RSPCA launch investigation after top British lawyer boasts of killing fox with baseball bat in England

THE RSPCA have launched an investigation after a prominent British lawyer claimed that he killed a fox with a baseball bat.

Jolyon Maugham, a advocate for the ‘remain campaign’ and who has mounted several legal challenges against Brexit, said he was wearing his wife’s kimono and nursing a hangover when he disposed of the animal at his home in England on Boxing Day (December 26).

Boasting of his actions on Twitter, Mr Maugham wrote: “Already this morning I have killed a fox with a baseball bat. How’s your Boxing Day going?”

The message sparked a wave of backlash from social media users, drawing the attention of the animal charity who vowed to get to the bottom of the killing, who wrote on Twitter that the incident was “distressing.”

https://twitter.com/JolyonMaugham/status/1210110735189233665

After multiple people accused Mr Maugham of animal cruelty, he hit back to say the fox had “got caught up in the protective netting around the chickens” and he “wasn’t sure what else to do”. He added that it wasn’t a great deal of fun, and although he doesn’t enjoy killing things, “it does come with the territory if you’re a meat eater.”

Many or most Councils in London treat foxes as an urban pest. And at least one recommends clubbing them (says the MP) https://t.co/3kKPIpJEvh

— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) December 26, 2019

Some social media users described Maugham’s actions as ‘vile’ and began using the hashtag #JolyonTheFoxKiller. The lawyer also confirmed in a later tweet that he had received a barrage of abuse from animal rights activists.

The lawyer then stated ‘government guidelines’ which he said allows a fox to be humanely killed if they are caught in a trap or snare on a person’s property.