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Countryside Alliance: Hunting Act case adjourned until November

Countryside Alliance: Hunting Act case adjourned until November

All four members of the Crawley and Horsham Hunt charged with Hunting Act offences pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

A hearing took place at Crawley Magistrates Court on Thursday 29th September. The case was adjourned until 10th November for a management hearing. Jamie Hawksfield, Rachael Holdsworth, Neill Millard and Andrew Phillis deny all the charges which relate to three days’ hunting in January and February of this year.

They were not present at the hearing. Crawley and Horsham joint-Master Antony Sandeman said:

“Jamie Hawksfield, Rachael Holdsworth, Neill Millard and Andrew Phillis have the full support of the whole hunt and we are confident that they will be found not guilty. The Crawley and Horsham Hunt has carried out legal hunting activity since the Hunting Act came into force in February 2005. The hunt has been the subject of endless allegation during those six years, but no-one connected to the hunt has ever been convicted of a Hunting Act offence.”

Countryside Alliance South East Regional Director commented: “The Countryside Alliance and the wider hunting community is standing by Jamie, Rachael, Neill and Andrew in this. We continue to campaign for repeal of the atrocious Hunting Act and have great faith in hunting’s long term future.”

Ends..

Notes to editors Photographs of the four hunt members are enclosed. 

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