Man handed first Asbo for hare coursing in Scotland

A 54-year-old man has become the first person in Scotland to be given an Asbo for illegal hare coursing.

Keith Livingston, from West Lothian, pleaded guilty to two counts of hare coursing under the Wildlife and Countryside Act in East Lothian and Midlothian.

He was fined £300 for both counts.

See also: Hare coursing – what to do if your farm is targeted

The court heard how, on the 28 August 2014, Mr Livingston was caught by police in Begbie Woods, East Lothian, close to the B6368 road, hare coursing with two dogs.

Keith Livingston

Then, on the 12 October, Mr Livingston was arrested after being discovered allowing his dog to kill a hare near Pathhead, Midlothian, during a Police Scotland crackdown on coursing.

On Friday (23 October), Mr Livingston appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court where he was handed the Asbo.

The order’s conditions prevent him from entering land with a dog or with other people with a dog in the counties of East Lothian and Midlothian for 18 months.

Speaking after the case, PC Jamie Hood, of Police Scotland, said: “Hare coursing is a crime that has no consideration for wildlife or the impact on people who legitimately make a living from the land.

“People involved in this activity can also be involved in other criminal activity.

“This sentence should serve as a serious deterrent to anyone involved in hare coursing in Scotland.”