LEO PRICE FROM KESWICK INVOLVED IN HORRIFIC HARE COURTING CASE WITH DOGS AND FIREARMS

Leo Price, a resident of the Brooks Green Travellers Site in Keswick, Norwich, became the focus of a serious criminal investigation after disturbing evidence of animal cruelty and illegal activities was uncovered. The case came to light following a police and RSPCA raid on June 11, 2018, at Price's residence on Mangreen Lane, where authorities discovered a significant cache of firearms, ammunition, and cannabis plants. These findings led to Price's subsequent imprisonment, but the investigation also revealed a darker side of his activities involving illegal hunting and animal cruelty.

During the raid, authorities seized five lurcher dogs from the site, along with Price’s mobile phone. When RSPCA inspector Carroll Lamport examined the contents of the phone, he uncovered graphic images and videos depicting Price’s involvement in illegal hare coursing. The footage showed Price setting his dogs loose across fields to chase and kill hares, with some videos capturing him holding the carcasses and praising his dogs after they had made kills. Prosecutor Jonathan Eales emphasized the importance of this evidence, stating, “The critical evidence comes from those videos. The evidence in this case is from his own phone.”

At the time of the investigation, Price was serving a prison sentence at HMP Wayland and refused to attend court proceedings. Nevertheless, the court found him guilty in his absence of six counts of hunting wild mammals with dogs, committed between January and April 2018. The magistrates ordered the forfeiture of the five dogs involved, with the RSPCA tasked with finding them suitable new homes. Eales explained that the dogs had been boarded at the expense of the RSPCA since June 2018, a cost amounting to thousands of pounds, highlighting the societal effort to care for animals seized in such cases. The prosecution stressed that returning the dogs to Price would be inappropriate given the nature of the offenses and the need to ensure their well-being in a proper environment.

In interviews, Price admitted ownership of the dogs and his mobile phone, acknowledging that videos on his device showed his dogs chasing and killing hares. When questioned about the hunting activities, he claimed that he regularly walks his dogs off-lead and allows them to run freely, accepting that they would naturally chase and sometimes kill hares. He insisted he was not engaged in a “killing spree,” but the videos told a different story. Several clips depicted Price holding a dead hare and praising his dogs after they had made kills. Notably, two of his dogs, named ‘Foxy’ and ‘Governor,’ appeared in the footage.

Legal representatives for Price argued for the return of the dogs, citing the long-standing residence of the Price family at the Keswick site for over 25 years and asserting that the animals were well cared for in proper kennels. However, magistrates ultimately ordered the dogs to be forfeited and imposed a fine of £100 for each of the six counts, along with court costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £30. The case underscores the ongoing issues surrounding illegal hunting, animal cruelty, and the societal costs associated with enforcement and animal welfare efforts in the Keswick area.