A senior huntsman that was caught on cam preparing to feed live fox cubs to his hounds has avoided jail time and ban on keeping animals.

Paul Oliver, the fox hunter, has avoided a ban on keeping animals because he would have got fired from his job at a stud yard.

Hannah Rose, the kennel maid of the huntsman, was given a 12-week suspended sentence.

Paul Oliver was sentenced by District Judge Joanna Dickens at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, a 16-week suspended jail sentence.

Oliver and Rose both of Sutton Crosses were ordered to pay £300 in costs and a £115 victim surcharge after being convicted of causing unnecessary suffering.

40-year-old Oliver and 30-year-old Rose were convicted after a 7-day trial.

The trail was told that live fox was used to blood hunting hounds at the Hunt’s Kennels in Wormelow.

The pair were charged with animal cruelty after their crimes were caught on cam.

Cameras captured them handling foxes at the kennels and putting the bodies of 2 cubs in a wheelie bin.

Simon Davis, the prosecutor, told Birmingham Magistrate’s Court, said, “The unnecessary suffering involved the killing of fox cubs, effectively feeding the animals… throwing the fox cubs into the kennels of the fox hounds, thereby killing them.”

Cameras also captured Oliver using a stick with a noose attached, which is also called as a grasper.

During the sentencing, Judge Dickens said, “Four fox cubs were killed by hounds whilst in the kennels. They did not have the chance of escape. It is not clear if this was a single lead hound in a pack or just one hound on its own.”

The judge added, “Thankfully, the veterinary evidence shows that they died quickly. I consider that Mr Oliver took the lead role in this and it is clear that Ms Rose was acting on his direction.”

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