LINCOLNSHIRE, UK — Former world boxing champion Billy Joe Saunders has pleaded guilty to hare coursing and related offences after a foul-mouthed outburst during his arrest was caught on camera and went viral.
The 36-year-old boxer, who previously held WBO titles in two weight divisions, was arrested last October alongside three others in a muddy field in Lincolnshire. Police were responding to reports of suspicious activity near Woodhall Spa, where Saunders and his group were allegedly involved in illegal hunting.
Footage from the arrest shows Saunders using vulgar and abusive language toward police officers, including a female officer whom he called “love” before launching into a tirade filled with profanity, insults, and threats to use a catapult on police vehicles.
Saunders was charged and has since pleaded guilty to trespassing with dogs and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares. He was fined £3,375 for kennel and welfare costs, ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work, and banned from owning dogs for five years.
Police discovered six people in a Mercedes Benz, including two minors, and recovered two lurcher-type dogs, a catapult with ball bearings, and a locking knife. The rear number plate was also obscured with mud in an apparent attempt to avoid detection.
His co-defendants — Maurice Smith (36), Noah Stanley (54), and Noah Jr. (26) — also pleaded guilty to the same charges. All four men received Criminal Behaviour Orders barring them from entering Lincolnshire and four surrounding counties during hare coursing season.
PC Chris Windsor-Beck of the Lincolnshire Police Rural Crime Action Team said the arrests followed serious concerns about poaching and the use of catapults as weapons. He confirmed videos of hare coursing were found on Saunders’ mobile phone, recorded on the same day.
“We had the hard evidence. There was nothing to do but accept guilt,” Windsor-Beck said.
Saunders, who previously represented Great Britain at the 2008 Olympics and was eyeing a comeback after a four-year break, has not publicly commented on the court ruling. He met with promoter Frank Warren in May regarding a return to boxing, but these legal troubles may derail his plans.
