A man who stabbed a fox to death with a garden fork has been handed a suspended sentence.
Paul O'Shea, of Mount Bures, Essex, admitted charges of hunting a wild mammal with a dog and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal when he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 22nd June 2022.
You can read the circumstances of the offence in our earlier article.
The bench on that occasion adjourning sentencing until Monday, 1st August 2022, pending the completion of a pre-sentence report.
For causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal offence, O'Shea was sentenced to 18 weeks' custody suspended for 12 months.
He was also ordered to pay £128 surcharge and £85 towards prosecution costs.
Magistrates also imposed an order prohibiting O'Shea from keeping or being in charge of a dog for 5 years.
No separate penalty was imposed in relation to the offence of hunting a wild mammal with a dog.
Whenever the court imposes a custodial sentence has to consider whether or not the custodial term can be suspended. Our earlier article about suspended sentences explains in more detail.
PC Jed Raven of Essex Police's Rural Engagement Team said: "This was a particularly nasty incident.
"The fox was attacked by the dog until O'Shea grabbed the fox by its tail to pull it out of the net. He then attacked the poor fox with a large garden fork, stabbing it several times, before kicking it.
"Sadly, we don't know exactly what happened to the fox as the film did not capture this.
"What is certain is that the fox would have been caused a great deal of physical pain and discomfort, as well as mental terror.
"This is simply not acceptable.
"The film footage of the incident was extremely distressing. We were determined to ensure O'Shea did not get away with his cruel acts, so we immediately sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, which helped us to secure the charges against him."
CPS district prosecutor Sally Robinson added: "This was an abhorrent example of animal cruelty and hunting committed by a terrierman in the East Essex Hunt.
"Mr O'Shea flushed a fox and then utilised a pitchfork to commit unnecessary suffering to it.
"The Crown Prosecution Service take all cases of animal cruelty and hunting offences seriously and where the full code test is met, will take steps to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice."
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