Isle of Wight Hunters Dump Carcasses

Published: 19 October 2004 BBC News

Two Isle of Wight huntsmen have been fined for dumping animal carcasses in Brighton during the Labour Party Conference.

Cowardly: Trousdale (left) and Butcher (right)

Stuart Trousdale, 33, of Gatcombe, and Jamie Butcher, 39, of Ashley Road, Ryde, both on the Isle of Wight pleaded guilty to public order offences.

The pair appeared before Brighton magistrates where they were ordered to pay nearly £400 between them.

The court heard they had unloaded two dead calves and a dead horse from a truck and left them in the city.

The court was told the pair dumped the animals on the day of Tony Blair's keynote speech to show their opposition to a proposed ban on hunting.

Isle of Wight Huntmen sick stunt: A dead horse was dumped near Brighton train station (left), two dead two calves dumped on a public footpath (right).

Charles Shelton, defending, said: "Mr Trousdale and Mr Butcher are not hooray Henrys, out to make a point. They are hard working members of their community. They are countrymen who feel that, as they see it, their way of life is under threat. This is a crime of passion."

People disgusted

Both men admitted breaching the Public Order Act through threatening and disorderly behaviour.

They both regretted any upset caused by the animals being dumped, Mr Shelton said.

But David Packer, prosecuting, said the carcasses had disgusted local people.

The men had been challenged by a passer-by who saw them dumping the animals and were arrested by police soon afterwards.

Chairwoman of the bench Linda Kenwood said the offence was aggravated because the public had been distressed by the sight of the dead animals

Trousdale, a kennels huntsman, was fined £80 and ordered to pay £70 costs and Butcher, a handyman builder, was fined £167 and ordered to pay £70.