Operation Galileo – nine men have been sentenced for two incidents of hare coursing

Eight men have been sentenced after attending a hare coursing event at Keal Cotes and one man has been sentenced after hare coursing at South Somercotes.

Several reports of hare coursers were received in the morning of 2 December 2024 which led to a large police response across the south of the county.  Our resources from the rural crime team, roads and armed policing, response and neighbourhoods were joined by air support from the National Police Air Service. 

An investigation, collating witness evidence, intelligence and interviews led to eight men being charged. All were charged with attending a hare coursing event at Keal Cotes, in addition to a mixture of charges of being equipped for searching for, or pursuing hares with dogs, theft of food, driving without reasonable consideration, no insurance and failing to stop. 

The last defendant was sentenced for his part at a hearing at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on 20 March 2026.

• Jack O’Driscoll, 27 years of Barnet Road, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire was convicted of attending a hare coursing event, being equipped for searching for, or pursuing hares with dogs and stealing food from Ulceby Cross service station to the value of £5. He was handed a Criminal Behaviour Order for five years which forbids him entering Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire or Northamptonshire between 31 July and 30 April, with any instruments which could be used for poaching either during the day or at nighttime.  A deprivation order was made depriving him of his rights to a set of binoculars and a thermal camera. He must pay CPS costs of £250 and a victim surcharge of £114. In addition, he was given an unpaid work requirement of 100 hours to be completed in 12 months.
• Dick Price, 49 years, Tolney Lane, Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire was convicted of attending a hare coursing event, driving a black Land Rover Freelander without reasonable consideration for other road users, driving the vehicle without insurance and failing to stop for police. He was fined £800, given 9 penalty points on his driving licence. He must also pay CPS costs of £250 and a victim surcharge of £320.
• Nelson Cooper, 39 years of Tillingbourne Green, Orpington, Bromley, was convicted of attending a hare coursing event. He was fined £100 and must pay a victim surcharge of £40.
• James Herne, 25 years of Chesterton Fen Road, Milton, Cambridge, was convicted of attending a hare coursing event. He was fined £400 and must also pay CPS costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £160.
• Joseph Herne, 23 years of Chesterton Fen Road, Milton, Cambridge was convicted of attending a hare coursing event. He was fined £400 and must pay CPS costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £160.
• Riley Price, 20 years, Tolney Lane, Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire was convicted of attending a hare coursing event. He was fined £500 and must pay CPS costs of £250 and a victim surcharge of £200.
• Edward Stephenson, 27 years of Chesterton Fen Road, Milton, Cambridge, was convicted of attending a hare coursing event. He was fined £400 and must pay CPS costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £160.
• Michael Stevenson, 26 years of Chesterton Fen Road, Milton, Cambridge, was convicted of attending a hare coursing event and was fined £400. He must pay CPS costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £160.

In a second case heard at Boston Magistrates’ Court, on 9 March , a 51-year-old man has been convicted of trespassing on land in pursuit of hares with dogs and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with a sight hound dog and a 4 x 4 Nissan X-Trial, with the intention to use them in the course of or in connection with the commission of an offence of trespass, at South Somercotes on 12 February 2025. 

Mel Fagan, Lancaster Gate, Nelson, Lancashaire was handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) for 15 years and fined £500. He must pay £400 CPS costs and £200 victim surcharge.

The CBO means he is now prohibited from entering with or being in the company of anyone with dogs of any breed, between the 31 July and the 30 April (recognised as hare coursing season) the counties of Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire or Nottinghamshire.  Not to be in any of the five listed counties with any instrument to be used for poaching either during the day or night-time.

Inspector Chris Davis, Specialist Operations, said: “Harecoursing remains a real priority for the force.  We understand how it affects our rural communities and brings in wider serious offending, damage to crops worth thousands of pounds and threats of harm which are meant to intimidate.  All our resources across Specialist Operations and colleagues in Response and Neighbourhood Teams respond to reports. 

“My ask of anyone who sees any hare coursing activity or dogs chasing hares itself calls our force control room.  Record as much detail as possible, what can be seen or heard. 

“While our resources on the rural crime time are reduced at the moment, we are still here and will do everything possible to attend and put those responsible before the courts.”

Above image is of Mel Fagan who has a CBO for 15 years. 

Above image is of Jack O'Driscoll who received a CBO for five years.