NORTH YORKSHIRE HARE COURSER AND DOG ABUSER GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE
The trio had travelled more than two hours from North Yorkshire to Lincolnshire for the hare coursing match on February 9, 2025.They had three dogs with them, two white and one black.
Shortly before 1pm the men were seen on land at Waddingham.
They had lined themselves up, approximately 50m apart across a field; one of the dogs was witnessed actively pursuing a hare.
When officers arrived, the men were seen running to their silver Vauxhall Vectra; officers had already blocked it in.
The three hare coursers were arrested and their vehicle seized.
Police officers then found the “terrified” female lurcher in the boot of his car.
She had a “horrendous degloving injury” to her lower jaw.
DC Aaron Flint, the force’s Wildlife Crime Officer, said: “When officers saw the horrific injuries to the black dog they immediately took it to a vet where it was sadly put to sleep.
“The owner, Shane Hooton, had known of the dog’s injuries for six days.
“By taking the dog hare coursing, the defendants caused horrendous and completely unnecessary suffering to a dog.
They should have sought immediate veterinary care.
“They were all involved in hare coursing, and two of them ignored Criminal Behaviour Orders designed to protect animals and the public.” Voice notes found on Hooton’s phone confirmed he had tried to superglue and staple the lurcher’s face together.
According to the examining vet, the animal had experienced “significant pain” and “unnecessary suffering”.
A graphic video found on one of the phones, filmed on February 6, showed the severity of the dog’s de-gloved chin.
The video shows the dog crying as someone pulls her lips so her injury can be captured.
There were many photos, videos and voice messages relating to hare coursing on the men’s phones.
Video evidence was also found of the men on their way to Lincolnshire and of their dogs and dead hares on the day they were arrested.
All three men admitted their involvement in a hare coursing match in February 2026.
Hooton also pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a dog.
Hooton and Langan should not have been in Lincolnshire and were in breach of a court order for a previous hare coursing offence.
The court heard in mitigation that the trio were members of the travelling community and hare coursing was “ingrained in their culture”.
It was also stated they were unaware it was illegal.
Hooton’s defence maintained that his poor literacy skills prevented him from understanding the earlier ban, a position the probation service told the court it did “not wholly accept.” Sentencing | Hooton, whose previous convictions include fraud (conspiring to defraud vulnerable and elderly residents), was handed a six-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.
Langan was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Jaffray was sentenced to an 18-month community order.
All three men received a 15-year criminal behaviour order prohibiting them from entering Lincolnshire during the hare coursing season.
The silver Vauxhall Vectra has been confiscated.
And they must all pay kennelling and care costs of £1,733 each.
They are all banned from keeping dogs for ten years (expires January 2036).
