Man guilty of illegal badger kill

The badger attack was filmed on a mobile phone

A man has been convicted of illegally killing a badger while out lamping - hunting at night - with his two dogs.

Mark Paddock, 37, of Aintree Close, Leegomery, Telford, encouraged his lurchers Sally and Buster to attack the animal on 14 December 2005.

He had denied a charge of lamping, claiming he had been out "rabbiting" when his dogs went for the badger and he had killed it for humane reasons.

But a district judge at Telford Magistrates Court decided he was lying.

'Overwhelming evidence'

Nicolas Cartwright said Paddock, who was not in court, had tailored his evidence to suit his case and found him guilty on Wednesday of a charge of hunting the badger with a bright light.

Mr Cartwright said the defendant had positively encouraged his dogs to attack the animal and said the prosecution case against him, brought by the RSPCA, had been overwhelming.

Sentencing was adjourned until Thursday for a pre-sentence report.

Three clips of an attack found on Paddock's mobile phone were previously shown in court.

He could be heard shouting "Gotcha" and "Kill it Bust".

Badger digging

After his arrest in March 2006, Paddock's former home in Donnington was searched and two lock knives were found - one with badger blood on it.

A lawn edge spade, which can be used for badger digging, was also found.

The father-of-five claimed he had run over to the dogs to try and stop them, but the incident was captured on a mobile phone.

In interviews with police Paddock said he had not used his dog Buster to hunt badgers, but he had taken him rabbiting with his daughter.