Hunt Sab jailed

[Velcrobum]

Already had a suspended sentence and committed another assault so now in jail.

Jailed hunt saboteur branded a ‘danger to the public’

Paul Allman, 48, was part of ‘militia’ dressed in black confronting the Wynnstay Hunt in Cheshire, before he struck two supporters

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Tiddlypom]

I can't read the full report, it's behind a paywall.

Paul Allman is a pretty well known local anti. I did see him in action once. but he was not doing anything other than looking intimidating at that time. I wouldn't care to ever get on the wrong side of him, though.

Violence and breaking the law is always wrong.

The pro vs antis at the Wynnstay has been getting increasingly heated. I genuinely fear that, if things carry on as they have done, that there may be a human fatality . The Wynnstay's huntsman for last season was last week pleaded guilty to interfering with a badger sett and was handed a £500 fine for the offence and ordered to pay costs of £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service and a £200 surcharge fee.

He (the former Wynnstay huntsman) had already recently had his gun licence removed after pleading guilty last month to 'Using threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour with intent to cause fear of/provoke unlawful violence.' after repeatedly riding his horse at an anti. Additionally, he has to do 200 hours of community service, pay court costs and pay compensation to the anti involved.

 

[ycbm]

Stupid man.
.

 

[Nasicus]

For those paywalled, I didn't get walled myself for some reason:

Jailed hunt saboteur branded a ‘danger to the public’​

Paul Allman, 48, was part of ‘militia’ dressed in black confronting the Wynnstay Hunt in Cheshire, before he struck two supporters
A hunt saboteur has been branded a “danger to the public” by a judge as he was jailed.
Paul Allman, 48, was part of a “militia” dressed in black who confronted the Wynnstay Hunt in Cuddington, Cheshire, before he struck two supporters, knocking one to the floor.
When he appeared in the dock on Friday, the animal rights activist already had a suspended sentence hanging over him for his involvement in a separate attack on a 15-year-old girl and two men, aged 61 and 52, as they watched the Cottesmore Hunt in Oakham, Leicestershire.
Sentencing him to 20 weeks in custody, district judge John McGarva said that Allman was a “danger to the public” and “had a history of violent offending”.

‘You’re not coming through’​

Chester Magistrates’ Court was told how there was a confrontation between a group of saboteurs and two hunt supporters, Hugh Hutchinson-Smith and James Thompson, in November 2021.
Alan Currums, prosecuting, said Mr Thompson had gone to open a gate to a field to provide access to a group of 25 to 30 riders taking part in the drag hunt.
As he got off his horse, he became aware of two Land Rover Discovery vehicles containing 10 people dressed in black uniforms, which he described as “a militia”.
Video footage shot by Mr Hutchinson-Smith and played in court showed the group blocking the gate, with Allman sat on top of it.
Allman said: “You’re not coming through.” He repeatedly shouted at Mr Hutchinson-Smith: “Go on, do something.”
The footage then shows Allman striking out at Mr Hutchinson-Smith and knocking a mobile phone from his hand.
Mr Currums told the court that the defendant then struck Mr Thompson – who had been pushed and shoved – to the face, causing him to fall to the ground.
Mr Thompson got back up, he said, but was then struck by another saboteur.
Both sustained injuries, Mr Hutchinson-Smith a swollen jaw and an injured ear drum and Mr Thompson a broken jaw that needed surgery and stitches.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Thompson said he had suffered flashbacks since the incident and had developed “a nervous disposition around people he doesn’t know”.
He added that he had increased security measures at his family home due to the intimidatory tactics used by saboteurs and “fear of reprisals”.
Mr Thompson said that he regarded the group “as a danger to society” who will stop people coming to the countryside due their “intimidating tactics”.

‘Small murky underworld’​

Greg Kemp, defending, told the court that Allman had struck out after being hit in the face by Mr Hutchinson-Smith’s peaked cap and had suffered injuries to his nose and head. He also said Allman required treatment for concussion at hospital.
Allman accepted he had pushed Mr Hutchinson-Smith but disputed causing the serious injuries to Mr Thompson, said Mr Kemp.
The court did not accept Allman had acted in self-defence or in preventing a crime, namely fox hunting, and he was found guilty of two counts of assault in June.
Mr Kemp urged the judge to spare his client a custodial sentence due to the impact it would have on his work and family.
But the judge said the case “was not about fox hunting” and Allman had been part of a group that engaged in violent conduct.
He described the group as a “baying mob” and said Allman had played a leading role in the incident.
Allman’s previous convictions include one in March 2019 for assaulting the master of the Cheshire Hunt, for which he was fined £200.
In September 2022 he was handed an 18-week sentence, suspended for a year, after he was one of five hunt saboteurs convicted at Leicester Magistrates’ Court for public order offences at the Cottesmore Hunt in January 2022.
Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: “Paul Allman is a clear danger to law-abiding hunt supporters and indeed the wider public. It is right he is being placed behind bars.
“Within the small murky underworld of hunt saboteurs, Allman is considered one of its most notorious henchmen. His actions are however representative of hunt saboteurs across the country who demonstrate this type of appalling behaviour regularly.
“In the interest of protecting the public, it is vital police forces across the country take the threat and danger hunt saboteurs pose incredibly seriously and respond to complaints about their activity promptly and robustly.”

 

[Maesfen]

For those paywalled, I didn't get walled myself for some reason:

Couldn't happen to a nastier man; deserves all he got and more.

 

[Ratface]

It would seem that Mr Allman is someone who enjoys beating up people who don't share his version of the world.
I wonder if his incarceration will effect a change in his behaviour? Somehow, I doubt it.
I hope The Countryside Alliance are able to find an effective way of protecting members of drag hunts from similar violence. The police are stretched beyond capacity in almost all parts of the United Kingdom. A difficult situation for all those involved.

 

[Millionwords]

Just like in every walk of life, there are the perfectly normal ones and those at the wrong end of the spectrum.
He has done something harmful to another human and deserves punishment.
He isn't representative of all sabs, the same way football hooligans aren't representative of all football fans.

 

[Jenko109]

His behaviour has nothing to do with fox hunting.

He just wanted a violent day out.

 

[Tiddlypom]

His behaviour has nothing to do with fox hunting.

He just wanted a violent day out.

I strongly suspect that you are right.

Mr Allman likes to strut his stuff being deliberately intimidating. Hunting is just an outlet for that. He has been around the local hunts for years with the self styled Stockport Monitors.

The other anti groups would do well to distance themselves from him and his like.

Keep it on the right side of legal BOTH sides, please.