Target: Jenny Hopkins, Chief Crown Prosecutor, CPS Cymru-Wales, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Goal: Enforce a lifetime animal-ownership ban and pursue maximum legal consequences for filmed badger-baiting and stabbing that left wildlife torn and bleeding.
Footage recovered during an RSPCA-led investigation showed dogs set on badgers while men urged attacks, with one wounded badger then stabbed with a knife. A young lurcher named Shirley suffered severe injuries from these bouts. A 23-year-old man pleaded guilty under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006, received a custodial sentence, and was banned for life from keeping animals. Scenes recorded across multiple clips reveal prolonged, deliberate cruelty that ended in terror for protected wildlife and pain for a companion dog used as a tool.
Investigators found thirteen videos that captured torn, bloodied badgers as dogs gripped and shook them while voices goaded fresh violence. Shirley appeared with significant wounds, reputedly loaned out for further fights. Such material suggests a pattern, not an isolated lapse. Where evidence identifies additional participants, enforcement should follow for every person involved in digging, baiting, transporting, or filming these crimes.
Short jail terms seldom deter organized wildlife cruelty. Robust prosecution strategy can. That means vigilant enforcement of the lifetime ban, swift action on any breach, ancillary orders that keep offenders away from dogs and setts, and active pursuit of accomplices. Prosecutors should also seek costs, device forfeiture, and behavior orders that block future harm. Justice for badgers and for Shirley requires lasting, visible consequences.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Chief Crown Prosecutor Hopkins,
We are writing regarding the recent case of a badger stabbed with a knife while being hunted by a 23-year-old man. We urge CPS Cymru-Wales to treat this case as a benchmark for firm, sustained action against wildlife persecution. The court has already imposed a prison term and a lifetime ban after videos showed dogs mauling badgers and a knife used on a wounded animal, with a lurcher badly injured through repeated fights. Those facts justify ongoing measures that protect wildlife, safeguard dogs, and deter copycats.
Please ensure rigorous enforcement of the lifetime ban with proactive compliance checks and immediate prosecution for any breach. Where evidence from the seized media or witness accounts identifies additional offenders, please bring further charges under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006. We also ask that you apply for a Criminal Behaviour Order imposing tight restrictions, including no possession or control of dogs, no presence near setts or known dig sites, no digging tools or tracking equipment, and no participation in hunting forums that facilitate cruelty.
Finally, we ask your office to seek forfeiture of relevant devices, recovery of costs, and mandatory offender intervention that addresses violent conduct without exposing animals. Clear public messaging around outcomes will help deter future crimes and reassure a community horrified by these images that cruelty met a strong and lasting response.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Lewis Clarke
