The case against huntsman Paul Whitehead and company director Terence Potter of the Lunesdale Hunt for Hunting Act offences was dismissed on the first day of their trial at York Magistrates’ Court on the 21st January 2015. Huntsman Paul Whitehead faced a charge of hunting a wild mammal with dogs on the 18th February 2014 near Ingleton, North Yorkshire, contrary to S1 Hunting Act 2004. Company director Terence Potter faced a similar charge on behalf of the company as an officer of a body corporate , under the provisions of S10 of the Hunting Act 2004. The case put before York Magistrates’ Court was brought by the Crown Prosecution Service following evidence supplied by the League Against Cruel Sports and further investigations by North Yorkshire police. The magistrate in the case told the court that “the failings of the CPS have not assisted justice in this case”. It was because of these failings that much of the evidence in this case was inadmissible and not shown to the court. Joe Duckworth, Chief Executive of the League Against Cruel Sports said that “a set of circumstances beyond our control has led to today’s case being dismissed”. The League intends to make a complaint to the CPS about their handling of the case.
Video footage of the incident can be viewed via the link below.