First Conviction Under National Hare Coursing Crackdown
Sydney Samuels, 33, from Oxford Gardens, Maidstone, has been slapped with a £400 fine at Medway Magistrates’ Court on 19 May 2022. He is the first person prosecuted for breaching a Community Protection Notice (CPN) issued as part of Op Galileo – the nationwide crackdown on hare coursing.
Seven Forces Unite to Tackle Poaching
Since August 2021, Kent Police teamed up with Bedfordshire, Cambridge, Herefordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex forces to form a joint task force targeting hare coursing under Op Galileo. This collaboration allows them to share intelligence, track offenders across county lines, and use powerful tools like automatic number plate recognition.
How Samuels Broke the Law
- August 2021: Officers first warned Samuels after seven reports of suspected poaching near Neats Court, Queenborough.
- November 2021: Stopped in Eastwood Road, Samuels was searched under the Poaching Prevention Act 1862. Officers found dogs and dead rabbits in his vehicle.
- A CPN was issued banning him from being on private land without permission, owning dogs off-lead, or carrying catapults or air weapons.
- January 2022: Samuels was caught again trespassing with dogs on private land near Old Ferry Road, Iwade. A dead rabbit was found in a flatbed truck, and he was arrested for breaching the CPN once more.
Criminal Behaviour Order to Keep Poachers in Check
Following his court appearance, Samuels was handed a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO). The CBO bans him from activities linked to poaching. Breaching it could land him in jail.
Kent Police’s Sergeant Darren Walshaw said: “This latest court action shows how anti-social behaviour laws can pin down repeat offenders. The new order restricts his ability to commit these crimes again and breaches could lead to custodial sentences.”
He added: “The partnership agreement has been a game changer. It lets us treat offences across counties as if they happened in one place, speeding up prosecutions and punishing offenders quicker.”
