Four Men Convicted of Hare Coursing in Lincolnshire

Four men made a very costly mistake by hare coursing in Lincolnshire.

The four, named below, were convicted of being equipped for searching or pursuing hares following a trial at Lincoln Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 28th August 2025.

• Elijah King, 20, of Teston Road, Offham, West Malling, Kent;
• Joseph King, 41, of Teston Road, Offham, West Malling, Kent;
• Elijah Moore, 44, of Stonehurst Lane, Hadlow Down, East Sussex;
• Charles Lee, 42, of Polhill Park, Polhill, Halstead, Sevenoaks, Kent.

This is an offence under section 64 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. The maximum sentence on summary conviction is 51 weeks' custody and/or an unlimited fine.

Magistrates heard that police responded to reports of hare coursing in the Holbeach St Marks area on the early afternoon of Thursday, 10th October 2024.

Officers pulled over a black Ford Focus that was associated with the report. The vehicle's number plate had been smeared in mud to make it unreadable.

The four men were travelling in the vehicle with a 15-year-old youth who escaped prosecution. There were four sight hounds and hare coursing paraphenalia in the boot.

The four were sentenced as follows:

• Elijah King was fined £750 and ordered to pay £300 surcharge, £162.50 towards prosecution costs and £7,140 in kennelling costs;
• Joseph King was fined £750 and ordered to pay £300 surcharge, £162.50 towards prosecution costs and £7,140 in kennelling costs;
• Elijah Moore was fined £750 and ordered to pay £300 surcharge, £162.50 towards prosecution costs and £7,140 in kennelling costs;
• Charles Lee was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,250 surcharge, £162.50 towards prosecution costs and £7,140 in kennelling costs.

An order was made depriving the men of ownership of the four seized dogs, their leads, slip leads and collars.

The four were also made subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order, which prohibits them from entering the counties of Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire (member counties of the East of England agreement) with or in the company of anyone with dogs of any breed, between 31st July and 30th April.

The order also prohibits the four from being in the five counties when in possession of any article intended for use in poaching.

Lincolnshire Police's PC Karen Irving said: "Don't come to Lincolnshire hare coursing."

"We will do everything we can to stop this vile offending. Protecting our rural communities and wildlife is what we are here for, every day, all year."

The police and courts of Lincolnshire have a history of dealing with this offence very robustly (see here and here).

It's really not worth the risk.

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