Chris Mardles, a former whipper-in at the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt in Northamptonshire, has today been found guilty of a Section 18 GBH offence against a Northants Hunt Sab in 2020. Mardles has been sentenced to 18 months in jail and will also spend 12 months on strict licence once his prison sentence is served.
The attack took place at a meet of the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt at Sibbertoft near Market Harborough, on 5th September 2020. Mardles charged his horse into the sab, leaving him lying on the ground in agonising pain. An air ambulance was required to rush the sab to hospital.
The attack caused broken ribs, multiple broken bones and punctured his lung. It could easily have been fatal. Despite the seriousness of the injuries caused, Mardles was sentenced to just 18 months in jail – 6 months short of the expected minimum sentence of 2 years.
The sab commented:
“I have lived with the consequences of the attack for over three years in the full knowledge that if this had of been the other way round, I would have felt the full force of the law against me immediately. My personal anger is surpassed by the anger I feel towards those who continue to terrorise and kill wildlife with impunity.”
Northants Sabs added:
“We would like to think that today’s victory and the hard work we have put into pursuing this case can now set a serious precedent for the future so that if we are to see more brutal violence handed out to saboteurs across the country, then this outcome can play its part in holding the law to account and forcing their hand to put violent fox hunters behind bars where they truly belong!
This is a historic moment in the war to end fox hunting and we can all raise a glass tonight knowing that at last a red coated fox hunter will be eating cold porridge for breakfast!”
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