Publican shoots hounds

idunnoshur · 08-01-2012 07:57PM #1

http://examiner.ie/ireland/crime/publican-fired-shots-at-hounds-on-his-land-179373.html

A PUBLICAN at breaking point took the law into his own hands when foxhounds from a harriers club strayed onto his land in Co Cork and he fired at the dogs.
Detective Garda Pat Condon said the club was not hunting on the land but that their pack of over 30 hounds strayed on to it. Fifteen of the dogs were injured, while four others were never found and it was assumed they were shot and died.

Michael O’Connell, aged 51, of Ardnaleac, Ballingully, Co Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork District Court yesterday to charges of cruelty to animals by wounding of dogs by shooting with an air rifle loaded with .22 calibre lead pellets. He also pleaded guilty to a related charge of unlawfully and maliciously wounding dogs.

Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer said O’Connell had complained numerous times about dogs coming on to his lands prior to the incident on February 22, 2009, and that he reached breaking point when he saw the foxhounds that day.

Mr Buttimer described it as a most beautiful location in terms of flora and fauna and that the defendant was trying to let it develop as a safe habitat for badgers and other wildlife. The rural lands overlook the EMC property in the Ovens area.

"He had problems with the ingress of dogs and the amount of destruction they caused. It was probably at breaking point. The charges are confined to wounding and causing damage to animals. Other serious stuff is not levelled against him. His purpose was not to injure the dogs but to protect the habitat," said Mr Buttime.

Judge Leo Malone said he would dismiss the charges under the Probation Act on payment of €2,000 to Marymount Hospice and the vet’s expenses for appearing in court yesterday for what was listed as a trial before O’Connell’s plea of guilty. The judge complimented Waterfall Harrier Club for indicating it would pay its own veterinary costs and forego witness expenses.

Read more: http://examiner.ie/ireland/crime/publican-fired-shots-at-hounds-on-his-land-179373.html#ixzz1itVl2uTV

What do you all make of this?

I for one agree with what he did.

nlgbbbblth · 08-01-2012 07:58PM

idunnoshur wrote: »

I for one agree with what he did.

So do I.

Those vicious hounds were probably guilty of terrorising foxes and tearing them to pieces.

Nice to see the f*ckers get taken out.

kincsem · 08-01-2012 08:00PM

15 dogs injured. He must have used a lot of ammunition.

Did the dogs do any damage?

idunnoshur · 08-01-2012 08:02PM

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

So do I.

Those vicious hounds were probably guilty of terrorising foxes and tearing them to pieces.

Nice to see the f*ckers get taken out.

I have no problem with people hunting with hounds but it's when they do so without permission that bugs me.

t1mm · 08-01-2012 08:03PM

kincsem wrote: »

15 dogs injured. He must have used a lot of ammunition.

Did the dogs do any damage?

He used an air rifle, the ammunition is just lead pellets really.

silverharp · 08-01-2012 08:03PM

well if the dogs didnt read the "No Trespassing" sign......

skelliser · 08-01-2012 08:03PM

kincsem wrote: »

15 dogs injured. He must have used a lot of ammunition.

Did the dogs do any damage?

probably used a shotgun.
pellets spread out when fired at distance.

i agree with what he did.

Feeona · 08-01-2012 08:06PM

I think he did right, seeing as he complained about it numerous times. When I was younger, a dog of ours broke out a few times to go 'rambling' ie worrying sheep. A neighbouring farmer shot at the dog to scare him off, and then rang my father to tell him what he was up to. My father thanked him for the call, and the dog never got out again. I know it's a different scenario in that the sheep were the neighbouring farmer's livelihood. But the dogs shouldn't have been on that man's land in the first place!

kincsem · 08-01-2012 08:06PM

He was guilty of cruelty to animals. I wouldn't be a supporter.

four others were never found and it was assumed they were shot and died.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 08-01-2012 08:09PM

idunnoshur wrote: »

What do you all make of this?.

I think he's a stupid bastard.. In fact I'd like to take his shotgun and beat him to a pulp with the blunt end.

Doc Ruby · 08-01-2012 08:09PM

t1mm wrote: »

He used an air rifle, the ammunition is just lead pellets really.

So he killed four and wounded 15 dogs with an air rifle? I want him on my side in the zombie apocalypse!

Witcher · 08-01-2012 08:10PM

"air rifle loaded with .22 calibre lead pellets"

It was an air rifle people not a shotgun.

Nodin · 08-01-2012 08:13PM

idunnoshur wrote: »

http://examiner.ie/ireland/crime/publican-fired-shots-at-hounds-on-his-land-179373.html

What do you all make of this?

I for one agree with what he did.

'arsehole takes out anger on animals'.

Why didn't the fuckwit shoot the people who were in charge of the dogs? The ones who brought the dogs.....He comes across as so thick I'm suprised he's capable of breathing on his own, let alone getting beer into a glass.

Micky Dolenz · 08-01-2012 08:14PM

What an idiot. Most reasonable people allow the hound master a certain amount of time to gather the pack together and remove them.

Dogs don't get land right law.

Coriolanus · 08-01-2012 08:15PM

I think it was irresponsible of him to shoot the animals with such a low velocity weapon.
He'd made numerous complaints etc, so no issues with the deed otherwise, but it should constitute animal cruelty using the weapon he did. Any hunter I've ever talked to have been quite clear on that issue, use the appropriate calibre to ensure no unnecessary suffering happens.

mikemac1 · 08-01-2012 08:16PM

€2,000 is quite a bit and he has to pay the vet fees

Should appeal

If he had sheep on his land he could have shot every hound and it would be the hunting club in court answering the questions and paying the vet fees

But the publican didn't have sheep and instead he has to pay out

Edit, he realy needs to get a gun and not this air rifle

SeaFields · 08-01-2012 08:19PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

€2,000 is quite a bit and he has to pay the vet fees

It says at the end of the article the hunting club is paying its own vet fees and were complimented by the judge for doing so.

mikemac1 · 08-01-2012 08:20PM

I read it as both sides were paying vet fees

The club pay for the injured dogs and the publican paid witness expenses to the vet

It's a minor detail anyway

later12 · 08-01-2012 08:25PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

If he had sheep on his land he could have shot every hound and it would be the hunting club in court answering the questions and paying the vet fees

That's reasonably fair, because in such a case either side is going to die or be injured, and a farmer has reasonable cause to try and ensure it's not 'his side' that suffer.

Shooting dogs for wandering off course and onto your property in this manner is just a bit thick really.

SeaFields · 08-01-2012 08:25PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

I read it as both sides were paying vet fees

The club pay for the injured dogs and the publican paid witness expenses to the vet

It's a minor detail anyway

yep it is.

As for your edit, I think he'll have a hard time convincing his local superintendent he needs a bigger gun after this!

laoch na mona · 08-01-2012 08:26PM

why shoot the dogs they were just being dogs
the hunt was responsible for where their dogs went

idunnoshur · 08-01-2012 08:26PM

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

What an idiot. Most reasonable people allow the hound master a certain amount of time to gather the pack together and remove them.

Dogs don't get land right law.

He had told them several times before not to go onto his land and they still did, I would have done the same thing.

Nolanger · 08-01-2012 08:27PM

Could have been worse, might have been 15 pheasants!

johngalway · 08-01-2012 08:31PM

idunnoshur wrote: »

What do you all make of this?

I for one agree with what he did.

He, and you, are wrong:

1. Going by what was printed he had no legal reason to shoot the dogs, no livestock were under threat.

2. An air rifle, while at short range may be capable of killing a hound, is completely the wrong firearm to humanely kill a hound.

3. If he was that bothered he could have made his lands inaccessible to the hounds.

There are better and easier ways of resolving that particular conflict. They involve registered letters, solicitors and photographs, and everyone lives.

Micky Dolenz · 08-01-2012 08:32PM

idunnoshur wrote: »

He had told them several times before not to go onto his land and they still did, I would have done the same thing.

Did he use English or did he bark?

The_Thing · 08-01-2012 08:32PM

Cruelty to animals....?

What about the pricks out with their pack of hounds for a day's "sport", it's a pity some of them weren't shot as well.

later12 · 08-01-2012 08:36PM

The_Thing wrote: »

What about the pricks out with their pack of hounds for a day's "sport", it's a pity some of them weren't shot as well.

Just because you consider foxhunting cruel, does not mean that this wasn't cruel as well.

idunnoshur · 08-01-2012 08:37PM

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Did he use English or did he bark?

Hilarious, by "them" I meant the men in control of the hounds.

mikemac1 · 08-01-2012 08:38PM

charges of cruelty to animals by wounding of dogs by shooting with an air rifle loaded with .22 calibre lead pellets.

So if he had a rifle or shotgun and was able to kill the hounds instead of wounding them would he have not been charged with animal cruelty?

Kash · 08-01-2012 08:38PM

His issue was with the hunt master, so why shoot the dogs?
They did nothing wrong, they were going where they were led/sent.
They don't recognize human boundaries.

Most people who are anti-hunting are against it for cruelty reasons. The publican used a low velocity weapon, which is far more likely to maim than to kill anything much bigger than a rat. I genuinely don't see how this is any less cruel than fox-hunting itself - at least the fox has a fighting chance.

Indubitable · 08-01-2012 08:39PM

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

So do I.

Those vicious hounds were probably guilty of terrorising foxes and tearing them to pieces.

Nice to see the f*ckers get taken out.

Blame the owners, not the dogs.

Publican shoots hounds

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