Ex-world champion Billy Joe Saunders sentenced after being caught in illegal dog chase

Former world champion Billy Joe Saunders has been sentenced to community service and fined after pleading guilty to illegally using dogs to hunt and kill hares.

The two-time world champion flew into a rage last October when police caught him and three pals illegally hare coursing. Saunders, 36, who famously beat Chris Eubank Jr in 2014 and was later crowned middleweight world champion, was due for a spectacular comeback this year after a four-year break. This week Saunders and three other men were sentenced for illegally using dogs to chase and kill hares in Lincolnshire.

Lincolnshire Police released footage of the men after they were caught red-handed with two lurchers on October 9 last year. In the footage, Saunders, wearing a grey tracksuit, asks officers: “You’re arresting us? Let’s go.” He then walks away before turning to a female officer and says: “What one [police car] am I going in love?”

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When the officers tell Saunders to come with them, he becomes increasingly irate, barking: “Put [sic] your hand off me.” He then tells them: “We’ve been nice to you, we ain’t done nothing.” Saunders asks an officer where the two dogs will be going, and when the cop says he doesn’t know, the boxer tells him: “No you wouldn’t know you c***.”

Saunders continues to berate the officer, telling him: “F*** your mother. “Go bend your mum over and f*** her you c***.” While the officers explain to the group that hare coursing is illegal, Saunders turns to another cop, and says: “Shut your mouth you pr***. F*** you, f*** you, f*** you, f*** you.”

The officers then handcuff Saunders and arrest the remaining three men, Maurice Smith, 36, Noah Stanley, 54, and his son Noah Jr, 26. Saunders also threatened to use a catapult to attack the police cars, the force claimed. Police seized Saunders’ mobile phone which contained videos of the men hare coursing. All four admitted trespassing with dogs and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.

A court heard police attended Wellend Bank near Market Deeping after witnesses spotted the men covered in mud by the roadside and acting suspiciously. Six people were found crammed inside a Mercedes Benz including two teenagers aged 13 and 16.

In the boot were two lurcher-type dogs named George and Molly, and the car was covered in fresh mud indicating that it had been off-road. Attempts had also been made to conceal the rear number plates with mud. A catapult with ball bearing and a locking knife were also found under the rear seat, which belonged to the children.

On Thursday at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court Saunders was ordered to pay £3,375 compensation for kennel and welfare fees. He was also ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £114. Saunders was banned from keeping dogs for five years and ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid work. He was cleared of using threatening or abusive words and dangerously driving a Mercedes Benz ML.

Smith, meanwhile, was ordered to pay £3,375 compensation and kennel fees as well as £85 court costs and £114 victim surcharge. The Stanley’s, both of Gerrards Cross, Bucks., were banned from keeping dogs for five years and ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid work. All four were also slapped with Criminal Behaviour Orders for five years.

The order bans them from entering Lincolnshire and four other counties between July 31 and April 30, when hare coursing is most prevalent. PC Chris Windsor-Beck, from the Lincolnshire Police Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT), said: “They were all travelling from the south of the country and were unable to provide any good reason why they were in Lincolnshire at that time of the day with sight hounds used for hunting, catapults and a vehicle used in off-road driving.

“We have had reports that catapults and ball bearings have been used in recent months in illegal hunting, as well as against landowners who have confronted poachers on their land, so this was a really concerning find. When we started digging further into what had happened this included looking at the contents on their phones, and hare coursing videos were found on Billy Joe Saunders’ device which had been taken on the date of the incident reported.

“My concerns over the catapult were not without reasons; when Saunders was talking to officers, he made reference to catapulting the windows of our car instead of stopping next time. We had the hard evidence that they were hare coursing, so there was nothing to do but accept guilt. Hare coursers are drawn to Lincolnshire because of its flat, open terrain, and often, the activity involves gambling, and there can be a range of other criminal activities, including theft, criminal damage, violence and intimidation.”

Earlier this year Saunders was embroiled in a row when he attempted to enter Eubank Jr's dressing room to oversee the wrapping of his hands before a title fight.