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Case ID: 14856

Classification: Fighting, Neglect / Abandonment

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Badger baiting
Warkworth, EN (UK)

Incident Date: Monday, Jul 30, 2007

Disposition: Convicted

Defendants/Suspects:
» Christopher Hindmarsh
» Justin Lang

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

Two men appeared at Alnwick Magistrates Court this week accused of animal cruelty and interfering with a badger sett.

Christopher Hindmarsh, 28, of Alwinton Square, and Justin Lang, 23, of Norham Road, both Ashington, are accused of damaging a badger sett, obstructing access to a badger sett, causing a dog to enter a badger sett and attempting to kill, injure or take a badger.

They are also accused of failing to meet the needs of two dogs by not ensuring their protection from pain, suffering, injury or disease by causing them to enter a badger sett.

The case was adjourned for the RSPCA to finalise exhibits and no pleas were entered from the pair. They will reappear at court on Monday, June 2.

Case Updates

Badger attackers Christopher Hindmarsh and Justin Lang boasted about their exploits to police.

They also filmed one attack on a badger and bragged in text messages about how they had captured and killed the animals, a court was told.

Hindmarsh, 28, of Alwinton Square, and Lang, 24, of Norham Road, both Ashington, admitted charges linked to badger-baiting when they appeared before magistrates at Alnwick.

Both men were granted unconditional bail until later this month, when they will be sentenced.

The case had been listed for a five-day hearing, but both men changed their pleas and admitted charges of damaging a badger sett, obstructing access to a sett and causing a dog to enter one. Hindmarsh admitted a further offence of attempting to injure or take a badger.

Magistrates were told that two setts which had been previously attacked were kept under watch between November 2006 and July 2007 by the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, local residents and wildlife crime police officer PC Andy Swinburne.

PC Swinburne and a member of the group visited the smaller of the setts on July 30, 2007 and saw Hindmarsh and Lang come out of the wood with four dogs. Two of the dogs had injuries and when one of them was later examined, one dog had an old wound probably caused by a badger.

When the sett was examined, PC Swinburne found that its entrances had been blocked and two new holes had been dug for the terriers to get inside.

Magistrates were told that when the men's mobiles were checked, they contained footage of a badger being attacked by a dog. Lang's phone also had text messages bragging about how he had captured and killed badgers. Hindmarsh had also bragged to police officers previously about his exploits with the animals.

Clive Rees, defending Lang, said he accepted joint responsibility for what happened because he did nothing to stop the dog.

Source: Chronicle Live - Nov 7, 2008
Update posted on Nov 7, 2008 - 10:19AM

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Badger baiters who were caught interfering with a sett in rural Northumberland had horrific films of dogs attacking the wild animals on their mobile phones, a court has heard. Christopher Hindmarsh and accomplice Justin Lang were discovered by police at a wood near Warkworth on July 30 last year.

Officers were there to check two badger setts, which had been attacked a number of times between November 2006 and that month.

But wildlife crime officer, PC Andy Swinburne, who was working with the help of Northumberland Wildlife Trust and local residents, heard voices and dogs barking in the wood.

A four-wheel drive vehicle was found parked beside the larger sett, and fearing that baiters were carrying out an attack, he called for back-up.

Before help could arrive, however, Hindmarsh and Lang walked out of woods, accompanied by four dogs.

Two of the terriers appeared to be injured, and it was later revealed that one dog's had an old wound to its jaw which was consistent with being in contact with a badger.

A further check of the setts revealed that some entrances had been blocked, while holes had been dug to allow terriers to get in.

During the ensuing investigation, Lang, 24, of Norham Road, Ashington was found to have bragged in sickening mobile phone texts about capturing and killing badgers.

And Hindmarsh, 28, of Alwinton Square, also Ashington, had previously joked with police officers about his role in the revolting 'sport'.

There was also graphic footage on the phones of other offences, including a film of a badger being attacked by a dog.

Appearing before District Judge Earl at Alnwick Magistrates Court on Thursday, the pair admitted offences of damaging a badger sett, obstructing access to a sett and causing a dog to enter one.

Hindmarsh admitted a further charge of attempting to kill, injure or take a badger.

They had been due to stand trial over five days after initial pleas of not guilty.

Defending Lang, solicitor Clive Rees described his client's role as "reckless", and that the dog had gone to ground on its own accord.

But he conceded that nothing had been done to prevent it happening, and that Lang had "done nothing to disassociate himself" from the offences.

The case was adjourned until November 20 for sentence, which Judge Earl said would be in the community service banding.

The pair, who both have previous convictions for poaching, were granted unconditional bail.

Source: Northumberland Gazette - Nov 7, 2008
Update posted on Nov 7, 2008 - 10:18AM

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Badger baitingWarkworth, EN (UK)

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Badger baiting
Warkworth, EN (UK)