HUNT SABOTEURS ASSOCIATION
PO Box 2786, Brighton, BN2 2AX www.huntsabs.org.uk
Tel: 01273 622827 (General) 07961 113084 (Press)

Huntsman in court following assault on hunt saboteur
East Devon huntsman to appear at Exeter Magistrates Court

Embargoed until 0001 Thursday 16th August 2001

J Hazeltine, huntsman with the East Devon Foxhounds, based at Collumpton, Devon will appear before Exeter Magistrates on Thursday 16th August on a charge of Assault following an alleged incident in which a hunt saboteur was beaten up as he attempted to rescue a fox from a pack of hounds. The hunt saboteur also suffered injuries from the fox, which obviously fearing for its life after being pursued by hounds, struggled to escape from the saboteurs grip and subsequently bit its rescuer. However, following the alleged violent intervention of the huntsman, the saboteur was forced to drop the animal and it was quickly attacked and killed by the waiting hounds. News reports suggesting that the frightened animal managed to escape with its life were sadly mistaken.

Notes to Editors:-
For further information please contact Dawn Preston on 07961 113084. Previous press release follows. This and previous press releases and background info can be found on our website at www.huntsabs.org.uk:-

Hunt saboteur attacked by huntsman - saboteur then arrested and taken to hospital by police!
For immediate release 3rd February 2001

Hunt saboteurs present at a meet of the East Devon Fox Hounds at Cullompton, near Exeter, today condemned the attitude of the police present after a saboteur who had been attacked by the Huntsman was himself arrested. The saboteur had successfully intervened as hounds were chasing a fox and had managed to pick it up in an attempt to shield it from biting hounds when the Huntsman, J Hazeltine, attacked him in order to force him to release the terrified animal. Despite his best attempts, the saboteur was unable to hold the struggling animal whilst also attempting to protect himself from attack, and the fox was dropped and subsequently torn to pieces by the hounds. The police present saw fit only to immediately arrest the saboteur who had been attacked, along with others present, but did have the sense to take him to hospital for treatment for his injuries. It is believed that the Huntsman was later arrested.

Dawn Preston, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated 'Here we see hunt saboteurs doing what they do best - intervening in the hunting process to try to save the lives of hunted animals. And here too is yet another fine example of just how desperate the hunters are to get a kill at the end of the day. It takes a desperate individual to resort to physical violence against another person just so that they can chalk up the death of yet another innocent animal. And to top this off, we see the police arresting the very person who has been attacked! Saboteurs present had complained to the police of verbal death threats made by both supporters and riders with the hunt from the outset, but still they saw fit only to arrest those on the receiving end of the abuse and intimidation.'

She continued, 'Hunt saboteurs in the past have rescued foxes which were being hunted and one rescue in particular, that of 'Copper' the fox (so named as a police man handed over his helmet to help protect the fox from the biting hounds) brought about the first veterinary evidence of the intolerable stress levels suffered by foxes as a result of the chase itself. No doubt the Huntsman would have feared that the saboteur would use the fox to confirm this evidence had he been successful in getting the animal away.'

ENDS