THREE men have gone on trial accused of illegally hunting a fox with dogs.

Mark Anthony Pearson, 64, Thomas Michael Lyle, 34, and Marcus Boundy, 22, are charged with hunting a wild mammal with dogs in Stourpaine on September 15, 2022 as part of the Blandford-based Portman Hunt.

They deny the charge in a trial which began yesterday at Weymouth Magistrates Court.

The defendants claim their hunting was a trail hunt, a legal form of hunting activity, where foxhounds follow a pre-laid trail.

During the trail hunt, a live fox was chased by the dogs. The defendants, all of Blandford, allege that the chasing of the fox was unintentional and unplanned.

The prosecution says the hunting "became illegal, if not intended to be".

Adam Cooper, prosecuting, said: “The defendants say that at no time did they intentionally hunt a wild mammal with a dog.

“They say the pursuit was accidental, unintentional or they were unaware."

He added: “A trail was laid one to two hours before 8am.

“In a maize field, the hunt takes a turn when the hounds catch the real scent of a live fox.

“The defendants were responsible for the hounds and they do nothing to call off the dogs.

“Mr Lyle was the Master of the Portman Hunt on the day in question and had ultimate control of the dogs.

“Mr Boundy was the whipper-in, employed by the hunt and responsible for control of the hunt.

“Mr Pearson owns land in which the hunt takes place, he participates in full in a directing manner.

“He is the former Master of the Portman Hunt and other hunts.

“Drone footage was recorded by Ben Tiddles and video camera footage was provided by Emma Parsons - they call themselves hunt monitors or hunt saboteurs.

“The footage shows a traditional hunting set-up and then a fox breaking cover in front of Boundy and Pearson.

“The dogs are in pursuit over a fence line after it.

“The fox moves into the woodland and riders pursue with dogs."

Mr Tiddles and Ms Parsons, of the North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs Group, gave evidence in court.

The court was shown three videos made by the pair.

Mr Tiddles’ video was drone footage which showed the defendants and foxhounds running through a fence line into a woodland after a fox.

In one of Ms Parsons’ videos, a fox is seen running away from a woodland.

Mr Tiddles said he regularly monitors activities from hunts and had arrived in the area at around 6am and began filming at 7.30am.

Mr Tiddles said he did not witness a trail being laid that morning.

Asked by Stephen Welford, defending, why no other videos from the morning had been given to police, Mr Tiddles said: “It was just footage of people not up to much, there was no illegal activity happening.”

He was asked if he had seen anyone laying trails, to which Mr Tiddles replied: “I did not see it, I would have noticed someone laying a trail.”

Ms Parsons told the court she saw a fox run across a field where participants of the hunt were present.

In her video, Ms Parsons explained that the noise of "hounds crying" could be heard. She said, in her experience, this happens when the dogs are pursuing a live animal.

In her video, a fox is seen running away from the area.

Mr Welford said: "At the time the fox is seen in your video, there are no hounds crying and that fox isn't being chased.

"We don't know if that is the same fox?"

Ms Parsons agreed.

Mr Welford also asked Ms Parsons if the hunt members were heading in a separate direction from the fox in her video, to which she also agreed.

The trial continues.