Wigan dog owner handed criminal behaviour order

A Wigan man has been convicted of hare coursing after his lurcher-type dogs were used to hunt and kill wild hares on farmland in Lancashire.

James Kent, 40, appeared at Lancaster Magistrates’ Court, where he was handed a five-year criminal behaviour order banning him from trespassing on any land in Lancashire with a lurcher-type dog. In addition to the order, he must complete 80 hours of unpaid work and has been forced to give up the Nissan X Trail used in the offences.

Kent was found guilty of eight separate charges, including hunting wild mammals with dogs, trespassing with intent to pursue hares, being equipped to do so, and daytime trespass in pursuit of game. The offences took place over the festive period, with the first reports of hare coursing coming in on Christmas Day from land near Whiteley’s Lane in Ormskirk.

Further activity was reported on 26 January, when his dogs were seen killing hares.

PC Sean Dalby, from Lancashire Police, condemned Kent’s actions, stating: “Kent has shown absolutely no regard for animals’ rights to live peacefully in the wild. Instead, he allowed his dogs to cruelly maim and kill hares.” He added that the conviction should serve as a warning to others: “We have a dedicated team tackling rural crime – and we will find you.”