Three handed CBOs for Deer Act offences

Three men have been handed 10-year Criminal Behaviour Orders after pleading guilty to offences under the Deer Act.

Billy Bradford, Sparky Joe Bradford and Dean Northage had been charged with taking a deer at night after an animal was found in the rear of a vehicle stopped by our officers at Dry Doddington, in the early hours of 7 January.

At Lincoln Magistrates’ Court yesterday (8 August) all three were sentenced.

• Billy Bradford, 22, and Sparky Joe Bradford, 18, both of Cross Street, Langold, near Worksop; and Dean Northage, 29, of Herrick Drive, Worksop, were handed Criminal Behaviour Orders for 10 years.
  They must not enter Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire or Nottinghamshire between 1 August and 30 April with, or in the company of anyone with dogs of any breed. They must also not be in any of those five counties with any instruments to be used for poaching (such as lamps of thermal cameras) either in the day or night-time.

Dean Northage

All of their equipment was forfeited, each was fined £646 to cover kenneling fees, plus £85 costs and a £258 surcharge.

Billy Bradford

A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be sentenced for the same offence at a later date.

Sparky Joe Bradford

DC Aaron Flint, the dedicated wildlife crime officer in our Rural Crime Action Team, said: “This case and the subsequent result goes to show that Lincolnshire Police takes rural crime seriously and we work hard to protect our rural communities and our wildlife, day and night.

“We will not tolerate criminals entering our county to target our wildlife or our hard-working farmers.

“With the creation of the Rural Crime Action Team we have made Lincolnshire a very hostile place for those who wish to enter our borders and commit crime. Our message is, if you come to Lincolnshire to commit crime, we will catch you and you will be prosecuted.”