Two men have been banned from keeping dogs after a hare was killed when one of them released a pack of lurchers to chase it down.
Steven McDonald, 38, and Richard Hanratty, 29, were disqualified from owning or keeping dogs after they admitted illegal hare coursing.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that on one occasion, McDonald released three dogs in a field near Oldmeldrum, which chased down a hare and killed it.
The pair – who were already banned from keeping dogs – were told by a sheriff that they were “extremely fortunate” not to go to prison.
Three dogs chased hare during illegal hare coursing
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross told the court that at around 5.15pm on April 19 2020, a witness observed McDonald in a field at Ardconon, Oldmeldrum, with three dogs.
The witness, who was some distance away, watched as the three lurchers chased down a hare and killed it.
Ms Ross said the witness met with police, who saw McDonald walking with a large blonde lurcher and quizzed him about what he was doing there.
“He advised that his dog had slipped its collar and that it had chased some hares,” she said.
On another occasion, at around 1.45pm on February 11 2021, another witness was at their home at the same location when they saw McDonald and Hanratty in a snow-covered field in high-visibility clothing.
They saw the two men had two had one white and one brown lurcher with them.
“The witness said one of the men appeared to flush the hare out of the long grass,” Ms Ross said.
“They released one of the dogs off its lead and it began to chase the hare – the lurcher was lost from view it’s unknown if it killed it.
“The accused, McDonald, then followed the dog across the field and was also lost from view.
“At this point, the second dog was also released from its lead and chased another hare, although that hare appeared to escape.”
On a further occasion, at around 2.26pm on February 16 2021, another witness saw a car drive on the single-track road near Udny.
Hanratty was seen by the witness walking a lurcher greyhound up a field.
Growing suspicious, the witness immediately began to film the incident and called the police when he saw the owner release the dog, which began to chase a hare.
When police stopped Hanratty, his father and McDonald in their car it was “clear they had been in the field” and had the two dogs in the back.
During a police interview, McDonald told police that they had simply “let the dogs out for the toilet”.
Asked whether the group had been hare coursing, he replied: “100%, no.”
McDonald pleaded guilty to three charges of deliberately hunting a hare with dogs, while Hanratty admitted two charges of hare coursing.
Sheriff says actions were ‘reckless’ and ‘deliberate’
David Sutherland, the defence solicitor for McDonald, told the court that “there was a cultural thread” to the background of these offences.
He added: “Mr McDonald expressed shame for his behaviour and that the rationale for his behaviour was unjustified.”
Representing Hanratty, lawyer Sian Grant told the court that her client’s friends “said they were going poaching and he went along with them”.
“He now recognises that he shouldn’t have and is sorry for his actions,” she said.
“Mr Hanratty takes full responsibility for getting involved in this.”
Sheriff Rory Bannerman described the pair’s behaviour as “an extremely disturbing course of conduct”.
He told McDonald: “On one occasion you were reckless and the others deliberate – on one of these occasions, your dog appeared to catch and kill a hare.
“The statute allows me to send you to jail and it might be beyond criticism if you were.”
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Bannerman disqualified McDonald from owning or keeping dogs for eight years
McDonald, of Duff Drive, Inverurie, was also made subject to a restriction of liberty order and given 200 hours of unpaid work.
Hanratty, of Cardens Knowe, Bridge of Don, received 100 hours of unpaid work and was banned from owning a dog for three years.
“I hope this will give peace to some of these animals from your behaviour,” Sheriff Bannerman added.
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