A man has been fined more than £600 after admitting hare-coursing in a farmer's field.

Reginald Abercrombie told Maidstone Magistrates: "I am a Gypsy. It's something I've done since I was boy. I was taught to do it. But I never did any damage."

Prosecutor Mark Kateley told the court that a couple saw Abercrombie of Heartenoak Farm, Heartenoak Road, Hawkhurst, in a field at St Nicholas at Wade, near Birchington, with two "lurcher-type" dogs on November 1.

They approached Abercrombie to ask what he was doing, but he ran off.

The police were called and Abercrombie was found hiding in woods with his dogs. The still-warm body of a dead hare was also discovered.

The court heard that Abercrombie had a number of previous offences, the last in 1992, but the offences were not related.

Abercrombie, 51, who described himself as a roofer was unrepresented in court.

Saying he was a born-again Christian, he said he couldn't lie and that "from that day to this, I've stopped (hare-coursing)".

There was some difficulty for magistrates in determining the level of Abercrombie's fine, as he said his income varied: one week he might earn £800, another week nothing at all.

Eventually it was determined that he had earned £32,500 in the previous year.

He was fined £624 and must pay £85 costs and £43 victim surcharge.

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