New Year Assault on Hunt Sabs: Police Still Seeking Culprits
RICHARD PRICE
In a shocking incident captured on video, a group of four masked assailants targeted a broken-down car, smashing its windows and threatening the terrified occupants. The attack unfolded on New Year’s Day in the car park of All Saints Church in Herstmonceux, where the victims, who are acknowledged hunt saboteurs, had arrived in their car with a view to preventing the South Downs and Eridge Hunt from killing foxes.
Nearly two months on, Sussex police are still apparently seeking assistance in identifying the attackers.
The victims of the assault included 65-year-old Hastings resident Simon Medhurst, who was in the driver’s seat, along with two women, Mandy aged 68 and Anne, 55. Simon could not drive away because the car had a flat tyre, propped against its side.
The attackers, dressed almost identically and assumed by the victims to be hunt supporters, unleashed a barrage of threats, shouting they would kill and stab the occupants. They violently attempted to break into the car, ultimately wielding the tyre to smash windows, endangering Simon’s life as they focused their aggression on him. Simon filmed them until a window was smashed, using a small camera which he dropped into the footwell.
HORRIFYING ORDEAL
On interview, Mandy described the attack, highlighting the assailants’ efforts to seize her belongings and inflict physical harm on all three victims. Simon, recognizing the potential danger of being dragged from the vehicle, clung to the steering wheel to prevent further harm.
Mandy said, “It was horrific. Absolutely terrifying. I literally I thought we were gonna die”. She described the attack: “They ripped the body cam off of me. They ripped my handbag which was around my neck, pulling it so hard that the strap broke. I was really bruised from it. They were repeatedly trying to grab my phone. Simon was being punched in the head and, I think, the top of his chest. They were going to try and pull him out of the car. Anne suffered bruising as she tried to put her hands between the punches and Simon’s head.
“They smashed nearly all the windows. They were trying to undo the locks and pull him out. And they said they were gonna stab him.”
Simon, who is a disabled RAF veteran, knew that if he was dragged from the car he could be seriously injured or killed, so he hung onto the steering wheel. But as the blows rained down upon him with each blow he was becoming weaker. He said, “I decided that all I could do was hold onto the steering wheel because, if they dragged me out of the vehicle, they could start kicking me whereas all I was taking at that point was punches. Punches are painful, but punches are just punches, being kicked is a lot worse than being punched. I knew that I just had to stay in the vehicle.”
The attack concluded when a security guard, intervened and chased off the assailants. Paramedics insisted that Simon attend hospital to be checked over. His injuries included a cut above his eye and bruised ribs.
“ILLEGAL ACTIVITY”
Simon said, “We knew the hunt was an illegal activity because they had terrier men on quad bikes with terriers in boxes. They do that so that if a fox goes to earth, down either its own type of earth or a badger sett – which is more often than not – then they use the terriers to dig the fox out. If we see them with terrier men, spades and terriers, they fully intend to kill a fox if they catch one.”
He added, “I’d love to meet the security guard and thank him profusely for what he did. I think that he saved my life. I was about thirty seconds from losing my grip on the wheel”.
Mandy said, “It has affected me quite badly. I was on a bus the other day and someone shut the window – when I heard a bang, my heart was racing. And the neighbours next door were recently tapping on something. Which is normal – but it reminded me of the thugs tapping on the window with the keys. It’s like it just really turns your stomach with the anxiety”.
Despite the trauma, the victims remain committed to their cause and say they returned to hunt saboteur activities on January 6.
POLICE INVESTIGATION
Sussex Police said last week that their investigation into the assault was ”ongoing” and that they were pursuing “a number of lines of enquiry”. But despite the video footage, which shows the face of one of the attackers as his mask slipped, no arrests have been made.
Asked whether the hunters’ carriage of terriers on quad bikes was illegal, the spokesperson said: “It is not a criminal offence to carry a dog on a quad bike…But if any criminality is identified or reported, appropriate action will be taken”.
No-one representing South Down and Eridge Hunt has been willing to speak to HIP, but a spokesperson told a BBC interviewer that the hunt had no association with the New Year’s Day assailants.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. You can also support local journalism by becoming a friend of HIP. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.
So a violent attack on relatively elderly people by masked thugs and the extreme vandalism of their property is effectively ignored by Sussex Police even though they actually have enough evidence to find and prosecute the culprits. The police claims of “ongoing investigations” are bullshit and they are hoping everyone will forget about it. Just more proof that the police are not there to serve the people or uphold the law, but are overtly political and see their job as protecting the ruling classes and their minions from both the public and the law itself.
How are these marauding gangs of countryside reprobates allowed to break numerous laws with impunity week in, week out? Hounds trespassing and killed on railway lines and main roads, domestic pets killed, numerous road traffic offences, assaults, threats, vandalism , criminal damage and thefts of property are regular occurrences, and all so that they can continue breaking the law and carry on hunting foxes with hounds. It’s time for this anachronistic and psychopathic pantomime to end – our wildlife is one of the most depleted in the world thanks to hunters, shoots and certain farmers.