Wildlife lover set to face trial, after vowing to fight council prosecution....
- teessidetoday
- Dec 17, 2024
- 2 min read
Hartlepool Man Charged with Breaching a Council Community Protection Notice set to face trial in the New Year after vowing to fight the local council who's attempting to stop him feeding the wild animals he loves.
17th December 2024
A Hartlepool man accused of breaching a Community Protection Notice served on him from a known Extremist Group allegedly for persistently feeding wild animals has been told he will now face trial, following a hearing at Teesside Magistrates’ Court today.
Brian Wilkins, 76, appeared before the Middlesbrough court on December 17th, facing charges brought by Hartlepool Borough Council, alleging Mr. Wilkins’ actions, which include regularly feeding wild animals, is causing 'a statutory nuisance' and is contributing to an increase in the population of rats and other vermin.
The charges reportedly arise from a Community Protection Notice (CPN) issued by Hartlepool Borough Council against Mr Wilkins under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act back in July 2023 which its claims he's repeatedly failed to comply with.
During the hearing, its claimed Mr. Wilkins pleaded not guilty, arguing that he had a reasonable excuse for his actions. Magistrates determined that the matter must be taken as a not guilty plea to the charges & must proceed to trial, with a hearing date to be set in due course. It remains unclear whether Mr. Wilkins was legally represented at the hearing, which some local residents described as a “council show trial.”
Community Protection Notices are typically resolved through fines issued by Magistrates’ Courts. However, legal experts have suggested that Mr. Wilkins’ decision to plead not guilty could prolong proceedings and significantly increase the costs order likely to be sought by Hartlepool Borough Council, a local council which in 2023 was determined to be a local council with no public confidence.
Critics have argued that Hartlepool Borough Councils recent actions reflect an increasingly heavy-handed and extremist approach to governance, targeting the old, disabled & the vulnerable in a 1930s Germany style of governance.
This case also is said to raise important questions about the balance between addressing genuine public health concerns and ensuring fair treatment for residents accused of minor infractions. With Mr. Wilkins’ trial pending, and many local animal rights campaigners in the region said to be watching closely to see how this controversial case unfolds.
