Police have warned deer poachers to beware after two men were punished for the crime in court.
Police stopped 26-year-olds James Allen-Harvey and Barry Moss in Nettleden Road, Little Gaddesden, on December 11 last year. They found a dead deer with a slit throat in the back of the van they were in.
Little Gaddesden sits in the Ashridge Estate – a 5,000-acre Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty known for its high deer population.
Sergeant Jamie Bartlett, from the Rural Operational Support Team, said: “Incidents of poaching and coursing are relatively common in the countryside and rural areas.
“This sends a positive message that we will deal with these matters and seek with the support of the courts to get the most appropriate results, which in some cases can include the seizure of vehicles and the disqualification of drivers.”
Allen-Harvey, of Stonegrove Gardens, Edgware, was fined £350 and ordered to pay £350 in costs after being found guilty of deer poaching at Watford Magistrates Court.
Moss, of Somers Square, Hatfield, was fined £400 and also ordered to pay £350 costs.