CONVICTIONS OF CONNOR BELL AND MICHAEL HUTCHINSON FOR ILLEGAL FISHING IN SUNDERLAND

In 2022, Connor Bell, born around 1992 and residing on Bexhill Road, Sunderland SR5 4QH, along with Michael John Hutchinson, born circa 1983 of 20 Cranberry Road, Sunderland SR5 3PF, were convicted for illegal fishing activities.

Bell and Hutchinson, known for wildlife persecution, were prosecuted after authorities found photographs and videos on a mobile device and a social media account that showcased their illegal fishing. Bell pleaded guilty to using unlicensed gill nets to catch salmon and sea trout on the River Wear, including near Fatfield in Tyne and Wear. He was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, Bell was ordered to pay £1,000 in costs and a victim surcharge of £128.

Hutchinson faced similar charges, including one for handling illegally caught fish, and received a two-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with 200 hours of unpaid work. He too was fined £1,000 in costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

During the case, Environment Agency lawyer Matthew Treece reported that the digital evidence from Bell’s phone and Hutchinson’s social media pages revealed multiple weekends of illegal netting during the summers of 2020 and 2021. The images showed both men posing with catches of up to 14 fish, with Hutchinson’s Facebook profile also displaying a relative with caught fish and comments from Hutchinson encouraging the relative to become a "fine young poacher."

District Judge Garland addressed the defendants during sentencing, saying: “You don’t know how lucky you are to avoid going on a trip to Durham this morning. I view and the law views the things you were up to as extremely serious. These weren’t boyish pranks. You were out there putting a large net across a confined space of river where it was highly likely you were going to catch fish of one sort or another. And you did. If you hadn’t gone around bragging on Facebook about what fish you were catching, you wouldn’t have been in as much trouble as you are.”

Following the case, David Shears, Senior Fisheries Enforcement Officer for the Environment Agency in the North East, stated: “With salmon stocks reaching crisis levels in many of England’s rivers, this level of illegal activity could seriously impact the sustainability of future stocks in the River Wear. That’s why we take reports of suspected poaching seriously and work closely with the police to take action where appropriate. We’re committed to tackling illegal fishing of all kinds, online and offline, and as this case demonstrates, we will act especially when damaging methods are used.”

PC Peter Baker, Wildlife Officer at Northumbria Police, added: “We are really pleased to have been able to deliver effective justice and show the impact of illegal fishing and poaching. We are privileged to see various marine wildlife in our area, and everyone has a role in protecting the environment. Our Force takes all reports of such offences seriously and is dedicated to taking robust action against the minority involved in waterways crimes.”

Additional information indicates that outside of illegal fishing, Connor Bell has used dogs in wildlife persecution. His Facebook profiles feature images of dogs with facial injuries, consistent with being forced to fight foxes and/or badgers. Bell is associated with notorious poacher Dewi Price. Hutchinson is also a known bloodsports enthusiast; he operates a canine security company called N.E.F. Working Canines and has uploaded videos showing a dog being trained to attack a human, including footage involving a young child, likely his son, demonstrating his dogs’ viciousness.