Two Men Found Guilty Of Hunting Offences After Fox Torn Apart In Family’s Garden

Two members of the West Norfolk Hunt, Edward Bell and Adam Egginton, were found guilty of illegal hunting offenses after a fox was torn apart in a family’s garden. CCTV footage captured the incident where a fleeing fox was cornered and killed by 38 pursuing hounds in the family’s enclosed rear garden. The two men were convicted of hunting a wild mammal with dogs, a practice that has been illegal in England and Wales for 20 years.

District Judge Matthew Bone stated that it was clear beyond a reasonable doubt that the men were engaged in unlawful fox hunting rather than trail hunting. Anti-hunting campaigners argue that the excuse of trail hunting is frequently used as a cover-up for illegally hunting animals. This conviction serves as a landmark case, sending a message to all hunts that evidence gathered by activists can and will result in criminal convictions. Bell and Egginton have been ordered to pay fines of £1,700 each within 28 days.