Hares killed in illegal hunting

Bilgun Argana, Kilnatruhan, Killoe was fined €300 for concealing wild mammals from conservation officer Michael Hackett, contrary to the Wildlife Act of 1976 at Rossduff, Moyne on May 5, 2009. He was fined a further €300 for failing to comply with a requirement by Mr. Hackett and or impeding or obstructing him in the exercise of his powers, conferred by the Wildlife Act. The defendant was fined a further €300 for not being the owner or occupier of lands and entering such lands at Rossduff to hunt wild animals without permission. He was also fined €300 for hunting exempted wild mammals on the occasion without a licence. Mr Hackett, replying to Mr. Tory Hayden, SS, told the court he was on duty in the area on the date in question. At around 2.20pm he was informed that a person known to them was hare-hunting in the area. Witness went to the location and met Mr. Argana and two local men, who notified him about the activity. Witness identified himself to Mr. Argana and he knew who witness was. He admitted that he did not have permission to be on the land. Asked what he was hunting, the defendant told witness he was training puppies. Asked on what, the defendant said rabbits, hares, foxes and any damn thing. Witness searched his vehicle and found two lurcher dogs and a greyhound. He found a roll of black bin liner in the front seat of the car. Witness asked the defendant about a pool of blood where his vehicle had been parked, he said he was not responsible for it. He denied killing hares. A follow-up search uncovered two dead hares in a black bin liner. Mr. Argana took off at speed in his vehicle. Witness later made contact with the gardaí and went to the garda station in Arva, where he met Mr. Argana. Sergeant William Ward and Garda Linda Harkin were present. He admitted that his dogs had killed the hares and he had put them in the bin liners. He apologised and asked to be given another chance. Witness had not encountered the defendant before but other staff members had received complaints. He pointed out that one of the hares killed on this occasion was a female with dependant young. Defending solicitor Ms Brid Mimnagh said her client, a Turkish national, had no previous convictions. He was not working and did not receive any income from any source. Her client instructed her that he did not own the dogs, but was looking after them for someone else. Judge MacBride noted that the accused had been training young pups to hunt: "That tells me all I need to know about your client and his attitude to the law. He's lucky he's not going to prison - if he had not gone back to the garda station and copped himself on, I would have been giving him two months," said the judge. He added that the picture of the dead hares handed into court was nauseating and terrible.