A 23-year-old man has been convicted of theft after he stole a sheep and killed it.

On March 13, 2022, Hartley Crouch, of Cottesmore Road, Ashwell, was working as the Whipper-In for the Pytchley Hunt when he decided to shoot dead another member of the hunt's pet sheep.

He then skinned it and fed it to the hounds.

As a result, Mr Crouch was immediately fired and the incident reported to Northamptonshire Police.

Mr Crouch was charged with theft and was found guilty of the offence at Northampton Magistrates' Court last week, 11 January 2023. He was sentenced on the same day to a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £775 in costs, £150 in compensation and a surcharge of £22.

Lead Investigator, PC Chloe Gillies of the Rural Crime Team, said: "This incident caused a great deal of upset to the owners of the sheep who had hand-reared it and kept it as a pet in the back garden. Crouch did not have the owners' permission to kill the sheep and to dispose of it in the manner that he did was horrible.

"I am pleased Crouch was found guilty of the offence and I hope this case shows that Northamptonshire Police take incidents like this seriously."

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