Paul Oliver, master of hounds at the South Herefordshire Hunt (SHH) in England, has been found guilty of animal cruelty after video footage showed him tossing live eight-week-old fox cubs into the kennels of his hounds “to instill in the dogs a bloodlust for hunting”.
The video, taken covertly by members of the anti-hunting group Hunt Investigation Team (HIT) in May 2016, went on to show Oliver taking two dead cubs from the kennels and dumping them in a bin.
The judge at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court found Oliver guilty of four charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. However, despite the deliberate brutality of this despicable act, and causing the “painful, terrifying” deaths of at least four fox cubs, he only received a 16-week suspended prison sentence — meaning he doesn’t have to spend one minute in jail — and a paltry fine of £415 (about $525).
In total, four people were convicted of animal cruelty charges, but none of the guilty parties received a prison sentence or were banned from keeping animals in future.
Fox hunting with dogs was banned in the UK in 2005 due to the strength of public feeling against the barbaric sport, in which foxes are chased until exhausted, then set upon by packs of hounds and ripped apart for “sport.”
On its Facebook page, HIT called the decision by the judge not to jail the guilty parties in the case “appalling.”
“Whilst we were pleased with the guilty verdicts, we clearly do not think the sentencing is adequate,” an HIT spokesperson told Lady Freethinker. “The judge noted the severity of the suffering but then went on to impose minimal punishments. This sends out the wrong message to people who choose to abuse animals in the UK — especially people who abuse animals for cruel and illegal bloodsports.”
We agree that the penalties handed down for these disgusting crimes were far too lenient. Sentences for animal cruelty need to be made far tougher, and when perpetrators are found guilty judges must impose fitting sentences.
Please sign our petition calling for an appeal on this slap on the wrist, and for a more suitable sentence to be issued:
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What a PSYCHO Paul Oliver is — what KIND of society allows this — his SENTENCE is LAUGHABLE — have you LOST YOUR MINDS — NO RESPECT for animals OR the Law — CRIMES AGAINST ANIMALS MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY – throw IDIOT Paul Oliver and his cohorts in prison —- aren’t BLOOD “sports” BANNED here — Ensure this imbecile stays away from ALL animals FOREVER – the depraved abuse & suffering inflicted on innocent and vulnerable fox pups is telling of unconscionable, insane, sadistic & hateful human – let’s get some STIFF LAWS on the books and ENFORCE them — at least 10 yrs in prison / $10K penalty per pup — this IDIOT will repeat his brutality unless we STOP him NOW – PUNISHMENTS & PENALTIES MUST BE SEVERE – We NEVER want repeats of these crimes.
This is why people start taking the law into their own hands. If the UK Just-Us system is anything like the US Just -US system the corruption and pandering to the wealthy and powerful is truly sickening. One law for the hoi poloi and another for the upper classes.
I think they entire system may neeed dismantled..
A totally inadequate sentence. What a shame, the judge had an opportunity to show that this behaviour is WRONG but chose to diminish the lives of the fox cubs. The terror these babies must have suffered must have been horrific.
Peaceful and family friendly? We’re talking about animal abuse, cruelty, and murder and someone who got off probably because of bribes. A real justice system would put these inbreds in prison.
sick psychopaths should be punished more harshly than they do now. Really deter this sort of sick behavior.
Such sick individuals out there. What is our world coming to??? We need to have stricter and deterring laws that really punish these things to the extent of the law, beyond if possible. nothing but psychopaths.
This is a psychopath in the making who desperately needs to be punished until he learns that decent people have no tolerance for his sick abuse of the helpless innocents!
Paul Oliver should himself be suspended from a HIGH BEAMED CEILING.
Fire the judge or defrock him or whatever it is you do with judges. And re-try the case. The monster must take punishment.
WTF…… a suspended sentence. how since it was banned isn’t that breaking the law…. would rather have put that POS in a cage with lions…. and the judge let them rip them apart see how it feels….. those poor babies suffered a horrible death for no reason. A slap on the wrist means nothing a stiffer penalty must be imposed…. and that judge needs to be removed for stupidity…
What a vicious evil man!
Paul Olliver should be thrown in a cage with his own hunting dogs and see how he enjoys being mauled
to a painful and terrifying…death! a suspended sentence…disgraceful and pathetic to say, is an understatement to say the least! Shame on the magistrate that handed down the judgement. Throw him/her to the wolves as well. No better an individual that Paul Olliver himself.
The penalty MUST fit this heinous crime.
COMMENThe penalty MUST fit this heinous crime.
Off course they got away with it. Why are people surprised????
This is why people are not afraid to break the law.
Disgusting creeps…………scummy judge.
This is horrible ! Shame ! Justice ! How cruel the human race is ! Poor baby foxes that were tossed alive to hounds to be eaten. Ban fox hunting, please ! This is not a sport, it is a cruelty act upon a living creature.
This sub-human savage needs jail time, a felony charge and heavy fine.
Cruelty needs to STOP and harsh sentences handed down.
Do not deny for the sake of peace and quiet your experiences or convictions.
-Dag Hammerskjold
This is disgusting of these demons. I can’t call them humans cause they are not. When will the justice become harsh enough to open there eyes and brain to make this shit end. Our world was not meant for these demons to do this.i will say we have too many people in this world. If we got rid of these piece of shits our world would be a better place.
Of course the Judge gave him a lenient sentence, most of British judges are archaic and the “old school brigade”influences their decisions!!
Of course the Judge gave him a lenient sentence, most of British judges are archaic and the “old school brigade”influences their decisions!!
T
Our legal system needs to overhauled along with the judges that let people like this get away with inhumane acts. Disgusted
Disgusting, as usual. Until laws change, people’s actions won’t change.
Anyone who can feed a tiny terrified creature to another animal is an utter moron with no brain and no humanity and they need a death sentence let alone being let off scot free.is the judge a hunt supporter I wonder?.
So how do we respond to the judge who gave this bastard a tap on wrist for feeding
baby foxes to his dogs? Get rid of the judge, forbid this clown to even have hunting dogs
anymore. Where does he live?
Why a suspended sentence? This sickening crime should have resulted in jail time and a big fine for this awful “man” although he really isn’t human.
This breaks my heart that these innocent fox cubs were murdered in such a horrific way. The short time they were alive and to endure such a brutal and terrifying end to their life is just awful. This is a sick man to commit a crime like this and has no heart and should be punished a great deal. May God punish you.
An eye for an eye is true justice and will prevent cruelty.
Make room in the freezer.
If the fox cubs had been puppies,would the sentence have been totally different? But because fox are know to be a nuisance it’s treated different!
How is it possible that no jail time was imposed – this is tragic and the penalty is a total joke. Imagine the pain of the loss of life these poor little animals suffered. The money fine is nothing compared to the brutality of this horrible act of animal abuse. These killers all need to be in a jail for a very very long time. Such a sad world we are living in and no serious penalties ever seem to be enforced.
Exactly why it won’t ever stop. Time for a vigilante to find these monsters. An eye for an eye seems to be the only way things may change. Oh, wait, that’s not legal though. And that person wouldn’t get away with that. Great job not protecting the innocent and endangered. Free to continue to do it again.
These monsters should be fed to bears/
And this is why it never ends!!! No punishment for human shit like this. Pathetic!!!!
Wildlife should be protected not killed
The bastard should be rotting in jail and taken care of by the inmates.
Their lack of punishment to the cruelty of their actions is not acceptable.
I want him dead…
Animal cruelty will never end because those who could do something about it don’t care! Always a slap on the wrist so the abuser goes on abusing other animals. Makes me sick!