No animal ban for hunt master who threw fox to hounds as child watched

A hunt master who threw a fox to his hounds as a child watched won’t be banned from keeping animals – despite having a history of wildlife offences.

Stuart Radbourne, 39, appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 27 October to be sentenced for an offence causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

The defendant, of The Common in Bromham, near Melksham, admitted chucking a fox to a pack of hounds who tore it to shreds in a gruesome assault on Christmas Eve 2020.

The incident was witnessed by a child and it was filmed and shared with others.

Radbourne was convicted of interfering with a badger sett in 2013 and in July this year, he admitted an almost identical crime which saw the Avon Vale Hunt banned by the governing body.

Despite being convicted of another cruelty offence, magistrates decided against imposing a ban on owning or keeping animals – stating it was “not necessary or proportionate”.

He was handed an 18-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months. Radbourne was also told to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, pay costs of £750 and a surcharge.