Crawley and Horsham hunt trial judgement is reserved
After seven days of evidence, judgement has been reserved until 14 May in the trial of four members of the Crawley and Horsham hunt at Horsham Magistrates Court, on charges of illegal hunting.
Masters Neill Millard of Dragons Lane, Shipley, and Jamie Hawksfield, of Bines Road, Partridge Green; secretary Rachael Holdsworth, of Rock Road, Washington and ex-huntsman – now Master and huntsman of the Dart Vale Harriers – Andrew Phillis, of Halwell, Totnes, were variously charged in relation to five separate alleged offences under the Hunting Act on three days in January and February 2011.
All four pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them.
Yesterday four of the seven charges were dropped and at 11am this morning the magistrates announced that there was no case against Mr Hawksfield and all charges against him were dropped.
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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.