Three men have been sentenced following hare coursing offences in December last year, with one man receiving a custodial sentence.
The men, ranging from ages 31 to 37, appeared at Beverley Magistrates Court on charges of numerous hare coursing offences.
However, another man, Dean Adams, 27, failed to appear in court and a warrant for his arrest has been issued.
In the incident, the four men were stopped by Humberside Police Officer Rich Fussey as they came off private farmland in Leven, East Yorkshire.
They were in possession of running dogs without any permissions to be on the land.
One of the men, John Langan, was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. The court felt the offence was so serious that a custodial sentence could be justified.
He was also given a 10-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) covering England and Wales with conditions around the control of dogs, not being on private farmland without permission and a complete ban on entering Humberside.
He was also fined £85 costs, £154 victim surcharge, disqualified from driving for 56 days and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid supervised work within the next 12 months.
Shane Hooton was sentenced to a £500 fine, £85 costs and £200 victim surcharge and given a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order covering same conditions as John Langan.
Lastly, Joseph Foster was sentenced to a £500 fine, £85 costs and £200 victim surcharge.
Hare poaching can lead to criminal damage, theft, vandalism, and violence. The season usually begins after harvest, as poachers take advantage of bare fields.
A single incident can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to land and crops, and see farmers and landowners violently abused.
Sergeant Kevin Jones of the Rural Task Force said: “This Humberside Police’s first suspended prison sentence for hare coursing offences, our longest Criminal Behaviour Order of 10 years and fines and costs totalling over £1,800.
“It certainly sends out a message that such offences are taken seriously by the criminal justice system and will not be tolerated by Humberside Police."
Force lead for rural crime, Chief Inspector Hussain, added: “I am extremely proud of the work that the rural task force is delivering for our rural community.
“This is a great example that shows the passion, specialist skills and knowledge our dedicated rural task force officers have in supporting our rural community.
“The convictions given here ensure our offenders are robustly tackled, and we will continue our commitment in tackling rural crime, building trust and confidence in the rural community.”
