First Court Case for Hare Coursing Breach Lands Man a £400 Fine
Sydney Samuels, 33, from Oxford Gardens, Maidstone, was slapped with a £400 fine at Medway Magistrates’ Court on 19 May 2022. He’s the first to face court for breaching a Community Protection Notice (CPN) issued as part of Operation Galileo — the nationwide crackdown on hare coursing.
Operation Galileo: Police Forces Join Forces to Nab Poachers
Launched in August 2021, kent-police/" title="Kent Police" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Kent Police teamed up with Bedfordshire, Cambridge, Herefordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex forces to tackle hare coursing head-on. The joint effort allows them to share intelligence, use automatic number plate recognition, and seize dogs involved in illegal hunting.
The Breach: Repeated Poaching Offences
- On 27 August 2021, officers first warned Samuels after seven reports of suspected poaching at Neats Court, Queenborough.
- Three months later, on 27 November, he was stopped in Eastwood Road. Police found dogs and dead rabbits in his car during a search under The Poaching Prevention Act 1862.
- A CPN was issued banning him from private land without permission, having dogs off-lead, or possessing catapults and air weapons.
- Yet on 26 January 2022, officers caught him on private land near Old Ferry Road, Iwade — again with dogs and a dead rabbit. He was arrested for breaching the CPN.
Following his court appearance, Samuels was also slapped with a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order. The order bans poaching outright and carries the threat of jail time if broken.
Police Praise Successful Partnership and Warning to Offenders
Sergeant Darren Walshaw of Kent Police’s Rural Task Force said:
“This latest court action shows how anti-social behaviour legislation can bring repeat offenders to justice. The order restricts his ability to commit these offences again and breach it, and he faces prison.”
He added:
“The partnership agreement has worked brilliantly. Using legislation across county borders means offenders can be prosecuted faster, treating crimes across areas as one case.”
Operation Galileo is sending a clear message — poachers beware, police forces are joining forces and won’t back down.
