Hunt Member’s Assault and Criminal Damage Conviction Overturned

Mark Ferguson, who was previously convicted of assault for striking an anti-hunt protester with a riding crop, has successfully appealed his conviction. In March 2022, Mr. Ferguson was ordered to pay £2,125 after being found guilty of actual bodily harm and criminal damage. The incident, which police previously reported, occurred on 19 October 2019. The 51-year-old was participating in a hunt in a field on Clipston Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, when his group became involved in a confrontation with activists. His appeal concluded on 30 August at Nottingham Crown Court, where he was found not guilty of actual bodily harm and criminal damage. Olly Hughes, managing director of the British Hound Sports Association, said: “It is a huge relief for Mark Ferguson and his family to be exonerated of these serious crimes, after five years of stress and anxiety.”