JACK HASKELL'S CRUELTY IN WAREHAM: ANIMAL FIGHTS AND FOX ATTACKS EXPOSED

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Wareham, farmer Jack William Haskell, born on 29 May 1998 and residing at Newport Dairy Cottages, Bloxworth, was found guilty of multiple animal cruelty offences in 2022. The allegations against Haskell involve his active participation in animal fighting activities and the brutal attack on a protected fox, which he filmed himself.

Haskell, a father of one, was convicted after evidence revealed his involvement in encouraging and recording violent acts involving animals. Court proceedings detailed how he goaded a lurcher dog into attacking a fox, an act that resulted in the fox’s death. Additionally, Haskell was found to have filmed two separate cockerel fights, which are illegal in the UK and have been banned for over 185 years.

The court heard that Haskell’s illegal activities came to light when police officers attended his residence at Wareham for a different matter. During the investigation, officers seized his mobile phone and discovered three videos that provided concrete evidence of his involvement in animal cruelty. Two of these videos, dated March 15, 2020, and April 6, 2020, depicted cockerels engaged in violent fights. The third video, recorded on April 13, 2020, showed a lurcher dog attacking a fox.

Prosecutor Jason Spelman described the scene captured in the footage, noting that the fox was clearly trying to defend itself, with the animal shown on its back and the dog biting its neck. The recordings included audible commands from Haskell, such as “get on” and “good boy,” indicating his active encouragement of the attack. The court was shown the video, which clearly depicted the dog biting the fox’s neck and jumping on top of it, leading to the fox’s death. Mr. Spelman emphasized that Haskell failed to prevent the dog, a protected species, from causing harm, and that the incident was a clear case of animal cruelty.

Haskell’s defense claimed that someone else had used his phone to record the videos of the cockfights and that the dog did not come to any harm during the attack on the fox. However, the prosecution pointed out that the video was filmed at 4 a.m., a time considered unusual for such activities, suggesting Haskell’s involvement was deliberate.

In mitigation, Clive Rees told the court that Haskell had expressed remorse and that he had matured since the offences occurred two years prior. Rees also explained that Haskell had taken over the hands-on management of the farm from his ailing father and needed to keep sheep dogs for his agricultural work.

As part of the sentencing, Haskell was issued a criminal behavior order and ordered to pay a total of £1,338 in fines, costs, and charges. Furthermore, he was banned from owning any dogs except sheep dogs and from possessing cockerels for the next ten years, reflecting the seriousness of his offences and the community’s concern over animal cruelty in Wareham.