Men sentenced following hare coursing activities in Crowland

Two men have received Criminal Behaviour Orders and fines for hare coursing offences in Crowland.

Edward Connors and Jerry Connors had both failed to attend court for their trial in December 2023 but were found guilty in their absence.

However, after warrants were issued which led to their arrests they were held accountable for their actions when they appeared at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court last week.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: “Their charges, hunting with dogs and trespassing with intent to pursue hares, relate to calls to our Force Control Room during the morning of Sunday 12 March 2023, reporting four men with dogs actively hare coursing at Crowland.

“Eye-witnesses had seen three men with dogs actively hare coursing on land at Crowland. The men were walking across fields with a fourth man driving a blue 4x4 slowly nearby. The dogs could be seen chasing hares.

“Police swiftly arrived in the area and saw a blue Daihatsu Terios being driven very fast over a field in which new crops had been planted; the vehicle was kicking mud up into the air as it travelled. It appeared the driver was struggling to find an exit to escape.

“The driver drove towards the officers but spotted them and turned around. All four men abandoned the car and started running away; they left one of their dogs in the car. A second dog was found nearby.

“Two of the men, including Edward Connors, jumped ditches but eventually gave up running and started to walk. Jerry Connors along with another man trespassed onto a railway line while they were trying to evade officers; they were all arrested.”

All four men were charged and at a subsequent trial in December 2023 were found guilty of:

• Hunting a wild mammal with dogs – contrary to the Hunting Act 2004.

• Trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs – contrary to section 63 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

Two men were sentenced that month and received punishments including driving bans, fines and the seizure of dogs.

But Edward Connors, aged 24, of Rectory Lane, Woodmansterne, Banstead and Jerry Connors, aged 19, of the same address, failed to attend Lincoln Magistrates’ Court for their trial and warrants were issued for their arrest.

They appeared before magistrates at Lincoln on Thursday 29 May this year and both received the following sentences:

• A Criminal Behaviour Order made for three years from 29 May 2025, prohibiting them from being in Linconshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire or Leicestershire with or in company of anyone with dogs of any breed. Also, not to be in any of the five counties with any instruments to be used for poaching either during the day or night.

• Fined £875.

• Compensation of £4929.83.

• Victim surcharge £350.

• Depravation Order to deprive the defendant of their rights in all four dogs, leads, lamps and collars.

Lincolnshire Police said a deprivation order for all four dogs and the blue Daihatsu Terios was made at the original sentencing for other two defendants in Dec 2023.