Three hunt supporters have been found not guilty of stealing camcorders from two hunt “saboteurs”.
During a four-week trial at Winchester Crown Court that ended last Thursday (3 April), Peter Bogris, 30, of Petersfield, George Juer, 26, of Alton and Wayne Spencer, 40, of Billingshurst were accused of attacking “hunt monitors” Iris Luppa and Stella Hardy at a meet of the Hampshire Hunt (HH) on 24 February.
The three men were charged with robbery and affray, but denied all the allegations. The jury took an hour and a half to find them not guilty of all charges.
HH senior master Simon Harrap told H&H: “We are absolutely delighted with the news. Pete Bogris is a regular supporter of ours.
“The Hampshire Hunt does not sanction any type of illegal activity, so it is very important that they have now been found not guilty.”
The prosecution alleged that the trio took the cameras by force as the two women were “surrounded” on a path in the countryside near Preston Candover.
The defence said the women had fabricated what had happened during the incident and that an argument broke out when Miss Hardy was trying to film a three-year-old boy who was under the supervision of Mr Bogris.
The court heard how the confrontation ended in “pushing and shoving”.
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (10 April, ’08)
