A 23-year-old man has been convicted of theft after he stole a sheep and killed it, before then feeding it to a pack of hounds.
On March 13, 2022, Hartley Crouch, of Cottesmore Road, Ashwell, was working as the Whipper-In for the Pytchley Hunt when he shot dead another member of the hunt’s pet sheep. He then skinned it and fed it to the hounds.
As a result, Crouch was immediately fired and the incident reported to Northamptonshire Police.
Latest News:
- Farmer caught drink driving after he drove 'too fast' in Penrith
- Varied drilling dates could add to regional disease risks
- SRUC research weighs against foliar N as being more efficient
Lead investigator, PC Chloe Gillies of Northamptonshire Police rural crime team, said: “This incident caused a great deal of upset to the owners of the sheep who had hand-reared it and kept it as a pet in the back garden.
"Crouch did not have the owners’ permission to kill the sheep and to dispose of it in the manner that he did was horrible.
“I am pleased Crouch was found guilty of the offence and I hope this case shows that Northamptonshire Police take incidents like this seriously.”
Crouch was charged with theft and was found guilty of the offence at Northampton Magistrates’ Court last week (January 11). He was sentenced on the same day to a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £775 in costs, £150 in compensation and a surcharge of £22.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here