England: Prison sentence for sadistic hobby hunter

A hobby hunter in England received a 22-week prison sentence for torturing a fox caught in a cage.

Animal fights filmed on mobile phone

John Thomas Gough also received a lifetime ban on keeping animals after admitting his guilt in organising animal fights and causing unnecessary suffering to animals, reports the Stourbridge News.

During the trial, it emerged that the hobby hunter had filmed the animal fights on a mobile phone and could be heard egging on his two hunting dogs.

A further video shows the tortured fox being released from the cage and brutally attacked by his dogs. The incident took place in the garden of his home on 16 May 2017.

House search uncovered evidence

The charges against the hobby hunter followed a house search carried out by the local animal welfare organisation RSPCA and local police after receiving a tip-off.

During the search, videos and images of the animal fights were discovered on the hobby hunter's mobile phone. A fox trap and further equipment used for fox hunting were also found in his home. In his car, police found fox tails, cages for hunting dogs, and shovels.

A spokesperson for the animal welfare organisation said: «We do not know what happened to the fox in this horrific attack. The two hunting dogs were also not found on the premises.»

An expert confirmed, based on the videos, that the fox had suffered severely and sustained open, bleeding injuries. More on crime and hobby hunting.