FOUR Essex men have been charged following a hare coursing investigation.
Two of them were arrested in Essex by officers from our Rural Engagement Team following a number of incidents of hare coursing and violent disorder across Cambridgeshire on 25 January.
A total of 25 men have been charged with a combination of 39 offences in connection with the incidents:
Fredrick Butcher, 51, of Chelmsford Road, Ingatestone, has been charged with attending a hare coursing event.
Freddy-Cole Butcher, 22, of Chelmsford Road, Ingatestone, has been charged with theft from a shop.
Anthony Coyle, 32, of Pilgrims Lane, Grays, has been charged with attending a hare coursing event.
Francis Coyle, 19, of Pilgrims Lane, Grays, has been charged with attending a hare coursing event. All are due to appear at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 19 September.
A further 17 people – including three from Essex – have been issued with community protection notices and community protection warnings:
A 28-year-old man from Colchester has been issued with a CPN while a 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy, both from Ingatestone, have been issued with CPWs.
Together with surrounding forces, we have supported Cambridgeshire officers in their ongoing investigation. To date, a total of 43 individuals have been arrested and one juvenile voluntarily interviewed.
The seven forces of Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk and Suffolk teamed up under the Operation Galileo banner in September 2021, removing policing ‘borders’ when certain tactics are used against hare coursers. This has made catching and prosecuting suspects in the seven-force area much easier.
The agreement, completed with the support of the Crown Prosecution Service, means the forces become one when using certain powers, such as community protection warnings, community protection notices and criminal behaviour orders.
The terms of the community protection notices and community protection warnings issued during this investigation state the following:
- Not to be in possession of, be in control of, or be in the company of any dog on private land without the owner’s written permission.
- When in possession of, in control of, or in the company of any dog, said dog must be on a lead.
- Not to be in a vehicle with any dog, whilst outside of a five-mile radius of your home address, unless for a pre-arranged veterinary appointment.
- Not to be in possession of a catapult or shot, such as ball bearing, and/or an air weapon or any part of an air weapon.
- You must not drive or be conveyed in a mechanically propelled vehicle onto private fields or agriculture field belonging to another person without written permission presentable to an officer.
- You must not use any public spaces, footpaths, bridleways or other such like areas belonging to the Local Authority or another unspecified person with the intention to hare course.
- You must not shout at, swear at, or intimidate any persons in the seven counties of Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent.
