SHOOTING A HARE

For using a gun for the purpose of killing game without having a licence, Alfred Haines, of 6 Trevor Gardens, Beddingham, was summoned at the Lewes Police Court on Tuesday. The defendant, who was represented by Mr Rex Hillman, pleaded not guilty.

Harry Freeman, Station Farm, Beddingham, gave evidence that on the 24th February he was on the farm when he saw the defendant, who was carrying a gun, on the allotments on the other side of the hedge. Witness saw a hare sitting in their meadow and the defendant shot at it. The hare ran about 20 or 30 yards and then dropped dead. Witness picked up the hare, because he thought it belonged to them. He told the defendant he had no business to shoot the hare, but he could not hear his reply.

In cross-examination, witness denied that the hare was on the defendant’s property, which adjoined the farm.

In reply to the Chairman (Mr J C Blencowe), witness said that from first to last the hare was never off their land.

Mr Hillman contended that there was an exception, and they could shoot hares on their own land.

Defendant, giving evidence, said he was employed by the Southern Railway as a policeman at Newhaven. He was the tenant of about 280 rods of land at Beddingham, and a cart track divided it from Freeman’s farm. He kept a gun in his chicken shed for the purpose of scaring crows. He was standing in the chicken run when he noticed a hare in the cabbage patch. He got his gun and fired at the hare, which ran over the cart track into Mr Freeman’s field where it died. Harry Freeman said he had no right to shoot the hare and he replied that the hare has just left his garden.

The Chairman said the Bench had decided to convict and defendant would be fined £1.