as an organised crime group. It’s clear that foxes are still being hunted and killed 20 years after the Hunting Act was originally brought in. A £2000 fine is clearly not enough of a deterrent. The government needs to fulfil its promise to strengthen the Hunting Act.”

The Hunt Saboteurs Association added:

“Hunt saboteurs are the only ones stepping in to try and save foxes’ lives, and gather the evidence needed to bring cases to court. Without their bravery, foxes would be killed every week with no accountability. The courage and determination of these individuals highlights the need for stronger wildlife protections and ensures that these crimes don’t go unnoticed. It’s because of them that the fight to end fox hunting remains in the public eye and justice continues to be pursued.”

Protect the Wild strongly agrees that a fine isn't gonna stop a hunt from menacing Warwickshire's wildlife. We need direct action to save lives, coupled with a campaign to push Labour to keep their promise and implement a workable ban on trail hunting. Sign our petition for a real ban on the hunting of mammals here.

Featured images via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association

• Check out West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs' website, and donate to support their work.

• Support Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, and make a donation to help them continue their work.

• Check out the Hunt Saboteurs Association website.

• Read the secret protocol that Warwickshire Police didn’t want anyone to see.

• See West Midlands Hunt Saboteur’s statement on Warwickshire Police's complicity with the Warwickshire hunt, on the Network for Police Monitoring website.