ALISTAIR ROBINSON FROM BAMPTON GRANGE INVOLVED IN CRUEL FOX KILLING INCIDENT NEAR PENRITH

Alistair Thomas Robinson, a huntsman residing at 1 Essendy House in Bampton Grange near Penrith, has been found guilty of a brutal act of wildlife cruelty that took place in October 2009. Born in April 1962, Robinson was convicted after a trial that revealed disturbing details about his involvement in the killing of a fox.

Robinson was accused of flushing a fox from its den and then beating it to death with a stick. Despite denying any involvement in using dogs to hunt the fox, the court found sufficient evidence to convict him. Members of the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), including Ed Shephard and Paul Tillsey, presented compelling film footage during the trial that captured Robinson’s actions during an Ullswater Foxhounds ‘drag’ hunt passing through Hartsop on October 26, 2009.

The footage clearly showed Robinson removing a fox from the ground where his two terriers had been actively digging in tunnels. The hunt was supposed to be a legal ‘drag’ hunt, where dogs follow a scent artificially laid by the hunters, rather than hunting live animals. However, the footage indicated that Robinson was actively involved in the illegal hunting activity.

Further evidence was presented when Oliver King, the prosecutor, stated that Robinson was observed by LACS members digging with a stick in the area where the fox had gone underground after the hunt had moved on. Robinson later admitted during an interview that he had killed the fox and subsequently buried her carcass within a dry stone wall. The LACS members later retrieved the remains. Robinson claimed that he did not intend to use dogs to kill the animal, suggesting that his actions were not part of a hunting strategy but rather an act of cruelty.

Post-mortem examinations conducted by Stephen Harris at Bristol University revealed the extent of the fox’s injuries. The examination showed that the fox, a female (vixen), had been subjected to a prolonged attack by dogs, resulting in severe injuries. The injuries included bite wounds to her face and a partially crushed skull, indicating a violent and sustained assault.

During the court proceedings, Robinson’s defense lawyer, Stephen Welford, argued that Robinson’s actions were merely an attempt to assist in tracking down a lost dog. Welford claimed that Robinson had only sent his terrier underground to help retrieve a four-year-old dog that had accidentally escaped its lead and run into the tunnels.

Robinson’s account to the police after his arrest was equally troubling. He told officers that he had given the fox a few knocks to finish it off because it was in a distressed state and he believed it would not survive. This statement further underscored the cruelty involved in the incident.

In sentencing, Robinson was fined £250, ordered to pay £900 in costs, and imposed with a £15 surcharge. The court’s decision highlights the ongoing efforts to combat illegal hunting and animal cruelty in the region surrounding Penrith and Bampton Grange, emphasizing the importance of wildlife protection laws and the role of organizations like LACS in enforcing them.